HISTORY OF MADAGASCAR. 
397 
On the morning of the first of August, the great question 
was decided. By break of day, the shouts of an immense 
body of people were heard, even at a great distance from 
the court-yard, indicating that some important measure had 
been adopted ; and it was immediately afterwards rumoured 
that the queen Ranavalona had been placed on the throne. 
The first official intimation of the demise of Rad am a, con¬ 
veyed to the Europeans at the capital, and, of course, to 
the members of the Mission, was involved in the message 
sent to them from the new sovereign, which they received 
at a moment of deep interest, while attending the funeral 
of their departed guest and friend, the Rev. D. Tyerman. 
Orders having been issued for a general kabary to be 
held at the capital on the 3rd of August, immense crowds 
of natives flocked to Tananarivo from all parts of the sur¬ 
rounding country, to the distance of many miles. So vast 
was the influx of people, that a gentleman then present, 
and lately arrived from India, remarked, that he could com¬ 
pare it only with the multitudes collected there at the festi¬ 
vals of Juggernaut. Almost every eligible spot of ground 
in the vicinity of the capital was occupied by people from 
the country, who pitched their tents, or erected temporary 
sheds for the occasion. This concourse lasted from the 
great kabary, on the 3rd, until the 13th, the day after the 
funeral. 
On the 3rd of August the official proclamation was made 
that the king had 66 retired "—“ had gone to his fathers ” 
and that the successor, appointed by his father, was Rana¬ 
valona, previously known as the senior wife of Radama. 
Directions were also published, respecting the ceremonies 
to be used in honour of the deceased monarch, and as 
demonstrations of the public grief. Amongst the principal 
orders issued to this effect, were the following: 
