HISTORY OF MADAGASCAR. 
337 
tent, told his friend that his reason for placing himself 
in this situation, was a fear lest the Moors would act 
treacherously; under which impression, he had had a 
guard stationed near, to be ready for any emergency. It 
was, however, a frequent practice with Radama, to pass 
in disguise along the streets of his capital, and, doubtless, 
one of the many means by which he made himself inti¬ 
mately acquainted, not only with the popular opinions of 
his own people, but with the private motives and cha¬ 
racters of men in general. 
At the expiration of the stated time, the messengers 
returned from Andriansolo, accompanied by three of his 
ministers, who took the oath of allegiance to Radama, on 
behalf of their chief, in the presence of the whole army. 
It was then proposed that Mr. Hastie should return with 
them to the place of refuge, which that prince had sought 
amongst the woody islands of the river, where his retreat 
was inaccessible, except to such a number as could be 
conveyed by small canoes. Radama’s object was to make 
him clearly to comprehend the nature of the oath of alle¬ 
giance ; and it was the business of Mr. Hastie to endea¬ 
vour, if possible, to bring about an interview between him 
and the king. 
The king was perfectly right in supposing that the pro¬ 
fession of allegiance had not been fully understood, for 
when Mr. Hastie, after much difficulty, obtained an inter¬ 
view with the chief, he found him surrounded by hundreds 
of armed men, and still possessed with a high idea of the 
importance of his own resources, and the power of his 
arms. Accustomed to the flattery and falsehood of the 
Moors, who had by this means obtained the real sove¬ 
reignty of the district, which he only nominally ruled; 
Andriansolo was little disposed to relish the plain dealing of 
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