HISTORY OF MADAGASCAR. 
509 
pretext for the gratification of their vindictive feelings. 
Their conduct, on several occasions, exhibited the meanness 
of spirit so frequently associated with the capricious and 
sanguinary exercise of irresponsible power. 
The natives had been encouraged to assist the Missiona¬ 
ries by Radama and his successor, as domestic servants in 
their families, nursing their children, and otherwise con¬ 
tributing to their comfort. Their conduct in this respect 
had been regarded with approbation rather than blame, by 
the authorities. But no sooner had the Missionaries left 
the island, than it was reported, that to have lived in 
the houses of the Missionaries, or to have been intimate 
with them, was sufficient to render the allegiance and trust¬ 
worthiness of any individual doubtful. The Missionaries 
had officially informed the queen that their servants had 
read the Scriptures, observed the Sabbath, and attended to 
all other Christian observances; that they held themselves 
responsible for the attention their servants had paid to 
the observances of Christianity, and would bear any conse¬ 
quences to which it might lead. They had been told in 
reply, that no blame attached to them for so doing; but 
after their departure, the comparatively humble and sub¬ 
ordinate station of those who had acted as servants to the 
Missionaries, afforded no protection for the relentless hatred 
of the rulers, who, though they deemed it inexpedient to 
punish the Missionary, did not think it beneath them to 
visit with sanguinary vengeance the helpless natives left 
within their grasp. Shortly after the departure of Mr. 
Freeman and Mr. Griffiths, and the artisans, their servants 
were all required to submit to the ordeal of the tangena, 
to prove their fidelity to the queen. On this occasion, two 
who had lived in Mr. Freeman’s family, being declared 
