322 
HISTORY OF MADAGASCAR. 
and difficulties were started; some asserting that they had 
no children, others tying rags around them, and saying they 
were their only clothes; and others rubbing over with soot 
the already swarthy faces of their offspring, and then main¬ 
taining that they were too ugly and too great fools to 
learn. 
The king hearing of this opposition to the projected 
measure, desired the teachers to wait until he should have 
a general kabary with the people. He then sent for the 
heads of each village, and inquired of them what were 
their grievances. They said they had none; that they 
liked what he liked, and wished to please him. “Well,” 
said the king, “ if you wish to become wise and happy, and 
to please me, send your children to the schools, and let 
them be taught; for the good, the industrious, and the 
wise shall be honoured by me.” 
If the objections of the people were not actually removed, 
they did not afterwards express themselves unwilling to 
have their children instructed ; and on Messrs. Jones and 
Griffiths visiting the village schools thus established, they 
were extremely gratified by the progress of the scholars, 
and the good order which the native teachers had estab¬ 
lished and maintained. At this time there were two hun¬ 
dred and sixty-eight children in the school at the capital, 
forty of whom were acquiring the English language. 
Upon a careful review of the events which had lately 
transpired, the Missionaries could not but feel that they 
had great encouragement in their labours. The field for 
exertion had been greatly extended; a large accession had 
been made to the number of their scholars; means of 
instruction were rapidly multiplying, as teachers from the 
central school at the capital were found competent to con¬ 
duct those at the different villages around. A commence- 
