QUEEN'S ATTACHMENT TO IDOLATRY.

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CHAPTER V.

Unfavourable circumstances affecting the progress and prospects of the Mission, and indicating the spirit and intentions of the native government, prior to the Edict for the suppression of Christianity in February, 1835.

THE queen of Madagascar, although possessed of a masculine determination of mind, amounting often to an inflexible obstinacy, has never given any indication of superior intelligence. She is slightly acquainted with the elements of reading and writing, but never availed herself, even during Radama's life-time, of any means to become familiar with the instructions conveyed by the European teachers among the people. She was always known to be deeply attached to the superstitious customs of the country, and to have cherished a great veneration for the national idols, and their worship. Though rather intimate with the missionaries who first resided at the capital, and in the habit of visiting them and their families, she evinced no disposition to embrace the religion they taught. Her accession to the throne was carefully exhibited to the people as the act of the guardian idols. They, it was said, had placed her on the throne of her ancestors; and of course, being taught this doctrine herself by interested parties, she came under obligations to sustain the authority of the idols, to patronize their worship, and to encourage those who were regarded

88

JEALOUSY OF PARTIES.

as the interpreters of the wishes of these divinities. For the service rendered to her, the idol party naturally expected her countenance and support in return. One of the hereditary guardians of the principal idol Rakelimalaza, at the time of her accession, was Rainiharo, and he was appointed, ostensibly by command of the idol, to remain with the new sovereign, while his prepossessing manners seem to have won for him a large share of her good graces. Two parties were thus soon formed at the court, consisting of Rainiharo and his friends, who were evidently anxious to maintain the system of idolatry, and Andriamihiaja and his friends, who sought to extend education, and to carry out and enlarge the measures commenced by Radama. The jealous opposition of these parties lasted about two years, when the idolatrous or anti-liberal party prevailed. They proceeded at first with much caution and reserve, only giving signs of their determination to oppose Christianity just in proportion to the gradual increase of their power and influence in the country. The fate of Andriamihiaja has been already described.

It would be difficult to point out any one single act of the Christians which operated as the immediate cause of the fierce persecution which has been raised against them; but the queen and her principal officers, it was soon found, were evidently unfavourable to this new religion, and therefore to the means of its extension in the country. The character of the native mind, as indeed of the human mind at large, was opposed to the purity of the doctrines and precepts of Christianity; while the national pride was mortified, and an extreme jealousy of foreigners

JEALOUSY OF FOREIGNERS.

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awakened, on finding mere strangers changing the established customs and usages of the country. As a despotic government, the authorities of Madagascar have always been opposed to any bond of union subsisting among the people and the idolatrous party then in power took advantage of the friendship which subsisted between the native Christians and the missionaries, to prejudice the mind of the queen against Christianity, by representing its teachers as having some political designs; and hence, even the mildness of disposition, which they exhibited towards those placed under their instruction, and especially their liberality in supplying them with books, medicines, &c. gratuitously, were appealed to by their opponents, as proofs that they must have some sinister end in view.

One of the first direct indications of opposition to the mission, and its objects, consisted in the order abruptly sent to the Rev. D. Griffiths to leave the country, on the alleged ground of the expiration of the period allowed him by Radama for remaining in Madagascar.*

The government desired him to leave immediately, and promised him a letter of commendation to the English government as a testimonial of the valuable services he had rendered to the country. On his requesting permis

Radama's jealousy of foreigners, and some practical difficulties which he had met with, in regard to their claim of exemption from the native laws, ordeals, &c., led him to fix a period beyond which no foreigners should remain in the country without becoming his subjects, though under certain exceptions in their favour. The same circumstances led him to forbid foreigners acquiring any permanent right in the soil.

sion to remain, five months were allowed him to prepare his packages, and subsequently, though with much difficulty, he obtained permission to remain a year longer; and afterwards, by dint of persevering effort, to remain for an indefinite period, with the understanding that he was to leave whenever the queen desired it. Soon after this, the Rev. T. Atkinson received explicit orders to leave, though he had not yet been a year in Madagascar; and then one of the artisans, Mr. Canham, whose term had about expired.

In the latter end of the year 1831, the permission which had been granted about six months previously for the administration of baptism and the Lord's supper was recalled. Those connected with the army were the first prohibited from receiving either ordinance, and in a few weeks, public instructions were sent to the missionaries not to administer them to any of the natives, and to the latter, not on any account to receive them.

In the latter end of the next year, the slaves were strictly prohibited from learning to read and write. The prohibition, it is thought, arose not merely from a determination to keep the slave population, if possible, in their inferior state, but from the fact, that many free people were in the habit of purchasing slave children, to place them in the schools instead of their own. Certain towns and villages were required by law to provide a given number of children for the schools, as a part of their service due to government; and the parents, to avoid placing their children where they might so soon be drawn off to the army and perish, were attempting to evade the

law, by placing slave children in the schools, which would have enabled them to return the numbers required, without risking the welfare of their own families.

A deeply interesting event occurred in the autumn of the year 1834, which, it is believed, had considerable influence in rousing the jealousy of the government, and creating in some of its myrmidons a restless desire to get the property of all the Christians confiscated, with the hope of obtaining a share of it. The circumstance attracted much attention, both among Europeans and natives, and may be related as follows :—

Rainitsiandavaka was a man in the middle age of life, and the keeper of an idol belonging to the government, called Izanaharitsimandry, meaning "the god not taking rest." He was extremely industrious in his usual agricultural occupations, had acquired some property, and was living in comfort. In the year 1832, he had experienced a succession of calamities; his wife died, in a few months afterwards his child died, and soon after that several of his slaves ran away, and others died. These things preyed on his mind, and he became somewhat melancholy. In the following year he went a few miles from home, to unite with some members of his family, on an occasion of public rejoicing in the village where they resided. That occasion had brought also to the village Raintsiheva, an eminent native Christian, who had adopted the name of Paul. The party were to remain in the village through the night. Paul, disliking to be near the house where the music and dancing were to be kept up, went to lodge at the other extremity of the village. Rainitsiandavaka intimated his wish to accompany him,