HISTORY OF MADAGASCAR. 
383 
CHAP. XIV. 
Arrival of a printing-press—Death of Mr. Hovenden, missionary printer— 
Annual examination of the schools in January, 1828—Detection and sum¬ 
mary punishment of an impostor who pretended to make known future 
events—The extension of education encouraged by the king and. his 
officers—Arrival of the Rev. J. J. Freeman and family at the capital— 
Notice of robberies committed on the way—First printing in Madagas¬ 
car—Proposed baptism of native converts approved by the king— 
Means of improvement provided for the native teachers—General view 
of the Mission—Death of Mr. Rowlands, missionary artisan—Arrival of 
Messrs. Bennet and Tyerman at Tananarivo— Illness and death of the 
latter—Dangerously .increasing illness of Radama—Arrival of R. Lyall, 
Esq., British agent at the capital—Death of the king—Its concealment 
from the populace—Deep anxiety among the people—Assumption of the 
government, by Ranavalona, one of the nominal queens of Radama—Pro¬ 
clamation announcing the king’s death—Orders of the new sovereign— 
The widow and child of the king—Description of the person and cha¬ 
racter of Radama by Prince Corroller—Immediate effects of the king’s 
death—Departure of Mr. Bennet from the capital—Interview with Prince 
Rataffe—Cruel massacre of the latter and his princess. 
A short time previous to the decease of Mr. Hastie, he 
had rendered his last service to the Missionary Society, by 
conducting Mr. Johns and his party on their way to the 
capital. Messrs. Blancard and Dayot, and Captain Barnes, 
travelled from the coast to Imerina at the same time. 
Illness attacked several of the party soon after reaching 
the capital, where disease was then prevailing extensively. 
Mr. Hastie, who was so far recovered as to be able to 
attend to public business, exerted himself in opposing 
the formation of a commercial treaty proposed by Mons. 
Blancard, a measure which he considered too monopolizing, 
and calculated to injure rather than benefit the country, 
although unquestionably tempting to a sovereign who was 
