no 
MADAGASCAR 
of making the island more accessible to Europeans by 
his help. 
In the year 1855 a third Frenchman, of the name of 
Lambert, appeared in the capital by the queen’s desire. 
He had a house of business in Mauritius and during 
the previous year had rendered great services to the 
Hova government. Lambert was a busy-body, a remark¬ 
able mixture of the adventurer and the intriguer, evi¬ 
dently filled with political ambition, but without diplomatic 
talent. 
Being made acquainted with the treaty of friendship 
formed by his two countrymen and Prince Rakoto, he 
immediately formed a Combination ”. The queen was 
old and sickly, so that Rakoto had the expectation of 
coming to the throne in a few years; the inexperienced 
prince was induced to place his country under the pro¬ 
tection of France, and Lambert was to travel to Paris 
and win over Napoleon III. to the idea. The latter was 
not disinclined, but had to pay regard to public opinion 
in England, so he first sent Lambert to the Foreign 
Office in London, where he set forth his plans down 
the smallest detail. Lord Clarendon listened to him atten¬ 
tively and informed him that the project would rouse 
opposition in England. The Secretary of State immedi¬ 
ately sent for the Rev. William Ellis, a dexterous man 
who had previously been entrusted with a mission to 
Madagascar, to form an alliance with the Hova. Ellis 
set off at once for Antananarivo, in order to make known 
to some influential men among the Hova what was 
taking place behind the back of the Queen. In the 
palace there was talk of a conspiracy set on foot by 
Laborde and Lambert, and the Frenchmen were forth¬ 
with banished, orders being given to the bearers to 
choose the most unhealthy route to the coast and to 
spend fifty days on the way, so that fever might have time 
to do its work. The enraged Queen proceeded to 
