MADAGAS- CHA P. that perfidy and tyranny, which, the Count officially ob X. ferves, ruined all the former French fettlements in this ifland; and which appears, on this occafion, to have been inflamed by emiffaries from the Isle of France. The Count, however, was not unprepared to meet his enemies. After various fkirmishes, which he could not poffibly avoid, and in which his troops, or rather his allies, conducted by himfelf and his officers, were generally fuccessful, we find him (April 2d 1775) at the head of 22,000 armed natives. An engagement seemed unavoidable, when the Count proposed a negociation, in which he fucceeded fo compleatly, that the adverse chiefs took the oath of friendship, and the day ended in festivity.-On the 14th of October, he purchased from the King of the North, the Island of Nossebe on the N. E. coaft, in S. latitude 13° 15'.-November 21ft. Having yet received no effectual fupplies, and his remaining brave fellows being almost naked, he collected a number of the native women to spin and weave cotton cloth; and having fucceeded in tanning leather, he fet his fhoe-makers and taylors to work, and, in a short time, compleatly cloathed his troop. On the 17th of November, the storekeeper died, leaving all his account-books blank. He was a man of bad character, appointed by the government of the Isle of France, with a view to difcredit and embarrass the undertaking. With a fimilar intention, they sent the Count, on the 27th of December, only four recruits, and these were notorious vagabonds. Cloaths his troops in the country cloth nistry. Not fupport- 283. On the 14th of March 1776, he had yet received no ed by the French mi- order whatever from France.—August 23d, he observes that the island enjoyed perfect tranquillity; that the chiefs of the whole east coast were united to the establishment; that the weft was ready to join in the common intereft; that agri culture culture had every where been increased; and that nothing CHA P. but support was wanting to improve this happy juncture. 284. A circumstance must now be noticed, which explains, in a certain degree, the conduct of the French miniftry, and which, with fome, may ferve to justify it.-An aged negrefs, fifty years before, had been ftolen from Madagascar, and fold as a flave in the Ifle of France, together with a princess of the royal family of Ramini, the greatest and the moft ancient in Madagascar, and which, in this long interval, had become extinct. The Count brought back this negrefs to her native country; and, whether by his concurrence or not is uncertain, fhe reported that he was born by the princess-the son of her sorrowful exile. The remembrance of beloved kings, and sympathy with the fuppofed offspring of their unfortunate princefs, were eafily excited in the minds of a people naturally fufceptible of tender impreffions; and the chiefs, formerly subject to the Ramini family, now wearied out with their diffentions, were ready to acknowledge the Count, as their Ampanfacabe, or fupreme chief. Had this circumstance been known much earlier, the conduct not only of the Count, but of the French miniftry, and the government of the Ifle de France, would have been almost divested of mystery. It would then have been apparent, that the Count entertained an ambition, which might have called for the vigilance and direction of the other parties. But ftill it would not have been clear, that his ambition was of that mischiev-. ous kind which ought to be violently counteracted, far less totally repreffed; for it really does not appear, that he had any views incompatible with the peace and happiness of mankind. 285. This extraordinary affair (if then first known to the Count X. MADAGAS CAR. The Count reported to the fon of be a Madagafcar princess. X. MADAGAS CAR. Acknow CHA P. Count) was noted in his journal, February 2d 1775, when he mentions his determination to take advantage of it, and to conduct that brave and generous nation to a civilized state, and the establishment of a folid and a permanent goledged fuch vernment, founded on national liberty. At the fame time, he laments the blindness of the French minister to the true interests of his country. Several of the chiefs, soon afterwards, actually chofe the Count as their Ampansacabe, made their fubmiffion, and fwore allegiance. by feveral chiefs. Interrogated by commif fioners from France. Interesting particulars. 286. On the 22d of August 1776, two commiffaries, Mess. de Bellecombe and Chevreau, arrived from France to take cognizance of the Count's proceedings. They digested their business into 25 queries, to which the Count's replies were fo perfectly fatisfactory, that they gave him a difcharge for his paft conduct, and accounts, certifying that he had advanced to the French treasury, 415,000 livres *. This done, the Count, on the 28th, delivered them his refignation, with which they failed for the Ifle de France. 287. The queries and answers, I think, may fairly be confidered as forming an authentic official document; and it contains very interesting information. Among many other important particulars, the Count states to the commiffaries, that the fubfidies he received from the chiefs in 1776, * The only statement of receipts and disbursements, inferted in the work before me, is that which the Count tranfmitted to the French miniftry on the 22d March, 1775, viz. For levying and transporting the regt. of Benyowsky, and fup- Livres s. d. 342,649 12 5 113,000 10 3 Bills of exchange, drawn to the amount of.... EXPEND X. CAR. 1776, in fugar, indigo, cotton, &c. amounted to 940,000 li- C H A F vres, and that they can raise 123,000 warriors; that they willingly grant lands to the French, who would be welcome MADAGASand fafe throughout the whole island, provided no impolitic and impracticable attempts were made to deprive the natives of their liberties, of which M. de Laly and other French officers had given them too much reason to be jealous; that they are industrious, and example would make them more so, are imitators and disposed to learn trades, being already tolerable goldsmiths, potters, turners, carpenters, weavers, &c. but their "most respected business, is the manufacture of iron and fteel. They are very expert in fufing the ore and in forging utenfils;" (See § 71) that their houses are of wood, fometimes covered with EXPENDITURES. For the troops, in 1772, 1773, 1774 and to 20 March 1775 This fum is not neat profit. The refult of this account is, that the colony coft the French Liv. 455:650 2 8 and Liv. 245,000 (which he advanced) making together Liv. 700,650 2 8. This is not equal to the whole charge or Liv. 854,212 18. But the colony paid the difference, Liv. 153,562 15 4, and alfo fupplied the I. de France and the king's fhip's with Liv. 286,835 11 7. This laft fum is the only return, and if taken from the whole fum advanced, will leave Liv. 413,814 10, or the balance due to the French government, at this period of the undertaking.-Note of the editor. X. MADAGAS CAR. CH_A_P. leaves, all neat, and thofe of the Rohandrians, elegant ; that they raise good crops of rice, have vaft numbers of oxen, fheep, goats and poultry, and trade confiderably, in produce with the Arabians, &c. that the whole east coast affords very few flaves, a trade in whom it would be neceffary to prohibit; that, in ten years, a colony might be established in Madagascar, on the plan ftated below*. For other particulars, I must refer to the work itself. 288. * The Count, in his answer to the 25th query of the commiffaries, states his plan, the fubftance of which is, that, if the king fupply 600 men, and 200 men at the end of each of the two following years, permitting him to chufe husbandmen in the troop, to marry with the women of the country, unrestrained on account of religion; and also to import annually 200 foundlings, 12 or 14 years of age, and likewife Malabar and Chinese families: in this cafe, a colony would, at the end of three years, be formed, which, connected with all Madagascar, would begin to have fome value. The expenfe would not exceed a million (of livres) per year, exclufive of the expense of a veffel of 600 tons, another of 200, and 6 galliots, for transports and the communication of pofts.-At the end of three years, the colony would support itself, and increase, by the product of it's united capital of Liv. 3,000,000, till the tenth year, when it would be fufficiently strong to fear no fudden revolution, and be able, by it's commerce (which the Count feems all along to view as a fecondary object, to be promoted by no other means than the cultivation of the country. See particularly, vol. 2. p. 249, 254) to reimburse the expenfes of it's establishment. The Count's eftimate at p. 347 vol. 2. differs from the above; probably because he had not fufficiently confidered it. The title of the paper, of which it is a part, fhows what were his views, and makes it probable, that the paper, itself was never prefented officially to any minifter; for it is not dated.-" Reflections upon the project of a colony at Madagascar, in cafe any power fhould adopt the fyftem of civiliz ation, founded on the basis of an alliance." Of the estimate, which forms the first article, the following is an abftract.-The colony of Madagascar may be formed, in ten years, with Liv. 3,000,000 and 720 military fent the first year; 200 yearly for the 2d and 3d years; and 150 yearly for the 7 following years; exclufive of an annual importation, for the whole 10 years, of 120 European husbandmen, 30 creoles, and 50 natives of India or China. In all, about 4170 perfons who, fays the Count, “will annually produce 600 children, the total of whom, at the end of the tenth year, |