HISTORY OF MADAGASCAR. 
391 
last examination. The king wisely exercised his authority on this 
point with mildness, and prefers holding out inducements, rather 
than employing compulsion. 
“The fact, that great numbers in this country, both of those 
actually in the schools, and of those who have left them, are now 
able to read, made us exceedingly anxious to employ some means 
to provide them with books, on however limited a scale. The dis¬ 
appointment felt on the lamented decease of Mr. Hovenden, you 
will easily judge of. His life was not spared long enough to put up 
the press. However, having employed Mr. Cameron to assist us in 
erecting it, we prepared it for work, and resolved on doing our 
best. Encouraged by the first attempts we made in the way of 
trial, we have proceeded in the work, and have issued from the 
press,—1500 reading lessons, consisting of the first twenty-three 
verses of the 1st chapter of Genesis, in Madagasse ; a small im¬ 
pression of the Madagasse alphabet, for general distribution, to 
secure, by the king’s direction, uniformity in the orthoepy of the 
language ; 800 copies of a small volume of Madagasse hymns for 
public worship ; and 2200 copies of a small spelling-book of sixteen 
pages. 
“There is nowin the press, a first catechism, which is nearly 
finished, and of which there will be 1500 copies; also, the Gospel 
by Luke, which is printed as far as the 8th chapter. The 1st of 
January, this year, (1828,) we employed in finally revising and 
putting to press the sheet containing the 1st chapter of Luke, 
wishing thus to hallow the new year of our missionary labours, by 
this service, in opening the fountain of living waters in the midst 
of this parched ground. May the healing streams, ere long, flow 
in a thousand channels through the wilderness, and transform it 
into the garden of the Lord ! 
“ The king and the royal family have expressed themselves highly 
gratified with the introduction of the art of printing into Mada¬ 
gascar,—to circulate among the Ambaniandro , useful and religious 
knowledge. His majesty sent word, that six or eight youths might 
be selected to work at the press permanently. 
In the postscript, dated April 18th, 1828, they thus refer 
to the death of Mr. Rowlands, one of the artisans connected 
with the Mission — 
