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No attempt was made on the part of the French, 
after Lescallier’s visit, to establish a settlement: the 
wars which succeeded the revolution gave full employ¬ 
ment to the national resources; so much so, that it 
was in contemplation at one period to extent! the 
conscription law to the Isle of France, for the sake 
of supplying the army at home. During the short 
peace in 1801, Bory de St. Vincent was sent on a 
similar errand to Madagascar. At that period St. 
Domingo had emancipated herself, and the French 
government were desirous of supplying its loss by 
establishing a colony at the former place. The 
opinion which our traveller expresses of the island, 
was favourable to such an enterprise; but he found a 
strong objection existing in the minds of the inhabi¬ 
tants of the Isle of France, to the formation of a 
settlement at Madagascar. We have already seen to 
what a length this jealousy has carried them, and we 
may therefore easily conceive that the representations 
In the year 1780, General Burn visited the island on his passage 
from the East Indies, and landed at St. Augustine’s Bay, where 
he remained about six weeks. During his stay, he went with 
a party to visit the King of Babaw, which is a small province 
in the neighbourhood. He received them with great pomp, his 
attendants sitting cross-legged on the sand, at the outside of 
his Majesty’s tent, and he himself riding astride on the shoulders 
of one of his guards. The appearance of an English lady, who 
accompanied the party, excited great astonishment, and the 
natives came running out of their huts to see her. It was, 
however but a dumb shew, as the English did not understand 
Malegasli, or the Madegasses English. 
