328 
HISTORY OF MADAGASCAR. 
dresses being entirely prepared and worked by them¬ 
selves. 
“Prince Rafaralahy, besides a very imposing personal 
appearance, has much natural penetration and quickness of 
discernment, catches with eagerness every, even the most 
trifling occurrence in conduct and manners, which he inva¬ 
riably endeavours to imitate and adopt. He is, in every 
respect, most becoming in manners, and even polite in his 
conversation ; and, being a great favourite of king Radama, 
and possessed of much influence on account of his skill and 
courage, as well as humanity, is likely to advance the bene¬ 
volent views and interests of his master, and of those from 
whom he has derived so much improvement, and received 
so much hospitality. 
“ After a few days’ stay at Tamatave, we sailed to Foule 
Point, in order to make a visit to Rafaralahy. His entreaties 
to this effect, and unwillingness to disappoint a man so 
sincerely attached to us, determined me to postpone for 
this purpose, our final departure. This visit appeared the 
more called for, from the circumstance of Radama not being 
present himself. 
66 There is a considerable colony from the interior of the 
island settled at Foule Point; they have already introduced 
the use of the plough, and have succeeded in disciplining 
their oxen to draught-work and carrying, for which pur¬ 
poses I had sent them instructors, and models of agricul¬ 
tural instruments from Mauritius; and I have the satisfac¬ 
tion of being able to state, that their fields are now well 
cultivated, and promise a rapid increase, to reward their 
efforts, and that spirit of industry, for which the inhabit¬ 
ants of Ankova are, in the actual state of civilization 
of the island, the most remarkable among the numerous 
