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countrymen. “ Europeans/’ said he, “ have hardly 
ever visited this island but to ill-treat the natives, 
and to exact forced services from them; to excite 
and foment quarrels amongst them for the purpose of 
purchasing the slaves that are taken on both sides in 
the wars that result:—in a word, they have left no 
other marks of having been there, but the effects of 
their cupidity. The French government have, at long 
intervals, formed, or rather attempted to form, esta¬ 
blishments amongst these people; but the agents in 
these enterprises have attended exclusively to the in¬ 
terests and emolument of the Europeans, and particu¬ 
larly their own profits; while the interests and well 
being of the natives have been entirely forgotten: 
some of these ministerial delegates have even been 
dishonest adventurers, and have committed a thousand 
atrocities. It cannot, therefore, excite surprise, that 
sometimes they have experienced marks of the resent¬ 
ment of the Madegasses, who, notwithstanding, are 
naturally the most easy and sociable people on earth/’ 
At the desire of Lescallier, the chiefs entered into 
a treaty of alliance with the French; but the oaths 
usually taken on those occasions were dispensed with. 
There is in most of the villages a house erected on purpose for 
the accommodation of travellers. It is usually open on all sides, 
and rendered, in other respects, convenient as a shelter to which 
strangers may resort without any ceremony. Such an institu¬ 
tion is honourable to the humanity of this people, and affords a 
hint that might be practically improved by civilized nations, 
without disparagement to their character. 
