2 
VISITS TO MADAGASCAR. 
CHAP. I. 
in rendering it effectual, an annual payment was made by the 
British Government to the king. This payment consisted 
partly of ammunition and arms; and men were sent to Mada¬ 
gascar to instruct the native soldiers in the use of firearms, 
and in military tactics. To the arms and discipline thus 
supplied, and used with a wanton disregard of human life 
and human suffering, happily unknown in warfare amongst 
civilised nations, are to be ascribed much of Radama’s success 
in extending the dominion of the Hovas far beyond the cen¬ 
tral province of Ankova, its original boundary. Besides the 
superior arms and training thus supplied to the Malagasy 
soldiers, a number of native youths were received on board 
ships of the British navy, in order that they might learn prac¬ 
tical seamanship, and be able to act as pilots, or to hold other 
offices under their own government at the several ports of the 
island ; while others were sent to England, for education, and 
instruction in the arts of civilised life. 
Missionaries from the London Missionary Society reached 
the coast of Madagascar in 1818 ; and, after the treaty with 
the British Grovernment had been finally ratified in 1820, 
they proceeded to the capital, and were cordially welcomed 
by the king, who appeared still more delighted when they 
were followed by a number of intelligent men sent out by the 
same society to instruct the people in the practice of many of 
the most useful arts. The strange and somewhat complex 
language of the people was acquired by the missionaries, who 
introduced an alphabet into the language, arranged its gram¬ 
mar, prepared elementary books, and translated the Holy 
Scriptures into the native tongue. 
In the space of ten years after the settlement of the 
teachers at the capital, not fewer than 10,000 or 15,000 of 
the natives had learned to read, many of them also to write, 
and a few had made some slight progress in English; 
at the same time that a number professed themselves Chris- 
