HISTORY OF MADAGASCAR. 
479 
influence of Christianity would extend, and the power of 
idolatry decline. In this expectation they were encouraged 
by the growing attention to personal religion among 
numbers of the people, the extent to which the knowledge 
of the gospel was by means of native Christians diffused, 
and the great influence which the youths who had been 
pupils, but who now held important offices in the army or 
the service of the government, seemed to possess. Many 
of the officers, to whom the youths instructed in the schools 
acted as aides-de-camp or writers, wished them still to attend 
the Missionaries for further instruction; and in compliance 
w r ith their wishes, a class was formed, to whom the Mission¬ 
aries devoted a considerable portion of their time, in giving 
instruction in several branches of knowledge not taught in 
the public schools, at the same time blending with the 
whole the study of the sacred Scriptures. 
Early in the spring of 1834, Mr. and Mrs. Baker 
embarked for Madagascar, accompanied by Mrs. Freeman, 
whose re-established health enabled her to return to Mr. 
Freeman. They reached Tamatave on the first of July, 
1834. Here they were met by Mr. Freeman, v/ho accom¬ 
panied them to the capital, where Mr. Baker rejoiced 
greatly on witnessing the progress of the Mission, and the 
evidences of spiritual good among the people. 
During Mr. Baker’s stay in England, an edition of 5000 
copies of the Psalms had been printed under his super¬ 
intendence, in the native language, and bound up for the 
use of the Malagasy by the British and Foreign Bible 
Society. A large edition of a spelling-book, and of Russell’s 
catechism, in the same language, had also been printed, 
by means of a handsome donation of fifty pounds from 
Mr. Cameron, and were found exceedingly useful among 
the people. 
