230 
immense circle, each nation being by itself, with its 
chief attached to it, and the women on the outside of 
the circle. As soon as he entered the circle, the 
chiefs formed a smaller one round him, and silence 
being proclaimed, Raffangour harangued the assem¬ 
bly in the following words :— 
“ Blessed be Zanhar6, who has returned to his 
people. Blessed be the blood of Zafe Ramini, to 
whom our affection is due. Blessed be the law of 
our fathers, which commands us to obey a chief 
descended from the blood of Ramini. Our fathers, 
and ourselves, have experienced that disunion is the 
punishment of God. During the long period since 
we have been deprived of a chief of the sacred race 
of Ramini, we have lived like wild beasts ; sometimes 
killing our brethren, and at others, perishing by their 
violence. Enfeebled by these evils, the weakest have 
always been the prey of the strongest. We have 
been wicked, and have not been desirous of listening 
to the voice of justice and equity. But we have in 
our own times beheld the wretched descendants of 
those who spilled the blood of Ramini, call in the 
aid of the French to assist them in oppressing and 
destroying their brethren. We know’ how Zanhare 
has punished them, by permitting one of their slaves, 
supported by the French*, to spill their blood, in 
expiation of their crimes. You all understand me; 
but I have thought proper to bring these facts to 
* See Note, p. 50. 
