330 
HISTORY OF MADAGASCAR. 
a stipulated time, which was not fully expired when informa¬ 
tion of a somewhat questionable nature reached them, that 
the chieftain was already encamped with a powerful army, of 
three divisions, prepared to resist the power of the Hovas. 
Radama, conscious of the superiority of his own troops, was 
highly elated at the prospect of being opposed, and listened 
with some impatience to Mr. Hastie’s cooler arguments in 
favour of proposing terms of allegiance, rather than reducing 
the country to a state of desolation. The British agent, 
however, persevered, and omitted no opportunity of en¬ 
forcing upon the king how much greater honour he would 
acquire by peaceably rendering himself master of the country. 
Mr. Hastie was well aware, that if once any warlike operations 
began, the people having been debarred, for the space of 
three years, from all profit arising from the sale of slaves, 
and not having yet reaped the full benefits of the improved 
order of things, were ripe for plunder, and would rush upon 
the enemy with the same disregard of life and property 
which they had shown in their former wars. Mr. Hastie, 
therefore, counselled Radama to send forward a few un¬ 
armed men, to ascertain the disposition of the chieftains, 
and to intimate his intention towards them. To this the 
king objected; but it was finally settled that a detachment 
of 500 should be sent, to see what preparations the enemy 
had made for resistance. 
In the mean time, the whole mind of the king seemed 
to be absorbed by the military exploits, and the consequent 
renown, he was promising himself; so that when the party 
returned, stating that the passes were not guarded, nor were 
other preparations for resistance observable, he considered 
himself fully justified in advancing, on the ground that the 
time he allowed to the chieftain for sending the flag was 
expired. 
