368 
conducted, lias endeared the British nation to the Made- 
gasses. Under these favourable circumstances has Chris¬ 
tianity received its introduction, having the patronage of the 
king and his nobles, not as a matter of court policy, as is 
too frequently the case in polished nations, but in the 
honest simplicity and sincerity of their hearts, because they 
are convinced of its superiority over their present system 
of religion.^ 
We are not ashamed to close our history with the 
declaration, that we consider the events which we have 
related, as highly illustrative of the overruling power and 
providence of God; and we pity the man who, after read¬ 
ing such a chain of striking occurrences, can deliberately 
ascribe the combination to chance, or even place them 
amongst the ordinary course of human events. We would 
not, for ten thousand such islands — after the feelings 
excited by their wrongs are subsided—relinquish the faculty 
of viewing the painful degradation in which the Made- 
gasses have, for so many years, been sunk, as a sort 
of moral discipline — designed by Providence to prepare 
them for the reception of that Gospel, whose influence 
communicates instantaneous light, life, and liberty ; which 
will be doubly sweet to them, when contrasted with their 
former ignorance and slavery. We delight to view them 
as the children of Abraham, the father of the faithful, and 
collateral heirs of the promises — to look upon them as the 
beloved child that “ was lost, but is found.” They revive 
in our minds, and realize to our senses, the ancient Patri- 
* Radama himself declares he has no faith in the superstitions of his 
country, but he makes use of them to keep the people in subjection. 
When General Burn was there, he had frequent conversations with an 
intelligent chief on the subject of religion : he used to interrogate him 
about his faith and worship, but the chief seemed ashamed of it, and 
would generally answer — u Englishman know better; he laugh at Mada¬ 
gascar man, pray God.” The general, who was a pious character, was 
then of opinion that an attempt to introduce Christianity into the island 
would succeed. 
