84 
VISITS TO MADAGASCAR. 
CHAP. IV. 
A short time previous to this visit, Mr. Hardy, a Wesleyan 
missionary, had arrived from Madras with his wife and family 
on his way to the Cape for the recovery of his health. On 
reaching Mauritius he was too ill to proceed, and was brought 
on shore with but slight hopes of his recovery. I visited 
him on the day of his arrival, and frequently afterwards, and 
was much pleased to observe his gradual recovery. A few 
days after my return from Reduit I attended a conference of 
friends whom he had invited to advise with him as to the 
desirableness of his remaining in Mauritius, and devoting 
his efforts to the religious instruction of the Coolies, or Indian 
labourers in the island. Some of the planters and other 
Christian residents had often expressed their deep regret on 
account of the want of every means of religious improvement 
for these labourers, of whom there were 90,000 in Mauritius. 
An attempt which had been made to teach some of their 
children English, had proved abortive; but the want was felt 
to be so pressing, the number to whom access could be 
obtained so considerable, and the hope so encouraging of 
securing native agents either as schoolmasters, Scripture- 
readers, or colporteurs and Bible distributors, that Mr. 
Hardy was recommended to remain at Mauritius with his 
family, until he could receive the instructions of his society 
in England. Mr. Hardy remained some months in Port 
Louis, distributing the Scriptures, and preaching in his own 
hired house to such as came to hear him; and, though not 
without individual instances of beneficial results, yet, as he 
did not receive instructions from England to remain, he sub¬ 
sequently proceeded to the Cape of Hood Hope, and finally 
to Australia. 
I still continued to preach every Sunday to small but 
attentive congregations of seamen and others at the Port 
Office. In the afternoon I attended the French service at 
M. Le Brun’s; and as some members of Mr. Kelsey’s house- 
