THE CORONATION OF RANAVALONA III. 259 
the throne and constitution of their country on 
the part of all classes of the Malagasy; and the 
calm and dignified manner in which the ob¬ 
sequies of the late Queen were conducted, and 
the arrangements made immediately for the en¬ 
thronement of her successor, point to the settled 
determination of the authorities that the security 
of the kingdom and the protection of their terri¬ 
tory is to be the chief object of their solicitude, 
-—at least, till the clouds lift and the present 
difficulties pass away. 
The throne of Madagascar, to which the prin¬ 
cess has been called at such an early age, has 
already its traditions and its history. The 
dynasty, of which she is the youngest represen¬ 
tative, may begin to be regarded, in every sense of 
the word, as illustrious, and no small additional 
significance is added to the full force of the 
recent coronation by the fact that Razafindra- 
hety has received an important part of her edu¬ 
cation at least in the excellent schools of the 
London Missionary Society at Faravohitra, where, 
as well as in her private instruction, the greatest 
care has been exercised to fit her for the ex¬ 
alted position which, years ago, it was seen that 
in the. natural order of things she would one day 
be called to fill. She is the second Christian 
sovereign of the Malagasy, as has already been 
stated, and great care appears to have been 
