268 
HISTORY OF MADAGASCAR. 
success on their enterprise in nearly the following terms 
6 O thou great Rangora! master of these superb plains 
and herds, be it known to thee, that the mighty king 
Radama, attended by a formidable army, is thy visitor; 
and it will only be consistent with thine own dignity, and 
his exalted rank as governor of the earth, a king unequalled 
by any other king, that thou shouldst present him with a 
part of thy superabundant stock, for the use of his attend¬ 
ants. Be it known to thee, O Rangora! that the wants of 
the mighty king are bounded, but his liberality is without 
bounds; he is slow in accepting, but lavish in bestowing 
favours. He comes not in hostile array, but, as thy visitor, 
in amity. O you Kotofotsy and Taihana! guardians of 
your great master’s innumerable flocks, let it be your care 
to do him honour in the selection of the presents that he 
may order for the use of his royal visitor, so that we, his 
attendants, may partake of such fare as will induce us to 
make favourable representations of your attentions to our 
mighty king, and thereby entitle you to his beneficent con¬ 
sideration. We again repeat, we are visitors in amity, and 
only claim your hospitable entertainment during our sojourn 
with you.’ 
“ Before the troops returned, three hundred and forty-six 
head of cattle were killed, besides the number wounded and 
followed by the spearmen ; two days afterwards, four hun¬ 
dred and thirty-one more were killed by the soldiers.” 
In the month of February, 1825, the late king Radama, 
accompanied by the British agent, made an excursion to 
Manerina, upwards of 100 miles west of the capital, having 
about 3000 soldiers with him, for the purpose of carrying 
on the sport on a large scale. Immense numbers of cattle 
were killed, not less, it is said, than five hundred the first 
day. The troops, stationed at suitable distances, sur- 
