312 
HISTORY OF MADAGASCAR. 
made a speech, abounding in metaphor, the substance of 
which was addressed to his nobles. “ You hail me as your 
chief,” said he, I acknowledge you as my officers. You 
look to me as a wide-spreading tree, whose leaves will 
shade, whose branches cover you : it is not to me you should 
look, it is to the King of England, the root of this tree !” 
In reply to the toast, Captain Moorsom said in French, 
that he felt happy to have the health of his sovereign drank 
in such a manner by a monarch who seemed to study the 
welfare and prosperity of his people; that it was the will of 
the king of England that all his officers should endeavour 
to promote the happiness of the people of Madagascar, 
and therefore he begged to drink the prosperity and civili¬ 
zation of Madagascar. The king then gave the navy of 
England; and the captain returned the compliment by the 
future navy of Madagascar, accompanying the toast with 
some appropriate remarks upon the great national advan¬ 
tages of commerce: to which the king replied, with evident 
pleasure, “ When you drink my health, I am gratified, and 
can thank you; but when you drink the happiness of my 
people, I feel as unable adequately to express my feelings, 
as I am incapable of uttering the sound of all their voices.” 
He then remarked, in reference to toasts, “ that the senti¬ 
ments were not expressed in order that wine might be 
drank, but that, under pleasurable excitements, the heart 
dictated utterance to the mouth.” 
In the conversation which followed, Captain Moorsom 
endeavoured to impress still further upon the mind of the 
king, the importance of commerce in raising the national 
character of his people. He also used every argument to 
convince him that neither commerce, nor any other means 
of national prosperity, could be maintained, without the 
cessation of intestine wars, and the depredations of tribe 
