200 
sand warriors. The governor, however, concealed 
his own apprehensions, and caused the public works 
to be carried on with greater spirit; at the same time 
he made every exertion to secure the assistance of the 
chiefs in the vicinity of the colony, and had the satis¬ 
faction of receiving offers of service from many of 
them, particularly the Sambarives, who proposed to 
send five thousand men, in case he found it necessary 
to engage in war. 
Early in this year a circumstance took place which 
appears to have given a new turn to the views and 
feelings of Benyowsky, and to have determined his 
future plan, in case he was still neglected by the 
French government, and met with the same ill treat¬ 
ment from that of the Isle of France. 
Amongst the people whom he had brought with 
him from the latter place, was an old negress, named 
Susanna, who had been sold to the French, and had 
resided there upwards of fifty years. This woman 
was a native of Madagascar; and, at the same time 
that she was enslaved, amongst others who accompa¬ 
nied her to the Isle of France, was a daughter of 
Ramini Larizon, the Rhoandrian ampansacabe, whose 
fate we have spoken of before. Susanna fancied, or 
pretended that she discovered in the governor, a strong 
resemblance to that unfortunate princess; and, without 
further investigation, announced to her countrymen 
that he was actually the son of her sorrowful exile; 
and that she herself had been commanded by Zanhare, 
in a dream, to publish the important secret. Whether 
