156 
they were employed in the trade as factors or agents, 
all transactions of this kind, in that quarter of the 
island, passing through their hands. 
The French writers may endeavour to cast the odium 
of this transaction on the pirates ; but while we know 
that numerous attempts had been previously made by 
the French to introduce the traffic in slaves into Mada¬ 
gascar, both by treachery and open force—while they 
had in vain endeavoured by argument to induce them 
to sell their prisoners and malefactors,—-and while we 
read that from the period the pirates succeeded in 
their nefarious attempts, they rose into notice, and be¬ 
came not merely sufferable, but of the first importance 
to their countrymen, who no longer disdained to seek 
their friendship;—we can never believe but that the 
pirates were secretly instigated to the act by the 
French merchants, and that afterwards they were by- 
no means considered by them, or the French govern¬ 
ment, in the same light. 
We wish our own countrymen were clear from the 
blood of the Madegasses; but the history of that coun¬ 
try furnishes too many instances of the large share that 
England had in the slave transactions, to allow us to 
exculpate her. As early as the year 1724, when Drury 
was on the island, British ships were continually arriv¬ 
ing, which rendered it necessary for fresh wars to be 
undertaken in order to supply them. Happily, Eng¬ 
land has washed her hands of the trade, and, as far 
as lies in her power, endeavoured to atone for the 
miseries that Madagascar has suffered through her 
