408 
HISTORY OF MADAGASCAR. 
is beyond the power of language; and, as no words can 
describe it, so no time can erase the picture from my recol¬ 
lection. They asked advice; but what advice could we 
offer ? They proposed to escape to the coast, in the hope 
of finding some vessel to carry them to Mauritius. I 
assured them that the governor would give them protection 
till an arrangement could be made for their safe return to 
Madagascar. The prince, at parting, presented me with 
his silk lamba, or mantle, desiring that I would remember 
them.” 
The son of Rataffe was among the most nearly related 
to Radama; he was heir-apparent to the throne, and it was 
always understood to be the wish of the king that he should 
be his successor. He was friendly to the education of the 
people, and the promotion of European arts. There were 
also evidences that his mind had been enlightened and his 
heart changed by the power of divine grace; and this, 
perhaps, was one of the causes why he was destroyed. 
Rataffe and his princess, knowing their own doom inevitable, 
if they could not escape the murderers of their child, made 
their way to the coast, and endeavoured to prevail on the 
master of a vessel trading between Madagascar and the 
Isle of France with bullocks, to remove them from the 
island, but were unsuccessful. Mammon completed what 
malignant cruelty had devised. A ship for Mauritius was 
found on the coast; any sum was offered for a passage for 
the unhappy prince and princess. Its certain payment was 
guaranteed by an English gentleman of high respectability, 
but the mercenary and unfeeling captain was deaf to all 
the entreaties of the prince and his friends. A passage was 
obstinately refused ; the hard-hearted ship-master alleging, 
that if he favoured the escape of the prince, his interest 
