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The C. re

figns his Fr.

commiffion

and is declared Am

panfacabe.

288. But the Count, on quitting the French service, does CHA P. not seem to have abandoned his profpects in Madagascar. Several chiefs, he tells us, required him to affume the government. Accordingly, a congrefs was fummoned, and on the 9th of Oct. 1776, the Count actually saw above thirty princes and chiefs, and at least 50,000 of their people prostrated before him, as their liege lord. The oath (or rather engagement) indited by the chiefs, in their own language, having been thrice read aloud, was figned, in name of the nation, by Hiavi, King of the East; Lambouin, King of the North; and Raffangour, Rohandrian of the Sambarives. Instead of an appeal to Heaven, it contained this. remarkable fanction, "Curfed be our children who fhall Singular not obey our present will.-May the most horrid flavery the chief's confound them." They acknowledge, however, and adore one God, the Creator and Preserver of all things; for Raf. Natives acfangour, an aged chief, opened this meeting, with a fhort, but truly eloquent fpeech, which began thus, "Bleffed be

will amount to 6000 creoles, and 3370 Europeans, a fufficient number to fix the epoch of a colony." These last are the Count's own words, which I have inferted, because they imply an approbation of the foil and climate, which more effectually convince me of their general excellence, than the direct encomiums he often beftows on both. The mortality of his troops proves nothing against the climate; for, I apprehend, if they had been landed on any coaft in the world, and had experienced the same severe labour, and equal hardfhips, of every kind, the very fame mortality would have enfued.-For want of time and room, I have omitted many facts; but the Count's bill of mortality I really have forgotten; and the page, where it should have flood, being printed off, I hope to be excused for inferting it here. His corps originally confifted of 300 men levied in Old France (p. 96) and he appears to have received fome few recruits from the Ifle de France. In 1774, there died 113 of his men, in 1775, only 11 (Vol. II. p. 289.) In particular, on Oct. 3d 1775, there was not a man fick. The state of health, in 1776, does not appear.-The Count loft his only fon in Madagascar, he and the Countefs narrowly efcaping.—But the first hardships experienced there, have féldom been exceeded.

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CHAP. Zahanhar (God) who has returned to his people. Blessed be the law of our fathers, which commands us to obey a chief defcended from the blood of Ramini. Our fathers and ourfelves have experienced that disunion is the punishment of God." &c. (See Memoirs, Vol. II. p. 264.) The Count seems to have borne his new dignity with moderation; for, inftead of grasping at the extensive power exercised by former Ampanfacabe's, he proposed a constitution, which seems to have been well calculated to promote the happinefs of a people imperfectly civilized, and in which the chiefs unanimously acquiefced.

Chiefs empower him to treat with

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289. On the 23d of Oct. the fame three chiefs, in name of the kings, princes, chiefs and people of the north and France, &c. eastern coafts of Madagascar," figned full powers to the Count, as their Lord Ampansacabe, to go to Europe, and from treaties of alliance and commerce, with the King of France; and, in cafe he should not accept the offer, with any other European king, or nation. The Ampansacabe, on his part, engaged them to acknowledge, in his absence, Raffangour, the prefident of the new fupreme council, or, he failing, the Chief Sancé, a mulatto.

He embarks for France.

The French minifter's inftructions, &c.

290. On the 14th of Dec. 1776, the Count, having affifted the French commandant at Louisbourg* with his advice, embarked on board a French ship, for the Cape of Good Hope, on his way to Europe; the native chiefs and he shedding tears of affection and regret, and mutually blessing each other, in the name of Zahanhar.

291. Here the Count's journal ends, and, before we notice his few remaining transactions, of which we have ac*This place is often mentioned in the Count's journal, being the name of the town he founded, as appears by one of the plates, where it would appear alfo, that he first imposed the name, a circumstance not mentioned, I think, in the journal.

counts

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counts, it seems but fair to infert a few particulars, from the CHAP, annexed letters of the French minifters.-From that of the minister, M. de B. to Meff. de T. and M. Governor and Intendant, of the Isle de France, dated Mar. 19th 1773, it appears, that the chief end originally proposed by forming this colony, was the fupply of the I. de France, with provisions. The Count had a duplicate of this letter, as containing inftructions for him, as well as M. de T. and M. and he is strictly ordered to employ mild negociation alone, with the Malgachees, or natives.-The subsequent letters are addressed to the Count, by the minister M. de S. In that dated Versailes, July 17th 1775, M. de S. admits, that all former attempts have been attended with great violence to the Malgachees. He enjoins pacific measures towards them, the preservation of the Count's own people, and the ftricteft economy.-March 30th, 1777, M. de S. repeats his pacific injunctions; because the chief objects are agriculture and commerce, which, depending on the exertions of the natives, they must, therefore, be conciliated and civilized.-April 6th 1777, The same injunctions are repeated; and M. de S. expresses his difapprobation of the Count's acrimonious contests with the administration of the Ifle de France.-These two letters, dated in 1777, the Count could not have received, in Madagascar, which he left in 1776 (See § 290.)—The last ministerial dispatch to the Count, is not dated; but it ends with a paragraph, which somewhat elucidates the conduct both of the Count and of the miniftry.-" I have read with pleafure," fays M. de S. " your reflections refpecting the cOLONY at Madagascar. I think with you, that the flave-trade would be it's ruin, and that all the views ought to be directed to trade and agriculture. I had already configned these truths, in the particular instructions of Meff. de Bellecombe and Chevreau (the commiffaries, fee § 286) "fo that you

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CHA P. will not have had any difficulty in bringing them to approve your principles, which do not differ from mine. I do not much differ from you, with regard to the Europeans; but this question will not be entirely refolved, till I can pofitively affure you, that His Majefly intends to have a cOLONY in Madagafcar."-The only comment which this paragraph seems to require, I have anticipated, in § 278. But, however inconfiftently M. de S. talks of the Madagascar colony, it would be wrong to accufe him of having TALKED, for feven years, about prohibiting the flave-trade; while another European minister, without talking about it at all, has actually adopted an effectual plan for it's abolition, as will be seen, in the 2d part of this work.

The Count's Decl. and Propof. to His Britannic Majefty.

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292. But, to difmifs minifterial manœuvres-the last pain the Count's Memoirs are "A Declaration," &c. and Propofals, &c." to the ministry of His Britannic Majesty, to be presented at London, Dec. 25th 1783." But whether or not they ever were prefented, does not appear. In these papers, the Count refpectfully reprefents, inter alia, That, having fucceeded in forming a colony for France, in Madagafcar, the French miniftry fent orders to him to change the system of alliance agreed upon, into an unlimited submission of the chiefs and people of the island, a violation of treaty which induced him to renounce the fervice of France: (To this change of system, the Count alludes in his answer to the 25th query of the commiffaries.) That the chiefs and people, having conferred on him the charge of fupreme judge and chief of the nation, had empowered him to form connections in Europe, for trade or friendship: That, having fince been violently perfecuted by the French ministry, he had entered into the fervice of His Imperial Majefty, in hopes of obtaining his affiftance for Madagascar; but, that the emperor not being difpofed to promote his

CHA P.

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views, he had, two years before, regularly quitted his fervice. And, now, in the name of an amiable and worthy nation, he proposes and submits to His Britannic Majesty, to acknowledge him Suzerain (Lord Paramount) of Madagafcar; the interior government, and all the regulations of civi lization, police, cultivation and commerce, remaining independent; the chiefs and people being only vaffals to His Majefty. In this quality, they engage to furnish His Majesty with 5000 men, to act in India, under their own officers, Offers 5000 fubject to the orders of His Majefty's Generaliffimo, and 2000 feamen, to ferve in India, on board the British men of men. war, which they oblige themselves to victual, &c. &c. (The Count, in his answer to the 22d query of the commiffiaries, states, that the iflanders are accustomed to navigation.)

293. Being ignorant of the fate of the Count's" Declaration" and "Proposals," and whether they ever came before the British miniftry, I must now turn to Mr. Nicholson's well written preface, where the Count's remaining tranfactions, together with his final catastrophe, are recorded. The fubftance of both is as follows.

294. The Count and his family, with fome affociates, ar. rived at Baltimore in Maryland, July 8th 1784, in the Robert and Ann, Capt. M'Dougall, from London, with a cargo, fuited to the Madagascar market, worth near £4000 fter. This feems to have been fubfcribed in London; for Mr. Nicholfon tells us, that the late celebrated Mr. Magellan, with a spirit of enterprize worthy of his name, contributed a very confiderable fum*. A respectable house in Balti

* I have been told that Mr. Magellan was lineally defcended from the famous Portuguese navigator, who difcovered the Straits which bear his name.-The Count left with Mr. Magellan, the MSS. of which Mr. Nicholfon formed the Memoirs. Sce Preface, p. 2.

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