474 
HISTORY OF MADAGASCAR. 
the first, in 1831, who desired by baptism publicly to pro¬ 
fess the name of the Lord Jesus. The deepest solicitude 
of this young Christian was now awakened on behalf of 
his relatives, and he used with great industry, but kindness, 
all his endeavours to convince them of the errors and sins 
of idolatry, to induce them to inquire into the claims of the 
gospel. These efforts excited great displeasure, and exposed 
him for a time to much reproach and some persecution, 
from all, excepting one individual, a nephew, who had been 
one of the pupils in the schools, and was a constant reader 
of the sacred Scriptures. By the blessing of the Lord on 
his conversation and example, several of his relatives 
declared themselves Christians ; the sale of the charms had 
been discontinued ever since the son of the chief had 
received the gospel, and the discontinuance of the worship 
of the idol in the family was now proposed, but strongly 
and successfully opposed by the parents, who, while they 
mourned over the apostasy of their son, grieved not less at 
the loss of property which the change in his views and 
conduct had occasioned. The individual associated with 
him in selling the sacred pieces of wood, was often heard 
to say, that when they sold the charms, the family always 
possessed abundance, and were strangers to want, but that 
now they were as poor as others. 
The Christian part of the family continued, with great 
kindness and affection, to endeavour to induce the chief to 
attend to the pure, holy, and glorious announcements of the 
gospel, but without visible benefit, while the heathen party 
in the neighbourhood became greatly enraged against the 
Christians. 
It had never, since the death of Radama, been difficult 
to obtain accusations against any one favourable to the 
system of religion taught by the Missionaries; and, towards 
