CHAP. X. CAR. from Balti dagascar ; more, furnished the Count with a ship of 450 tons, carrying 20 guns and 12 fwivels; the fhip and ftores amounting to MADAGAS above £4000 fter. exclufive of the goods brought from London. On the 25th of Oct. 1684, the Count failed for Mamore to Ma- dagafcar, leaving his family in America, on account of the pregnancy of Mme. de Benyowfky. Every one on board was, by agreement or oath, fubject to his abfolute command; though the captain and fupercargo were to assist him, and to bring back the ship. He did not put in at the C. of Good Hope, probably for the fame reason which, as we shall soon see, induced Colonel Bolts alfo to pass by it, namely, the fear of alarming the commercial jealousy of the Dutch. lands in Madagascar, 295. The Count first touched at Sofala, where he remained fome time, for refreshment: and, on the 7th of July, 1785, anchored in Antangara Bay, 10 leagues SW. of C. St. Sebastian, in Madagascar, and the cargo having been landed there, the Count intending to go over land to Antongil Bay, whither the ship was to proceed. It appears, by letters, that the Count's old friend, the King of the North, came to pay his refpects, and the chief of the Seclaves, his former, enemy, with a body of men encamped near the Count, who proposed to him the usual oath, which the chief declined. The master's protest states, that, on the night of the 1ft of Aug. a firing was heard and seen on shore, at the Count's encampment; that at day light neither white men nor effects were to be seen; that their own danger, and the probability that the Count and his party were cut off by the natives, compelled them to set fail for the Island of Joanna; and that at Oibo, on the oppofite continent, the supercargo fold the ship. X. MADAGAS CAR. is attacked, 296. A letter from a man on board, ftates that the writer CHA P. and another person, though not convinced that the firing was from the natives, were forced to fign the proteft. A letter from an officer, brought prifoner to the I. de France, after the destruction of the Count's party, confirms the preceding, "as far" fays Mr. Nicholson, "as relates to the deftruction of the Count and his party, by the French." The writer mentions the firing in the night; but, contrary to the protest, affirms that the ship failed away in fight of those on fhore, who could not overtake her in the country boats. From this letter, it appears, that the Count, at the head of a body of natives, commenced hoftilities against the French, by feizing their store-house at Angoutzi. Here he began to build a town in the country manner; and thence detached 100 men to feize their factory at Foul Point, who defifted, on seeing a frigate at anchor there. On being informed of these transactions, the government of the Isle de France sent a ship with 60 regulars, who landed and attacked the Count, on the 23d of May 1786, in a redoubt he had constructed, mounting two cannon, and where he, with two Europeans, and go natives, waited their approach. The blacks fled, and killed, and Benyowsky, receiving a ball in his breast, fell behind the parapet, whence he was dragged by the hair, and expired in a few minutes. 297. The last mentioned letter, Mr. Nicholson obferves, "in many respects, feems to want explanation;" like the protest and the other letters, relative to the Count's unhappy end. From fuch materials, it was impoffible even for the abilities of the editor, to extract a consistent account; nor would the Court of France have derived much credit from a fair ftatement of a tranfaction which, I have good reason to believe, could not bear the light. The toA a tal X. MADAGAS- by order of the French ministry. CHAP. tal concealment of deeds, of which the witnesses are necef farily numerous, cannot be effected, even by an arbitrary miniftry; and, to their machinations, the deftruction of the brave Benyowsky, was universally attributed, when I was at Paris, in 1787. But this did not fatisfy my curiosity, refpecting the fate of fo diftinguished a friend to Africa. I made particular enquiry, and was affured that the ministry ordered out a frigate to fecure the Count, alive or dead; but the particular minifter who issued the order was not mentioned. This information I received from Monf. Hall, one of Europe's first artists, a near relation of the commander of the frigate, who, of course, was obliged to execute, and, I have not a doubt, did execute his orders. This was what I chiefly wished to know; and it would have been indelicate to trouble a gentleman, so connected, with minute queftions. He faid, however, that the Count aimed at the fovereignty of Madagascar, independent of the French; but he was far from impeaching him, in other respects, and candidly admitted, that he poffeffed confummate bravery and ability. Circum ftances defcriptive of bis character. 298. These qualities fhine confpicuous in every page of the Count's history; which also exhibits marks of other virtues, more to be regarded, than the vague affertions of perfons, who have obvious reafons for wishing him to be thought the tyrant and the robber. But a very different character appeared, in his earnest and fuccefsful endeavours to induce fome tribes of the natives, to abandon their criminal practice of facrificing deformed children, and those born on unlucky days—a reform, however, of which Mme. de Benyowsky ought to fhare the praise. The deteftation with which he speaks (p. 352) of the "avidity, injustice and oppreffion of the ufurpers and tyrants," who conducted former former attempts in (or rather on) Madagascar, and his refigning, rather than violate a treaty, by attacking the liberties of the natives-if these circumstances account, as they partly do, for the number of his enemies, his friends may alfo infift on them, as marks of a noble, humane, and generous difpofition. They may infift, ftill more ftrongly, on the attachment of his officers and men ("my poor fellows," p. 201) in the most trying conjunctures, and even when he appeared to be dying of a tedious illness (p. 283) and when nothing but an ardent affection to their leader, not to fay an admiration of his virtues, could have kept them within the limits of discipline.-In short, Mr. Nicholson, who had all the letters and documents before him, declares, that he has "not yet feen any thing against the Count, which will not bear two interpretations, or which has not been written by men who contradict each other, and had an interest in traducing him."-I must add, that, for aught I ever heard to the contrary, the Count de Benyowsky, deserved a better fate. Nay, I am clearly of opinion, that his conduct in Madagascar, deserves no fmall portion of admiration, and even of refpect: and, all things duly confidered, I fee no reason, why a monument might not be erected to his memory, infcribed MAGNIS TAMEN EXCIDIT AUSIS.-But, after all, I wish my readers to peruse the "Memoirs," and to judge for themselves, of the character there exhibited; especially as I have only examined that part of the work which relates to Madagascar. In order to affift perfons, in forming their conclufions, who may not have time to read this inftructive piece of biography, I have inserted the dates in this epitome. 299. Some may think, that I have commented rather too freely on the conduct of the French ministry. Far, far be A a 2 it С НА Р. MADAGAS CAR. The conduct of the French seems unjuftifiable. X. MADAGAS CAR. CHA P. it from me, to imitate the immediate deftroyers of Benyowsky, whoever they were, by infulting the mighty fallen (See § 296 at the end). But it was abfolutely neceffary that the failure of this colonial enterprize should be traced to its true source, and not attributed as usual, to the climate, the constant excufe for European perfidy and violence, within the tropics, especially in Africa. The benevolent profeffions of the miniftry towards the natives of Madagas car, may have once been finceret; but minifterial benevolence is evanefcent, and, in modern practice, must always give way to expediency. It was expedient for the French ministry, to change their fyftem, refpecting Madagascar. It is alfo expedient, or convenient (fee Johnson's Dict.) that, if poffible, a diftinction fhould be established between the minifter and the man. Accordingly it is allowed, by fome, that certain ministers, whose plans have been pernicious to mankind, were yet very good fort of men; and my opinion of M. de S. though as good as it fhould be, upon the whole, would be much improved, were it poffible for me to conceive, that an arbitrary minister could deviate into evidently crooked paths, without carrying the man along with him. Benyowsky showed the minister what he should have done, rather than violate a facred principle.-The Count dared to be confiftent, and refigned: but he was a foldier, not a minifter.-Yet I fincerely wish it were credible, that the French ministry were not concerned in the foul treatment of Benyowsky. But truth and Africa are more dear to me + I am forry that I happened to omit, in its proper place, that M. de S. in his dispatch to the Count, of April 6th 1777 (and which the Count could not have received in Madagascar) expreffes much concern that he fhould have loft fo many men in filling up a marfh, a circumftance which the Count alfo mentions in his journal. than |