135 
felt. A famine, and its usual accompaniment, a pes¬ 
tilence, were the consequence ; and the colony, in a 
few days, saw itself reduced to eighty men, with the 
prospect of being completely annihilated. At this 
juncture, a French frigate, commanded by Captain 
Kercadio, made its appearance, and relieved them 
from the distressing situation in which they were 
placed. 
Kercadio appears to have been a brave and sensible 
man. The expedition on which he visited Madagascar, 
was to endeavour to establish another colony on the 
island, under the direction of the Marshal Meilleraye, 
at whose sole expense it was fitted out. But upon 
their arrival at Madagascar, a great number of the 
men managed to get on shore, and join the garrison 
at Fort Dauphin, in order to free themselves from the 
service they were destined for, being many of them 
pressed men. At that period it was no unusual cir¬ 
cumstance in France, upon such an expedition being 
about to be fitted out, for families to apply to the 
government, in case there was a dissolute or depraved 
character belonging to them, for an authority (called 
lettres-de-cachet) to transport him to some one of the 
new colonies. 
Upon learning the cause of the distress in which 
the garrison at Fort Dauphin was involved, Kercadio, 
being aware that the relief he could afford them 
would be but temporary, endeavoured to persuade 
Chamargou to consult their welfare, and remit the 
sentence against La Case. He represented to him 
