266 
But it is otherwise with the prince we are writing 
of. Bred up from his infancy amongst savages, he 
had never been taught to appreciate the value of 
civilized society,—while the large revenue which he 
derived from the slave-trade was calculated to harden 
his mind against any improvement in the condition of 
his people. Notwithstanding this, no sooner were 
the advantages of civilization presented to his view in 
a proper light, than he determined to effect the eman¬ 
cipation of Madagascar, and to spare neither pains 
nor expense in the prosecution of his design. The 
first step towards it we have just related in the sup¬ 
pression of the predatory attacks on Johanna. This 
was effected by a proclamation of Radama, who at 
the same time issued another, commanding the aboli¬ 
tion of the slave-trade. At that period, however, it 
appears the prince did not possess sufficient authority 
to enforce his orders. It was indeed a dangerous 
step to take. The trade had been so long established, 
and was so completely interwoven with the whole 
system of civil, military, and political policy in the 
island, that the chiefs, who derived the principal part 
of their revenues from that source, were determined 
to counteract the design; and had the young prince, 
whose power was then less extensive than at present, 
persisted in enforcing it, the consequences would pro¬ 
bably have been fatal to him. So little indeed was 
the proclamation regarded, that, from the time of its 
promulgation, to the year 1818, (about two years), 
upwards of seventeen hundred slaves had been sent 
