their own names had been given in amongst their friends as guilty. They hesitated whether to attempt effecting their escape, or to proceed home and surrender themselves to the government, and bear the persecution in common with their friends. After much deliberation and prayer, they came to the decision that it was their duty to proceed home and impeach themselves to the government, for "God," said they, "may make us useful to some of our fellow slaves; perhaps we may be instruments in bringing some of them to Jesus; there is every probability that our lives will be spared, though we may suffer perpetual slavery; and perhaps these afflictions are among the things which God has appointed to make us fit for heaven!" They arrived among their friends on the 13th of August, and on the 15th were apprehended by the Vadintany and the Dekana of the first officers.

There is somewhat curious in the native mode of proceeding in such cases. The following is introduced as an illustration of the manner of apprehending a prisoner and serving a warrant of distress. On entering the house of Rasoamaka (Joseph), the officer of justice, addressing him, said," May we be excused by the ground under our feet, and the village within which we stand, and all the roofs of the houses around us. May we be excused by the father and mother, and by all the relations of the party who are not guilty; to you all we have no message; our business is with you alone, Rasoamaka, for it is said you still keep the book and make prayers, which 'I do not suffer to be done in my country,' says the Queen, and which I have prohibited and made a law against.' The people, moreover, paid a bullock and a dollar as a fine for

what they had done, and as a pledge that such a thing should not be done again; and now there are some so daring as to throw down the orim-bato* (fixed stone) raised up at that time. I detest that,' says the Queen; ' and whoever is born even of parents that have done good in my kingdom, or are even nearly related to me, if they transgress my laws, I detest their deeds,' saith the Queen, 'for they seek that which desecrates me; they are like those who destroy the nest of the takatra,† and thereby are seized with leprosy. I,' saith the Queen, am the just balance, and will equalize Imerina: the way the hands go, shall the feet follow; let his wife and children be sold, and everything in and out of the house belonging to Rasoamaka, even to a white bead, or a piece of black cord, let all be confiscated, and let his relations be careful that they do not claim anything of his property. We advise you to admonish your son to conceal nothing from the Queen. He is young and may be tempted to conceal part of his property; be careful to keep nothing of his with you; if discovered, all your property will be confiscated just as his, says the Queen.'

In a few days after the property had been confiscated, Joseph and Ramanisa, and their wives, were taken to Ambatonafandrana to be valued; their wives were redeemable, but they were not. The men were valued at seven dollars each, the wives at sixteen each. The disproportion was in consequence of the officers having to pay for the men, while the relations had to pay for the

* A figurative expression to denote transgressing the established law.

A native bird.

women, if they redeemed them, which it was very probable they would. A portion of the money goes to the Queen, a portion to the judges, officers, vadintany, and accusers. The portion adjudged to the woman who had accused them at first, and who induced the man to unite with her in the accusation, was but six dollars in all, though she had expected much more. According to the customs of the country, there is a portion of such money usually divided among those who are eye-witnesses of such proceedings; and generally there are many beggars asking a trifle; but, as was remarked by one who saw and knew this case well, though it is always difficult to supply even the tenth part of the beggars with the smallest pieces of money, none came to ask on this occasion, nor even ventured near the place where the money was divided, excepting a few of the most worthless in the community.

About a fortnight after this, Paul was released from his irons, and taken by Rainiharo, the chief officer, into his service, to be employed along with those of the party whom he had already taken. There were now five Christians working together as slaves in the same field, and were at first treated with much cruelty. After working hard all day, they were put in heavy irons for the night. Paul, though extremely weak in body, completed his daily labour in the same manner as the rest, and contributed not a little to support and comfort his four brethren, companions in tribulation. He frequently repeated to them the Forty-sixth Psalm, which he had committed to memory. Two houses were appointed between them, without other inmates, for their residence, in the village near which they worked, and this gave them an oppor

tunity of meeting at midnight for prayer and reading the scriptures. Paul had a small copy of the Psalter with him, another had a copy of Dr. Russell's Catechism, and the others had a copy each of the tract on the Resurrection. The weekly portion of rice given them by their owner was small, not, indeed, more than sufficient for two days; and had it not been for the liberality of their Christian friends, they would have been nearly starved to death. These did all they could to alleviate their sorrows and to supply their wants.

Joseph and Ramanisa were also given to Rainiharo, but he transferred them to Ramiandravola, the favourite dekana already mentioned, and to whom he seems to have been attached for his sternness and strictness with those under him. This man treated them with the utmost severity. The evening they went to him he called them to his house, and told them they were now his slaves, and that he wished to know whether they desired to remain with him and do the work assigned them, or whether they would prefer being sold in the market to another master. "I do not wish to deceive you," said he, “the work here with me is very hard, and I do not play with my slaves; if flogging and cruel treatment alone will compel them to do their work, I shall not neglect these However, I give you your choice, whether to remain with me or to be sold in the market to-morrow. I warn you not to expect to be sold to any of your friends, by whom you may be treated kindly and not compelled to labour, as other slaves. Were you sold in the markets twenty times, it can only be to those who will promise to make work to the utmost of your power. you You have

means.

K

transgressed the law of the Queen, and have deserved to be put to death, and would have been eaten up by the dogs before this, had the Queen not been a merciful sovereign. A proclamation is, therefore, made in all the markets that you are guilty, and that you are condemned to slavery and to hard labour as long as you live. As for any hope of running away, it is out of your power; to what part of the island could you run where you would not be caught? You see that those who were born in the farthest parts of the island are caught and brought up here to be sold. How, then, could you entertain any hope of making your escape?"

His aim in giving them this choice was to find some occasion to give them a severe flogging at once, for had they said they preferred to be sold rather than remain with him, they would have been immediately flogged. He had no authority to sell them; they were only given him for a time by Rainiharo, and that, because the latter knew that he was a fit instrument to render the lives of these young men as bitter as possible. tians, being aware of his design, replied

The two Chrisin the following

manner :- "May the Queen long live; may you, sir, advance in honour. As for any hope of running away, we can have none; for where could we run, and the government not find us? If we had any intention of running away, it is not likely we should have returned home of our own accord from the coast, and given ourselves up to the government. And as to our choosing whom we shall serve, we have no choice in that affair; but we are bound to serve that master to whom we are given by the government, and we hope you will not find us idle in your