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 written permission of the Secretary. 
 
MADAGASCAR : 
 
 ITS MISSION AND ITS MARTYRS, 
 
 FIFTH THOUSAND. 
 
 LONDON: 
 JOHN SNOW, 35, PATEENOSTEE EOW. 
 
 MDCCCLXIII. 
 

 v 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 "^[T.T.TAM STEA'ENS, PEIXTEE, 37, BELL TAED, 
 TEMPLE BAB. 
 
 LC Control Number 
 
 2008 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 In many parts of the World, the great Head of the 
 Church has honoured the operations of the London 
 Missionary Society with large success, but nowhere 
 more signally than in Madagascar. Its Mission- 
 aries, indeed, during their fifteen years of labour 
 in that island, could do little more than begin the 
 spiritual house which, since then, has been grow- 
 ing ^^unto an holy temple in the Lord.'' But 
 what they did was done well. They built upon a 
 rock ; and, so far as they saw the superstructure 
 rise, it largely consisted of " gold, silver, and 
 precious stones," such as, when "revealed by fire," 
 would " abide." This, to use the words of the 
 Bishop of Mauritius, was " the noble work of the 
 London Missionary Society — a work which has 
 stood the test of long years of fiery persecution, 
 and has left results full of promise for the fu- 
 
VI * PREFACE. 
 
 tiire/' " I think I may say with truth/' lie added, 
 at a recent meeting of the Auxiliary Bible Society 
 in that island, " that I was never more impressed 
 in my life with anything, than I was at witnessing 
 the results occasioned by the spread of Christian 
 truth in Madagascar. It is my firm opinion that 
 it is impossible for any one to feel the full force of 
 this impression, unless he has witnessed and studied 
 it himself. The efiect of Christian teacliing in 
 Madagascar struck me as possessing a most 
 remarkable character.'' 
 
 Of this work the present volume contains an 
 outline, with numerous incidents, which strikingly 
 indicate its Divine origin. More than this it 
 would have been unwise to attempt, within limits 
 so restricted. The documents and details which 
 belong to the history of the first twenty years 
 of the Mission, must therefore be sought in the 
 admirable works of the Rev. W". Ellis, and 
 Messrs. Freeman and Johns. But although the 
 following pages contain merely a concise sketch 
 of the progress and effects of Christianity in 
 Madagascar during the protracted period of per- 
 secution now so happily terminated, it is believed 
 that such a narrative is urgently required ; 
 that, considering the previous condition of those 
 
PREFACE. Vll 
 
 whose faith and patience it describes, more m'Br- 
 vellous illustrations of the operation of " the word 
 of truth '' and " the power of God " are not to be 
 found in the history of the Church ; and that no 
 Christians present a stronger claim to confidence 
 and love, and no Mission more deserves generous 
 support. 
 
 E. PEOUT. 
 
 Mission House, Blomfield Steeet, 
 November, 1862. 
 
MADAGASCAE: 
 
 ITS MISSION AND ITS MARTYRS. 
 
 Until within a comparatively recent period, few coun- 
 tries of equal extent and importance have attracted less at- 
 tention or awakened less interest than Madagascar. With 
 an area larger than that of Great Britain and Ireland 
 combined ; unusually rich in mineral treasures and vege- 
 table productions ; fitted by its position, climate, soil, and 
 harbours, to become wealthy and powerful ; and capable, 
 moreover, of supporting a population manyfold greater than 
 the four millions by which it is now inhabited, this fine 
 island would have been scarcely missed from the map of the 
 globe, had its name been expunged at the beginning of 
 the present century. But forty years ago, Philanthropists 
 and Christians hailed with gladness the commencement of 
 a new era in its history; and bright indeed did that 
 era promise to become. Its dawn was as a morning with- 
 out clouds. But, alas ! it proved as brief as it was bright. 
 Portentous darkness soon followed, and at length a storm 
 burst, which for nearly thirty years desolated the land. 
 Great indeed was the grief of those who had laboured for 
 the salvation of its inhabitants, when, driven from its 
 
2 MADAGASCAE: 
 
 shores, they heard from afar the wail of sorrow and the 
 cry for help. And the pain thus produced became more 
 acute as years rolled on, and fragments of intelligence 
 — at long intervals — reached them, which revealed the 
 character of the sufferers and the extent of their sufiPer- 
 ings. Christian sympathy had place in many hearts, and 
 the prayer arose from many lips, " Lord, how long shall 
 the wicked triumph?" And once and again it was believed 
 that that prayer had been heard. The clouds seemed to 
 open, and gleams of brightness to break through them. 
 But they "returned after the rain." Hope, thus long 
 deferred, and often disappointed, made the heart sick. 
 Supplications, indeed, were still made to God continually, 
 and many a weary watcher looked out with sad and sor- 
 rowful thoughts upon the darkness, and longed for day. 
 Thanks be to God ! the day has at length dawned — and 
 that, too, with no hazy indistinctness, no shadowy fore- 
 bodings of another storm. And, w^hat should add to the 
 joy with which we mark the change, is the fact now so 
 clearly revealed, that, while the darkness prevailed, the sun 
 above it was not merely shining on, but rising higher, and 
 attaming the lofty altitude from which he is now flooding 
 hill and valley, city and village, with beams far brighter 
 than those of his early rising. These changes it is the 
 object of the following pages very briefly to describe. 
 
 The history of the Madagascar Mission is comprehended 
 within a period of rather more than forty years. It dates 
 from 1820, when Missionaries from the London Mission- 
 ary Society commenced their labours at Antananarivo, the 
 capital. The necessity for such a movement had been felt 
 by the Directors for many years. Early in the present 
 
ITS MISSION AND ITS MArvTYKS. 6 
 
 century, they had requested Dr.Yanderkemp, then in South 
 Africa, whose heart was set upon the service, to visit 
 the island with that intent. Eut this he was unable to 
 do, and it was not until 1814 that a Missionary was 
 stationed at Mauritius, chiefly for the purpose of obtaining 
 information and adopting measures with a view to the 
 establishment of a Mission in Madagascar. The result 
 was, that in the autumn of 1818, Messrs. Eevan and 
 Jones commenced their labours at Tamatave. But the 
 climate of the country was then imperfectly understood. 
 The devoted Brethren knew but little of the deadly malaria 
 which during the rainy season surrounded the coast, and 
 their ignorance proved most fatal. In a short time, ma- 
 lignant fever had consigned Mr. and Mrs. Bevan, Mrs. 
 Jones and two children to the grave, while Mr. Jones, 
 with broken health and bleeding heart, was compelled to 
 return to Mauritius. 
 
 Taught wisdom by this most painful experience, Mr. 
 Jones, on his return to Madagascar, proceeded forth- 
 with to Antananarivo, the capital, which occupies a 
 high and healthy position in the centre of the island. 
 Other labourers, several of them artizans, speedily fol- 
 lowed, and entered with energy and hope upon their 
 work. But their early difficulties were great. They had 
 everything to learn and everything to teach. The people, 
 though slightly acquainted with a few mechanical arts, 
 had no written language. The first Missionaries had 
 therefore to learn by the ear alone, and to catch and 
 record as they best could, the unfamiliar and uncouth 
 words and phrases which came rushing from the lips of 
 the natives. Eor some time, their labours were almost 
 
^ MADAGASCAR : 
 
 necessarily confined to the schools and the children; 
 but as, hitherto, the Malagasy knew little of Europeans, 
 except as slave-dealers, many of the parents regarded the 
 proceedings of the Missionaries with suspicion, not un- 
 mixed with fear for the safety of their little ones. The 
 King, however, Eadama I., early discerned the secular 
 advantages which he and his people would derive from 
 their instructions, and from the first he gave them his 
 countenance and aid. He sent the sons of his highest 
 nobles to be taught, and took a pleasure in visting the 
 school, to hear them recite their lessons and sing their 
 hymns. Soon the children became attached to their 
 teachers and to the school, to many of whom the daily 
 task was only a most pleasant occupation. Often, indeed, 
 before daybreak, as if impatient to begin their work, 
 would groups of them gather outside the teacher's house, 
 repeating the multiplication table, or other prescribed 
 exercises in which they were interested. An unexpected 
 and amusing proof of their fondness for the school oc- 
 curred a short time after its commencement. Wanting 
 some relaxation for themselves, and imagining that Mala- 
 gasy children, like boys and girls at home, would be gratified 
 with a holiday, one day the announcement was made that 
 the school would be closed for a short time. This was a 
 surprise and a mystery to the parents, and the only ex- 
 planation they could imagine was, that the Missionaries 
 intended in this way to punish their children for some 
 unknown oftence. A Tcahary, or public council, was con- 
 sequently summoned to investigate the matter, and even 
 the King sent to inquire what the children had done. Of 
 course the explanation was as satisfactory to the parents, 
 
ITS MISSION AND ITS MAETYRS. 5 
 
 as their anxiety for the improvement of the children was 
 encouraging to the Missionaries. 
 
 But although, at first, before native assistants had 
 been trained, the Missionaries were compelled to devote 
 much of their attention to the schools, no opportunity 
 was lost, either by them or by the Christian artizans, for 
 teaching and preaching the Gospel. As soon, moreover, 
 as they had acquired some familiarity with the language, 
 they began a translation of the Scriptures, and the prepara- 
 tion of other works of instruction ; and when, after some 
 years, printing-presses were set up, the wonder and de- 
 light of the people were almost unbounded. The rapidity 
 with which the young, and those adults who had felt 
 anything of the influence of religion, learned to read, 
 caused a demand for books far beyond the supply. This 
 was especially the case with the Scriptures, the desire to 
 possess which was very strong. Of this, a single illustra- 
 tion must suffice. Two young persons came to the Mis- 
 sionary, one of whom, a respectable female, had a slate 
 in her hand, which she presented to him, with the follow- 
 ing note written upon it : — 
 
 " I have long lived in darkness, and now desire to be 
 brought into the light, that T may know about God, and 
 his Son Jesus Christ. Oh! pity me! Have compassion 
 upon me ! Give me a copy of the New Testament ! I am 
 greatly in need of it. Be merciful to me, and grant me 
 my request, if you possibly can !" 
 
 The increasing supply of books, now of all treasures the 
 most precious in the estimation of many, proved not only 
 a satisfaction to those who could read, but a strong 
 stimulus to others to follow their example. Thus the de- 
 
MADAGASCAR : 
 
 mand for instruction spread, and the number of schools, 
 both in the capital and in the country, increased so rapidly, 
 that a general superintendence of them was aU the Mis- 
 sionaries could give ; and, happily, more was not neces- 
 sary. Many of the young people had by this time become 
 qualified to teach others ; and fortunate were they es- 
 teemed, who were elevated to this service. Thus, when a 
 new school was opened, many eager candidates competed 
 for the appointment of teacher ; and though these were not 
 always Christians in the highest sense, they were familiar 
 with the Scriptures, and had learned to despise the idols 
 and superstitions of their country. 
 
 The effect of the education thus wide-spread, was soon 
 apparent. The taught imbibed* the sentiments and mani- 
 fested the spirit of the teachers. It was inevitable that 
 a change so great should provoke resentment and re- 
 sistance. One day, the headman of a village, in which 
 stood the shrine of a popular idol, heard that the teacher 
 had spoken of it with contempt. In a great rage, the 
 petty chieftain hurried off to the school, and charged the 
 young man with the crime. The teacher at once acknow- 
 ledged it, adding that the idol was nothing, and of less use 
 than the mere dust of the ground. A heavy blow from the 
 heathen was the only answer which the brave youth re- 
 ceived. Nor were the children much more respectful to the 
 gods than their instructors. In one place, a hailstorm had 
 damaged the crops. This, the heathen attributed to the 
 insults offered by the children to the deities, and which they 
 thi'eatened to avenge, unless they were treated with greater 
 reverence. But, as young Madagascar was not to be scared 
 and silenced by hard words and angry blows, their parents 
 
ITS MISSION AND iTS MArvTYrvS. 7 
 
 spoke of complaining to tlie King, and added with sorrow, 
 " We have nursed you, and brought you up until this day ; 
 but now you forsake the customs of your forefathers." " We 
 cannot," replied the children, " prevent your complaining 
 to the King, but we have been taught to tell the truth ; and 
 if, to please you, we should say with our lips that we 
 believe in the idol, while yet in our hearts we cannot do so, 
 we should only lie." In despair of bringing back their 
 children to the point from which they had now drifted far 
 away, by any influence of their own, the parents went to 
 Eadama, and in tones of bitter complaint cried, " Our 
 children are forsaking the customs of our ancestors, and 
 our gods," ascribing the change to the schools. But the 
 King was too wise to interpose. So he quietly dismissed 
 them with the admonition, " Do you mind your work, and 
 the children mind their lessons." 
 
 But the Missionaries were concerned that both teacher 
 and taught should not only possess " the form of knowledge 
 and of truth," but that they should feel its power. With 
 this view they held meetings for special prayer, which 
 many of the young regularly attended, and in which some 
 of them took a public part, pouring out, in simple but 
 earnest petitions, desires which the Missionaries believed 
 God had inspired in their hearts. 
 
 As this volume is not designed to furnish a circumstan- 
 tial narrative of the origin of the Madagascar Mission, or 
 of its early progress, we shall merely add that, at the end 
 of eight years from the settlement of Mr. Jones at Antan- 
 anarivo, there were four thousand young people under 
 Christian instruction, many of them children of the most 
 powerful nobles in the land, some of whom subsequently 
 
8 MADAGASCAR : 
 
 brought forth the ripened fruits of the cultivation they now 
 received. 
 
 But while education was thus spreading, large congrega- 
 tions statedly listened to the Gospel ; Eible Classes were 
 formed, a Church was gathered, a considerable portion of 
 the Scriptures, with many Christian books, was printed, 
 and a feeling in favour of the new religion had spread far, 
 and was constantly spreading farther in the city and through 
 the surrounding province of Imerina. 
 
 Up to this point of their history, therefore, there was much 
 of the bright and the fair in the prospects of the Mission- 
 aries. Nevertheless, their sky had been far from cloudless. 
 Many occurrences had caused grief, and awakened anxiety. 
 Once and again death had visited their little circle. The 
 King, though their friend, and favourable to many of their 
 proceedings, had no sympathy with their spiritual design ; 
 and although he cared but little for the idols, he appeared 
 to care still less for the Grospel. He moreover delighted in 
 war, and when provoked, could show how much of the 
 savage there was still in him. The people, too, were mostly 
 heathen. These and other discouragements moderated the 
 joy with which they reaped the first fruits of their labour, 
 and surveyed on every side the early signs of a far larger 
 ingathering. 
 
 But at the time of which we write (1828) Eadama died, 
 when he was only thirty-six years of age. The Mission- 
 aries felt the loss to be that of a protector and friend. But 
 as yet they had no dark forebodings of the future. The 
 rightful heir to the vacant throne was an excellent youth, 
 named Eakotobe, who had been their first pupil, and in 
 whose heart they believed there was some good thing to- 
 
ITS MISSION AND ITS MARTYKS. 
 
10 MADAGASCAE : 
 
 wards the Lord God of Israel. Under Ms government 
 they knew that their labours would have the widest scope, 
 and the most enlightened encouragement. Eakotobe's 
 father's name was EatafPe. This prince visited England 
 in 1821, and was a mild and excellent man. The mother, 
 too, of Eakotobe was Eadama's eldest sister. Nobody, 
 therefore, could question his title to the throne, and it was 
 generally expected that he would succeed to it in peace. 
 Eut this was not to be. 
 
 Eadama had twelve wives. None of these were entitled 
 to reign ; but one of them, Eanavalona, resolved to 
 grasp the sceptre as it fell from Eadama's hand. She was 
 a bold, bad woman, with strong purpose and no principle. 
 Though well aware that she could only gain her object by 
 crime, she was ready to dare and to do the worst. With 
 this view she drew a few men, as reckless and as wicked as 
 herself into the plot, promising, no doubt, high offices and 
 large rewards as the recompense of their villainy. But how 
 could she attain the desired eminence ? Murder was the 
 sole means. The throne could only be reached over the 
 slaughtered bodies of the rightful heir and his loyal adher- 
 ents. But for aU this she was prepared. Her first victim 
 was Eakotobe. Yiolent and armed men hurried from her 
 presence and seized him, ere the shadow of coming danger 
 had fallen upon his path. And as if death were not aU that 
 the murderess desired, the cruel instruments of her ambi- 
 tion dug the prince's grave before his eyes. While they 
 were thus engaged, the pious youth kneeled down to pray, 
 and in that attitude was pierced by the executioners' 
 spears. Immediately afterwards, his father and mother 
 met the same fate ; but the Queen had commanded that 
 
ITS MISSION AKD ITS MAETYRS. 11 
 
 the latter should be starved to death. A similar order 
 was executed upon Eatafikia, Eadama's brother, who 
 lingered in agony eight days. Then Eakatobe's grand- 
 mother and other relations were cut down by her ruth- 
 less hand, until all had been destroyed who were likely 
 to oppose her usurpation. Thus did Eanavalona be- 
 come Queen of Madagascar. It was a beginning which 
 agreed but too well with her long reign of darkness and 
 terror, tyranny, persecution, and crime. Of this we shall 
 meet with too many appalling details as we proceed — de- 
 tails which would have no place here but for the fact that 
 side by side with them, and in contrast with the usurper's 
 deeds of cruelty and blood, stand forth a glorious array of 
 Christian confessors and martyrs, together with evidences 
 of the progress and the power of the religion for which, 
 they, suffered, few parallels to which will be found in the 
 history of the Church. In that contrast we shall see^ as 
 we proceed with our wondrous tale, one reason, at least, 
 why He who sitteth in the heavens permitted the heathen 
 to rage, and this sanguinary ruler to imagine so vain a 
 thing against the Lord and against his Anointed, as to say, 
 " Let us break their bonds asunder, and cast away their 
 cords from us." 
 
 The feelings of the Missionaries, when they heard that 
 Eanavalona reigned, and became aware of the means by 
 which she had attained power, may be imagined. At 
 first, however, they were not alarmed for their converts, or 
 for the cause they were promoting. They knew, indeed, 
 that the Queen was a besotted devotee of idolatry, and 
 that priests, and sorcerers, and diviners would have her 
 patronage and favour ; nor were they unaware of the fact 
 
12 MADAGASCAE: 
 
 that the men whose bloodstained hands had lifted her to the 
 throne, and who would support her there, were as bigoted 
 as she. Still, they hoped for the best, and laboured on ; 
 and as, for some time after Eadama's death, they were not 
 hindered in their work, they trusted that all would con- 
 tinue to go on well. Nevertheless, they knew that the 
 will of such a woman was a false and precarious ground 
 of confidence. They therefore laboured more abundantly 
 than before, in teaching, preaching, translating, and print- 
 ing, that, should their worst fears be reabzed, the fruit of 
 their toil might not only with God's blessing abound, but 
 abide. And no doubt but that He w^ho sees the end from 
 the beginning, put this purpose into their hearts, and gave 
 them a more than ordinary measure of strength and skiU 
 for its efficient accomplishment ; for seldom have labours 
 such as theirs proved more necessary, or more productive 
 of spiritual results. 
 
 In order to allay the fears of the friends of social progress 
 and Christianity, Eanavalona, shortly after being proclaimed 
 Queen, sent to inform the Missionaries that it was her pur- 
 pose to tread in the footsteps of Kadama ; and not long after 
 this, in a more public form, she solemnly engaged to 
 carry out his plans for the education and improvement of 
 the people. But while thus acting, her desire to sustain 
 the reputation of the idols, to perpetuate the customs of 
 her ancestors, and to destroy the rapidly extending influence 
 of the Europeans, could not be disguised. There was, how- 
 ever, a formidable obstacle on the threshold of that com'se 
 of repression and violence by which her reign was subse- 
 quently characterized. At that time, her chief nobles and 
 advisers formed two opposing parties. One of these was 
 
ITS MISSION AND ITS MARTYES. 13 
 
 headed by a young ofRcer named Andriamiliaja, a great 
 favourite of the Queen, and a friend of the Missionaries ; 
 the other was led by two brothers — Eainibaro and Eain- 
 imaharo, the former being the guardian of one of the chief 
 idols, and both of them determined enemies to the Chris- 
 tians. Eor two years, the party of Andriamihaja was 
 strong enough to prevent the retrograde movement which 
 his rivals and the Queen desired ; but at length the ido- 
 latrous party prevailed. While in a state of intoxication, 
 they procured from Eanavalona the death-warrant of An- 
 driamihaja, who was immediately afterwards murdered in 
 his own house. 
 
 Thus one formidable barrier was removed out of the 
 path which the heathen party were anxious to take. Hap- 
 pily, however, the two years in which these factions had 
 been contending for supremacy, were well improved by the 
 Missionaries, who laboured with increased energy and great 
 success in preparing books and teaching the people. Con- 
 trary to their expectations, no material change appeared in 
 the conduct of the Queen ; and even so late as the spring of 
 1831, she permitted her subjects to be baptized, and re- 
 peated her declaration that she would not "change the 
 words of the King." 
 
 It was not long, however, before premonitory symptoms 
 of approaching evil appeared. One of the first of these 
 was an intimation to some Christian officers of the Govern- 
 ment, who were about to join the Church in the capital, 
 that their so doing would be displeasing to their royal 
 mistress. This was soon followed by a proclamation, pro- 
 hibiting the soldiers, and those whom the Government had 
 placed in the schools, from being baptized, or receiving the 
 
14 MADAGASCAR : 
 
 Lord's Supper. By tlie close of the same year (1831) s 
 similar prohibition was extended to the people at large. 
 Happily, no restrictions had as yet been put upon the 
 liberty of the Missionaries to preach or print. In these 
 departments, therefore, they continued to labour, if possible, 
 more abundantly than ever. And at this time God gave 
 testimony to the word of His grace. The congregations 
 were large, and a spirit of thoughtfulness and devotion 
 appeared to pervade them. The readers, too, had multi- 
 plied by thousands, and the press was scattering Christian 
 books through the land. But, as it was obvious that the 
 schools were only tolerated because some useful arts 
 were taught in them, the Missionaries were not surprised 
 when at length an order appeared that no slave was any 
 longer to attend them. 
 
 About the same time, the Eev. D. Griffiths was com- 
 manded to leave the country, and shortly afterwards two 
 other Missionaries were required to follow him. Thus 
 new links were being added to the iron chain of despotic 
 power which the Missionaries saw was continually drawn 
 closer around the now narrow sphere of their operations. 
 Still, the process was slow, and even up to the beginning 
 of the year 1835, there had been no interference with 
 public worship. At no previous period had the sanctua- 
 ries been so crowded, while there were few families, from 
 those most nearly related to the Queen down to the house- 
 holds of the slaves, in which disciples of the Saviour 
 could not be found. But at last the crisis came. No 
 very powerful incitement was required to transform the 
 latent hatred of the sovereign and her councillors into 
 active hostility against the Christians. This was now 
 
ITS MTSSTON AND ITS MAETYUS. 15 
 
 furnished. One Sabbath in February, as she was carried 
 in her state palanquin through the city, Eanavalona 
 passed a chapel while the congregation was singing, and 
 immediately remarked to her attendants, ^' They will not 
 stop till some of them lose their heads." 
 
 Soon after this she was told that many of the Christians, 
 and amongst them a near connection of one of her chief 
 ministers, had spoken disrespectfully of the idols. About 
 the same time another incident came to her knowledge, 
 which fanned the flame of her anger. A young man, who, 
 during his residence in the capital, had become a Christian, 
 while visiting some friends in a village where an idol was 
 kept, ventured, rather freely, to express his surprise that any 
 person could be so ignorant as to trust a useless log of wood ; 
 and his offence was aggravated by the fact that he would 
 not swear, nor work on the Sabbath, and that at night 
 he drew the people to meet with him for prayer. These 
 crimes were charged before the judge, and by him were re- 
 ported to the Queen. That the guilt or innocence of the 
 accused might appear, he was required to drink the tangena 
 — the poison-water ordeal. The Christians trembled for 
 their friend, but they also prayed, and God heard them. 
 To express their joy at his deliverance, many residing in 
 the capital imprudently marched in procession through the 
 streets. This was reported to the Queen, and increased 
 her anger. Just then a chief of rank and influence having 
 obtained admission to her presence, thus addressed her, 
 *' I am come to ask your Majesty for a spear — a bright 
 and sharp spear — grant my request." Being asked for what 
 purpose he wanted the weapon, his answer was, that the 
 idols — the guardians of the land — were dishonoured ; that 
 
16 MADAGASCAE: 
 
 tlie hearts of the people were turned from the customs of 
 tlieir ancestors ; that by tlieir teaching and their books the 
 Missionaries had drawn away many nobles and officers of 
 the army, as well as people of the inferior orders ; and that 
 ruin would come upon the land unless these evils were 
 speedily stopped; and '^ as," he added, ^' such will be the 
 issue of the teaching of the foreigners, and as I do not wish 
 to see that calamity come upon my country, I ask for a 
 spear, to pierce my heart before the evil day comes," This 
 appeal produced its designed effect. Greatly moved with 
 grief and rage, the Queen first wept, then sat in silence for 
 about half an hour, and at length solemnly declared that 
 she would put an end to Christianity, if it cost the life of 
 every Christian in her land. Her councillors and attend- 
 ants fully apprehended the fearful import of her tearful 
 silence and terrible threat. They were the meet precursors 
 of that outburst of vengeance which so soon, and for so 
 long a period, desolated Madagascar. The following fort- 
 night was strongly marked by evil omens. All that time 
 profound silence prevailed within the palace. Music, 
 dancing, and all kinds of amusement were intermitted. 
 The court appeared as if mourning for some dreadful 
 disaster or death ; and as the intelhgence spread amongst 
 •the people, it filled a multitude of hearts with faintness 
 and fear. 
 
 No time was lost in cariying out the roysl threat- 
 ening. Only a few days after its utterance, as the Mis- 
 sionaries were proceeding to their Thursday evening 
 service, they received a summons to hear that message 
 from the Queen which put a final stop to all their public 
 labours. 
 
ITS MISSION AND ITS MAETYES. 17 
 
 On the 1st of March the people were summoned to 
 a great assembly convened to hear the royal prohibi- 
 tion of Christianity, together with a command that all 
 Christians should confess their crime within a month,* or 
 suffer death. The day of trial and the reign of terror had 
 now commenced. 
 
 During the following week, multitudes confessed that 
 they had read Christian books, and attended Christian 
 worship, acknowledging their crime and submitting them- 
 selves to the royal pleasure. But there were others who 
 disregarded the Queen's commands; and this they did, 
 well knowing the consequences of refusal, but resolved to 
 suffer rather than sin. That they might be able to act thus, 
 prayer was made unto God ; and never with more freedom 
 or fervour than during that anxious week. 
 
 Let us in thought visit one or two of the hallowed spots 
 where the Christians now met to commune with each other, 
 and with their common Lord. It is midnight. The darkness 
 and silence are unbroken. No voice nor footstep is heard 
 inthe streets of the capital. But here and there, individuals 
 might have been discerned silently stealing along under the 
 deep shadows of the houses. All these are bending their steps 
 towards one point — the house of prayer. Let us follow 
 them, as they enter the place where Grod had often met 
 and blessed them. A smile of loving recognition glances 
 from face to face, tempered with a shade of sadness and 
 anxiety. They join in prayer ; but in the midst of their 
 devotions a stranger enters. He is an officer of high rank 
 in the army, is an honourable and friendly man, but not 
 hitherto known as a Christian. Filled with surprise, not 
 
 ^ By a subsequent order restricted to a week. 
 
18 MADAGASCAR : 
 
 unmixed witli apprehension, the brethren suspend the 
 service, and wait in silence for an explanation. This is 
 frankly given. The officer declares himself to be one of 
 their number, and that he had been constrained to join them, 
 in this the hour of their weakness and peril, because he 
 abhorred the injustice with which they had been treated by 
 the Queen, and the cowardice with which the half-heart- 
 ed had quailed before her uplifted arm. That was a 
 memorable night in the history and experience of the 
 Christians. He vfho thus, when others shrunk away, 
 came bravely forth to share their perils, not fearing the 
 wrath of the Queen, proved subsequently one of their 
 wisest counsellors, and best protectors. Soon, too, his 
 wife followed his example, and, with her husband, suc- 
 coured very many. Such an accession to their number 
 at such a season, was singularly calculated to confirm the 
 faith and revive the courage of the little flock, and to 
 enable them calmly to wait the outburst of the lowering 
 tempest. Eut this was not all. These meetings proved, 
 in an unusual degree, " times of refreshing fi'om the 
 presence of the Lord," and of gracious preparation for the 
 fiery trial which was to try them. Long were the midnight 
 hours of that memorable week remembered as amongst the 
 brightest and most blissful of their history: — hours, the 
 sweet influence of which proved in after days a solace and 
 a support, when, separated from one another, these brethren 
 beloved were working in chains, or concealed in forests, or 
 immured in prisons, or anticipating a martyr's death. 
 
 But let us now enter another house in the capital, during 
 the same days of dark expectation. Again it is night. 
 A few women are o-athered within that dwelHno-. Their 
 
ITS MISSION AND ITS MAETYRS. 19 
 
 countenances betoken an anxiety wliicli too well agrees 
 with their communications. They are conversing about 
 the edict of the Queen, and the punishments denounced 
 against those who disregard it. Sad and disheartcDed, just 
 as they are expressing to one another a fear lest their faith 
 should fail in the hour of trial, an unexpected visitor 
 enters. He was no stranger, but a Christian friend from 
 a distant district. And soon it appeared that he had 
 come there with a message from God. Delighted to see 
 him, and assured of his sympathy, the women disclosed 
 their depression and fear. " Have you read God's Word 
 to-day?" he inquired. They told him that, in conse- 
 quence of the confusion, they had been unable to do so. 
 ''Have you, then," he continued, "wrestled with God in 
 prayer ?" They replied that they had tried to give them- 
 selves up to Him, but that they had been overcome by 
 terror. '' I wonder not at this," said the friend. " Let us 
 read the 46th Psalm." With much feeling and solemnity 
 he then proceeded. " God is our refuge and strength ; a 
 very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we 
 fear," &c. After this they kneeled down together, this 
 Christian man conducting their devotions. The sacred 
 exercise brought with it new life and strength. From that 
 hour, the trembling women became courageous ; and long 
 afterwards, some of them declared that, whenever anxious 
 thoughts threw a gloomy shadow upon their path, they 
 scattered them by again reading the 46th Psalm. 
 
 The dreary days of that dreadful week weie now num- 
 bered ; and another kabary was summoned, at which it 
 was known that the sentences of the Christians would 
 be declared. A lar<2:e multitude was collected when the 
 
20 MADAGASCAE : 
 
 judges appeared, holding in their hands the Queen's 
 decree. It began by assuring the Christians that their 
 crimes deserved death, and that, had not the people of the 
 province (Tmerina) interceded for them, she would have 
 driven them all down the river and over the cataract. 
 Punishments would therefore be awarded which were far 
 lighter than their deserts. The sentences were then read, 
 which deprived four hundred officers and nobles of their 
 honours, and levied fines upon the remainder, who num- 
 bered about two thousand. 
 
 This award was followed by another royal mandate, 
 which requii'ed all books to be delivered up to the officers, 
 and threatened death against any who kept back, or hid 
 even a single leaf. But like other persecutors, this besotted 
 woman in her blind fury would fain have rivetted her fetters 
 upon the souls of her subjects. With a mad infatuation 
 which provokes a smile, she asserted the right and the power 
 to restrain the free exercise of the mind, and commanded 
 her subjects never again even to think upon the Christian 
 lessons they had learned, but to blot them from their 
 memories for ever ! 
 
 Amongst the important services which the Missionaries 
 rendered to the Christian cause, in the interval between the 
 suppression of public worship and their departure from the 
 capital, there was one which, in the times of trial now 
 impending, proved inestimable. This was the translation of 
 the " Pilgrim's Progress." Eight copies were transcribed 
 by the Christians for their use in common. And well did 
 they study and wisely apply the teachings of that noble 
 allegory. Often, amidst their wanderings, did its scenes 
 and savings recur to their memories, and cheer their 
 
ITS MISSION AND ITS MAETYKS. 21 
 
 hearts. Next to the Bible, this was the book which the 
 persecuted Malagasy most prized. One copy, we are told, 
 was found upon a Christian when he was apprehended, and 
 was carefully scrutinized by the Queen's officers ; but after 
 vainly attempting to discover its import, they abandoned 
 the task in despair. 
 
 But valuable as this service was to the Christians, there 
 was another rendered by the Missionaries at this time, of 
 far higher importance — the completion of the printing of 
 the Scriptures in the Malagasy language. The native 
 printers, indeed, were forbidden to aid in this or any other 
 work connected with the Mission, but yet, with strange in- 
 consistency, the Queen permitted Mr. Baker and other 
 Missionaries to remain in the capital, though she most 
 probably knew that they were preparing and printing pro- 
 hibited books. It was a happy oversight, and one which 
 went far to neutralize her subsequent endeavours to uproot 
 Christianity from the land. 
 
 The Christians also partook of the Lord's Supper together 
 in secret, and not a few, even during this time of terror, 
 were added to their number. Some, fearing that after their 
 teachers had left it would be impossible to procure the 
 Word of God, travelled as far as a hundred miles for a copy. 
 One poor man, who had been confined to his house by ill- 
 ness for many months, nevertheless walked sixty miles to 
 make this much-coveted treasure his own, and when the 
 Missionary placed a Bible in his hand, his countenance be- 
 came radiant with joy ; he pressed the sacred volume to his 
 bosom, and said, " This contains the words of eternal life ; 
 it is my life, and I will take as much care of it as of my own 
 life !" And he did as he had said ; though driven from his 
 
22 MADAGASCAK : 
 
 liome and compelled to liide liimself in tlie forests, lie proved 
 faithful unto death. 
 
 At length, in 1835, it became but too ob^dous that the 
 labours of the Missionaries in Madagascar must terminate. 
 Most of them, therefore, left the capital during that year. 
 Messrs. Johns and Baker lingered until the following sum- 
 mer, when, with heavy hearts, they turned from the scenes 
 of labour which had yielded much and promised more, and 
 pressed the warm hands of many whom they were leaving 
 as sheep in the midst of wolves, and w^hose faces they would 
 see no more. Well aware of the existence of many of the 
 much hated sect, in spite of her edicts and punishments, and 
 yet unable to convict them, the rage of the Queen continued 
 to increase. At the same time, the Christians were becom- 
 ing better known to one another, and they all did what they 
 could to encourage themselves and each other in the Lord. 
 For this purpose they held many secret meetings, sometimes 
 in solitary houses or upon the summits of mountains, or in 
 other lonely spots, where they could not only read God's 
 Word and pray, but engage in the, to them, sweet and 
 sacred exercise of vocal praise. And as they now possessed 
 seventy copies of the entire Scriptures, with a still larger 
 number of New^ Testaments, Psalms, and Christian books, 
 which were always carefully concealed and often buried in 
 the ground, until wanted for use, they had in their hands 
 means of instruction and consolation which they knew well 
 how to employ. 
 
 Amongst the most devoted of this Christian band was 
 the well-remembered Eafaravavy. Prior to her conversion 
 she had been a zealous upholder of idolatry, but from 
 the time her heart was given to the Saviour, she conse- 
 
ITS MISSION AND ITS MAETYUS. 23 
 
 crated her property, influence, and energy to His service. 
 At length she was accused by three of her slaves of at- 
 tending religious meetings. On hearing of her accusation, 
 the Queen exclaimed, "Is it possible that there is one so 
 daring as to defy me ! Go and put her at once to death." 
 But the intercession of friends, and the former services 
 of her father, induced the Queen to commute the sentence 
 into a heavy fine. 
 
 The calm, firm, heroic, and yet gentle bearing of this 
 noble Christian lady, both at this trying period and subse- 
 quently while pursuing the path of duty, surrounded by 
 perils, and in the near view of martyrdom, has rarely been 
 equalled, and never surpassed. " I shall never forget,'* 
 wrote Mr. Johns, " the serenity and composure she dis- 
 played while she related to me the consolations she enjoyed 
 in pleading the promises and in drawing near to God in 
 prayer." It is not surprising that the spirit and conduct 
 of such a woman should greatly comfort and confirm her 
 fellow -sufferers. 
 
 For some months after the departure of the Missionaries, 
 the Christians enjoyed comparative peace. This appears 
 to have arisen from a persuasion on the part of their op- 
 pressors that, when thus left to themselves, they would 
 soon return to their former practices. Instead of this, 
 however, all the letters forwarded to their exiled friends 
 indicated that the joy of the Lord was their strength, that 
 some who had drawn back were restored, and that their 
 number was on the increase. One valued and honoured 
 man, indeed, had been taken from them, but his holy life, 
 closed by a truly Christian death, tended to strengthen the 
 faith and animate the hopes of the survivors. They desig- 
 
24 MADAGASCAE: 
 
 nate him " a beloved brother," and speak of the great 
 delight and benefit which they derived from his society. 
 He was a young man, and remarkable for the depth and 
 tenderness of his love to the Divine Eedeemer. Both 
 Missionaries and Christians were struck with the circum- 
 stance that, whenever he named the name of Jesus, it 
 brought tears to his eyes, and when he was asked the rea- 
 son of this, his simple answer was " How can I do other- 
 wise than feel, while I mention the name of that beloved 
 Saviour, who suffered and died on the cross forme?" As 
 the hour of his departure drew near, a Christian brother 
 inquired whether he had any fear of death. " Why should 
 I fear to die," he exclaimed, *' while Jesus is my friend? 
 He hath loved me with an everlasting love, and I love Him 
 because He hath first loved me. I am persuaded that He 
 Avill not leave me now, for I am full of joy at the thought of 
 leaving this sinful world to be for ever with my Saviom\" 
 Eut the diligence with which the faithful brethren had 
 improved this brief remission of severe punishment, and 
 the consequent increase both of the number and influence 
 of the Christians in the capital, had been so contrary to 
 the calculations of their enemies, that the Queen and her 
 counsellors resolved to adopt more severe measures for 
 their repression. This change first appeared in an accusa- 
 tion which was lodged against fourteen ("hristians, ten of 
 whom were apprehended and condemned to perpetual 
 slavery. One of these was Eafaravavj^, whose house was 
 razed, and her property seized, by an order from the Queen. 
 At the same time she was chained and imprisoned, and 
 condemned to be executed on the following morning. But 
 during the previous night, a fire broke out in the capital, 
 
ITS MISSION AND ITS MAUTYRS. 25 
 
 wliich aroused the superstitious fears of Eanavalona, and 
 saved Eafaravavy's life. Thus the honour of being the 
 proto-martyr of Madagascar was reserved for another. 
 
 Amongst the ten who were now imprisoned, was a young 
 woman named Easalama. While under confinement, she 
 was overheard to express her astonishment that she and 
 her Christian friends should receive such treatment, and 
 then added with much warmth, " When the Tsitialaingia 
 came to my house, I was not afraid, but rather rejoiced 
 that I was counted worthy to suffer affliction for believing 
 in Jesus." This utterance having been reported to the 
 judges, she was ordered to be put into heavy irons and 
 severely beaten ; but throughout these sufferings, so long 
 as she had strength, she sought comfort in singing her 
 favourite hymns. Her firmness and fortitude confounded 
 her persecutors and astonished the people ; and the only 
 solution of the mystery which they could imagine, was that 
 she was under the influence of some very powerful charm. 
 There were those, however, who looked at her calm coun- 
 tenance, and listened to her triumphal words, with far 
 different thoughts and feelings. 
 
 During the afternoon preceding the day of her execu- 
 tion, the ordinary chains she wore were exchanged for 
 others, consisting of rings and bars fastened around her 
 hands, feet, knees, and neck, so as to force the body into a 
 position which caused great agony. This was its intended 
 effect. It was done, not for security, but simply for 
 punishment. Joyful, therefore, was she as the time drew 
 on when she would be rescued for ever from the tyrant's 
 power. Seldom has the dawning of day proved more re- 
 viving to the sick and the sorrowful than when it came to 
 
 c 
 
26 MADAGASCAE: 
 
 Easalama. To her it was the hour of release and redemp- 
 tion. As she was led away she continued to sing, and 
 thus set an example to be followed afterwards by many 
 who were called to tread the same pathway to death and 
 heaven. When passing the sanctuary in which she had 
 been accustomed to worship, she exclaimed, '' There I 
 heard the words of the Saviour !" Though many sympa- 
 thised with Easalama, and earnest prayers were offered 
 on her behalf by Christian friends, they knew that, by 
 identifying themselves with her, the little aid they could 
 render her would be at the peril of their own lives. But 
 there was one who could not be restrained by prudential 
 considerations. He was a young man, who, as it appeared, 
 possessed her spirit, and was prepared to follow in her 
 footsteps ; his name was Rafaralahy. Tearless of conse- 
 quences, and pressing through the guard of soldiers by 
 whom Easalama was surrounded, he walked as near to her 
 side as he could, and said to her, " My sister, I will not 
 leave you till the end !" At length the gl omy procession 
 reached the spot where this Christian woman was to suffer. 
 The name of it \s>Amlohipotsy. It forms the southern extre- 
 mity of the crest of the hill upon which the city stands. 
 
 "When Mr. Ellis and the Bishop of Mauritius lately 
 visited it, they saw there the remains of the broken cross, 
 upon which many had hung in anguish, and in a ditch 
 just by were strewed the bleached bones of Christian 
 martyrs — sad memorials of dark days and darker deeds, 
 now soon to be buried, though not forgotten, beneath a 
 sanctuary which, while it enshrines the memory of many 
 heroic sufferers, will honour the Saviour whom they loved, 
 and for whom they died, and extend the knowledge of His 
 
ITS MISSION AND ITS MAETYES. 27 
 
 salvation. ^' The subdued, and yet eager manner," writes 
 Dr. Eyan, '' in which the native Cliristians described what 
 had happened, was quite exciting to witness. It made old 
 stories of martyrdom appear quite recent and fresh. From 
 the parts interpreted and explained to me, I gathered the 
 following facts. That the Christians went to their death 
 with cheerful countenance, singing hymns as long as they 
 were able to do so. Straw was stuffed into their mouths 
 by their persecutors, to stop them, but until violently 
 hindered, they sang loudly the praises of God. Some of 
 the heathens, who were particularly desirous of seeing how 
 they behaved when the last hour of suffering came, con- 
 fessed afterwards that nothing so impressed them as the 
 courageous demeanour and glad singing of those who 
 were being led to death. A large crowd seems to have 
 followed on the occasion to which our friends referred, 
 with shouting and imprecations against the Christians. 
 The victims were taken into the ditch, and made to bend 
 forward, and then two spears were struck into their bodies, 
 one on each side of the backbone, and when they fell 
 prostrate with their wounds, their heads were cut off, and 
 placed in rows along the edge of the ditch. The heads of 
 five members of one family were placed thus in a row on 
 one occasion, and thirteen others behind them, and were 
 left a long time there, till removed secretly, as I under- 
 stood, by their friends. The whole scene," adds the 
 Bishop, "the description, the mournful tone of voice, the 
 affectionate earnestness of manner of those who told us, 
 some of whom had been for years exposed to the most 
 imminent danger themselves, all produced a most solemn 
 effect on the mind." 
 
MADAGASCAR : ITS MISSION AND ITS MARTYRS. 29 
 
 This, then, was the place to which Easalama was con- 
 ducted. But the scene did not disturb the deep calm of 
 her spirit. Though reviled by the heathen, she rested upon 
 the Saviour, and reviled not again. The only request 
 she made to her executioners was for a brief interval, 
 that she might pray. This was granted, and she kneeled 
 down upon the rocky ground. Some said, '^ Where is the 
 Grod she prays to, that He does not save her now?" Others 
 looked on with pitv. But she was regardless of all around, 
 and held communion with her Divine Saviour ; and while 
 thus commending her spirit into His hands, the execu- 
 tioners from behind buried their spears in her body. So 
 calm, so firm was this noble sufferer, that even the hard 
 men who took her life were constrained to say, '^ There is 
 some charm in the religion of the white people, which takes 
 away the fear of death ;" while that courageous friend who 
 had accompanied her to the last, exclaimed, as he turned 
 from a spectacle at once so sorrowful and so sublime, ^* If 
 I might die so tranquil and happy a death, I would not be 
 unwilling to die for the Saviour too." 
 
 We cannot give a circumstantial history of the othci 
 Christians who were apprehended with Easalama. All of 
 them were condemned to hard bondage ; but five of these 
 had the great comfort of working together. Their master, 
 indeed, Eainiharo, was their cruel persecutor, and they 
 had much to endure — toiling hard during the day, and 
 heavily ironed at night. But still they could speak often 
 one to another ; and Paul, who, though weak in body was 
 strong in spirit, contributed not a little to the comfort of 
 his companions in tribulation by repeating the 46th Psalm, 
 and other passages of the Scriptures with which his memory 
 
30 MADAGASCAR : 
 
 was stored. He possessed also a copy of tlie Psalter, and 
 a Christian catechism, while another had preserved in secret 
 a tract on the resurrection ; and when all was dark and 
 still, these precious treasures were drawn out from their 
 hiding-places, and read aloud. This exercise and prayer 
 lightened their heavy load, and brought them much peace. 
 
 Two others, David and Simeon, were assigned to a 
 wretch, distinguished amongst his fellows for his cruel 
 disposition — a bad pre-eminence, with which his treatment 
 of these two Christians too well accorded. After three 
 months, they were transfen'ed to this t}Tant's son, but 
 not until they had drank the tangena, to show whether they 
 possessed the power of witchcraft. This dangerous ordeal 
 had nearly cost David's life, but God delivered him. 
 
 Amongst the nine who had been condemned, Eafaravary 
 appears to have been the greatest suflPerer. Tor five months 
 she was kept in heavy chains, daily expecting to be led 
 from prison to death. Eut her life was spared, and at the 
 end of five months she was sold into perpetual slavery. 
 Providentially, however, and without a suspicion of the 
 kind on the part of her persecutors, her master was a 
 humane man, and her mistress proved to be a relative. Some 
 liberty was therefore allowed to her, and this she gladly 
 improved ; for as soon as her daily task was done, she 
 hastened to the dwellings of her fellow- Christians. Amongst 
 those with whom it was her delight to meet for prayer and 
 praise, was Eafaralahy, the companion and comforter of 
 Easalama on her way to the scene of her martyrdom. He 
 lived about two miles from the capital, and was making it 
 the study of his life to minister to the wants and promote 
 the welfare of his Christian brethren. He had compassion 
 
ITS MISSION AND ITS MAUTYRS. 31 
 
 on them in their bonds, and when in prison he visited 
 them. His property and his time were devoted to the 
 one great object of doing good. With this intent he had 
 built a house in a retired spot near his own dwelling, where 
 the brethren might meet for worship ; and here they were 
 often found in fellowship with each other and the Lord. 
 At the same time he laboured to draw others into the way 
 of life ; and amongst those for whose temporal and spiritual 
 interests he was peculiarly solicitous were three poor lepers. 
 These were outcasts from society, shunned and loathed by 
 all except this Christian man. But in him they found a 
 true friend. He sheltered them, fed them, and taught 
 them to read that blessed book which had brought peace 
 to his own spirit. And " with such sacrifices God was 
 well pleased." One of the lepers preceded his benefactor 
 to heaven, and there is reason to hope that the others have 
 followed him thither. 
 
 At length, a wretched man who owed Eafaralahy money 
 and much beside, hoping to release himself from his 
 obligation, accused his benefactor of being a Christian, 
 and of holding meetings in his own house. He was in 
 consequence seized, loaded with chains, and committed 
 to prison. But he " suffered as a Christian," and expe- 
 rienced that Divine support which enabled him, without 
 fear or faltering, to be " faithful unto death." During 
 the brief period of his confinement, severe measures were 
 employed to extort from him the names of his Christian 
 associates. But his unvarying answer to every persuasive, 
 and every threat, Avas, ^' Here am I, let the Queen do what 
 she pleases with me ; I have done it, but I will not accuse 
 my friends." After an imprisonment of two or three days, 
 
32 MADAGASCAE : 
 
 the minister of death entered his prison, and when he 
 inquired, '' Which is Kafaralahy ?" the brave man promptly 
 answered, " I am, sir !" His irons were then struck oflF, 
 and he was led forth to the place of execution. Doubtless, 
 as he walked towards it he remembered Easalama, who had 
 preceded him there, and probably did not forgot the strong 
 sympathy and Christian love which then constrained him 
 to draw near to her, and to whisper in her ear, '' My sister, I 
 will not leave you till the end." Though it does not appear 
 that he sung, as she did, on his way to the fatal spot, we are 
 told that he spoke to those around him of the Saviour, and 
 of his joy in the near prospect of beholding Him. On 
 reaching Ambohipotsy, following the example of Easalama, 
 he requested a brief space for prayer, and kneeling down 
 upon the ground consecrated by her blood, and strewed 
 with her unburied bones, he looked up steadfastly into 
 heaven, prayed for his country and his brethren, and, 
 having committed his soul to his Divine Eedeemer, he 
 arose from the ground, ^' ready to be offered." When the 
 executioners were about to throw him down, he assured 
 them that no force was necessary, as he was quite willing 
 to die. He then laid himself upon the ground, and in a 
 few moments he had entered into the joy of the Lord. 
 
 Immediately after his execution, the wife of Eafaralahy, 
 and another female, were seized and subjected to torture to 
 induce them to inculpate his associates. In a moment of 
 weakness, produced by suffering and fear, they made the 
 disclosure. Priends, however, were within hearing, who 
 caught the names of some of the accused. Eafaravavy was 
 one of them. Sitting with three of her fellow Christians, 
 in conversation upon the subjects in which they were most 
 
ITS MISSION AND ITS MAETYRS. 33 
 
 deeply interested, a servant hastily entered the room and 
 put a note into her hand. It conveyed the intelligence 
 that Eafaralahy had been executed, and that, unless she 
 and others instantly fled, they would also sufl'er. After a 
 brief conference, the three women proceeded towards the 
 city, and having reached the outskirts, they kneeled down, 
 commended each other to God, and then separated, to 
 meet no more on earth, Eafaravavy ventured to call at 
 her master's house, though she expected to find officers 
 awaiting her. After this, she went to confer with David, 
 Simeon, and others of the accused, as to the course they 
 should pursue. This appeared very clear to all of them. 
 They therefore resolved upon immediate flight. As Simeon 
 and David, who were slaves of Eainiharo, had money and 
 cloth belonging to their master, their first concern was to 
 draw up an accui'ate account of all sales and receipts, and to 
 leave this paper for him, with what remained of his pro- 
 perty. It was not surprising, when this evidence of inte- 
 grity came into his hands, that the oppressor of the Chris- 
 tians was astonished, and exclaimed, " These would have 
 made excellent servants, if they would but leave off their 
 religion." It was now midnight, and time that the fu- 
 gitives should leave the city. But this was not possible 
 to Simeon, in consequence of the illness of his wife, nor to 
 Paul and others, who lived too far off to be apprised of the 
 movements of their brethren. Kve only could avail them- 
 selves of the opportunity — Joseph, David and his wife, 
 Andrianimanana, and Eafaravavy. 
 
 And it was well for them that they acted with promp- 
 titude, for, on the following morning, messengers with 
 a death-warrant from the Queen hastened to every place 
 
34 MADAGASCAE: 
 
 where it was thoiiglit probable that Eafaravavy miglit 
 be concealed. 
 
 A detailed history of these Christian fugitives has been 
 already furnished in the deeply interesting narrative of 
 Freeman and Johns. We shall, therefore, only briefly 
 recall such of their many dangers and deliverances as most 
 strikingly indicate the protecting care of Providence, and 
 the strength of Christian principle, manifested not only by 
 themselves, but by others. With this view we should re- 
 member that all who sheltered, fed, or in other ways assisted 
 the Christians, exposed themselves to the same condem- 
 nation. But notwithstanding, wherever brethren dwelt, 
 there was a home for the wandering; and thither they hasted, 
 with a full assurance of a welcome and a hiding-place. 
 
 Fifty miles from the capital, at a place named Itanima- 
 nina, lived a Christian and his wife. To their abode the 
 ^ye fugitives first directed their steps. Here they met 
 with the reception they expected ; and, though exhausted 
 with journeying and loss of sleep, the night after theii' 
 arrival was mostly spent in prayer and praise, in the recital 
 of recent events, and in the expression of anxiety for Paul, 
 and others whom they had left behind. This anxiety, and 
 the impossibility of concealing five strangers in one house, 
 induced two of them to proceed to Paul's village, although 
 the distance was thirty-five miles. But, on reaching their 
 destination, they were distressed to learn that their friend 
 was a prisoner. They therefore returned to Ttanimanina. 
 
 About this time, a message came to them from another 
 Christian in the same district, to this effect : " Let all the 
 Christians who are compelled to run away for their lives 
 come to me. I will take care of them. As long as I am 
 
ITS MISSION AND ITS MAETYRS. 35 
 
 safe, they they are safe; and as long as I have food, they 
 shall share it." But just then this loving invitation was 
 not accepted, Joseph and David having previously arranged 
 to seek a refuge in the forest, far on the other side of the 
 capital. Thither, through dangers and with much difficulty, 
 they at length found their way, and here Simeon, who until 
 now had been concealed over an oven in a friend's house at 
 the capital, joined them. Only one man, and he was a ser- 
 vant of the Government, knew their hiding-place, and he 
 would not reveal it even to his nearest connections. As the 
 forest furnished fuel only, and not food, this noble specimen 
 of a friend and a brother, though naturally a timid man, ven- 
 tured his own life to save theirs ; and as often as he could 
 leave his home, he walked from fifty to sixty miles, with a 
 heavy burden of rice, over rugged roads and through the 
 tangled forest, to their hiding-place. Thus, by self-sacrific- 
 ing love and labour they were sustained nearly six months, 
 when it became necessary for them to seek another refuge. 
 Meanwhile, Eafaravavy remained at Itanimanina. But 
 soldiers were now upon her track, and caution was therefore 
 essential. Every morning, ere the day dawned, she crept 
 to a lonely mountain and hid herself amidst the craggy 
 rocks ; at night she returned to her friend's house. But soon 
 even this care was no longer to avail her. Her place of 
 concealment had become known to Eainiharo, who at once 
 despatched soldiers to apprehend her. Knowing her daily 
 hiding-place, before they entered the village they searched 
 the mountain ; but, as it rained, contrary to her custom, Ea- 
 faravavy had that day remained within. Having failed to 
 find her amidst the rocks, the soldiers hastened towards the 
 house unperceived, had come within sight of it, and were 
 
3^ MADAGASCAK: ITS MISSION AND ITS MAETYRS. 
 
 liastening towards the door. There was now but a step 
 between her and death ; but, by one of those simple, and, 
 as some would suppose, insignificant agencies which Divine 
 Providence often emplo^^s, the Christian woman was 
 rescued from her imminent danger. Though the soldiers 
 created no alarm within the house, their hasty movements 
 frightened some crows that were near it ; and as Sarah, 
 Eafaravavy's companion, inferred from their noise that the 
 birds were stealing some rice which had been spread out to 
 dry, she ran out to drive the depredators away, when, to her 
 sm'prise and alarm, she saw the two soldiers. In a low 
 tone she warned her friend of the danger, who had just 
 time enough to creep under a bedstead in the next room, 
 and to cover herself up with a mat, ere the men entered. 
 Happily, they did not search the house, but for an hour 
 Eafaravavy heard all they had to say respecting her, and 
 the orders which had been issued for her death. But, calm 
 in the midst of this peril, she comforted herself with the 
 words, " Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the deso- 
 lation of the wicked when it cometh, for the Lord shall be 
 thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken." 
 Often, in other days of danger, did she and her friends 
 recall this remarkable deliverance, and strengthen them- 
 selves in the Lord. 
 
 But it was now quite time for Eafaravavy and Sarah — 
 together with their kind and most disinterested protectors, 
 who had cheerfully risked all, and were willing to lay down 
 theb own necks for the sake of their brethren — to seek a 
 safer habitation. After hiding for a short time in the 
 houses of friendly neighbours, they travelled all night to a 
 distant village, where they knew they would find Christian 
 

38 MADAGASCAE : 
 
 hospitality. Having been concealed liere for a few days, 
 ttey travelled some distance to the abode of a relative, but 
 had scarcely reached it, when they heard that soldiers were 
 searching the neighbourhood for some woman that had run 
 away. They therefore returned to the place they had left 
 the day before, but the first intelligence that greeted them 
 was that a party of soldiers was then in the callage in quest 
 of them. The pious woman who warned them of the 
 danger hid them for that night in a pit, from which dreary 
 refuge she conducted them on the following morning to a 
 plantation of her own. Here, for some days, they were un- 
 discovered, though they saw the men who were searching 
 for them pass their hiding-place. 
 
 There were now about a hundred soldiers prosecuting the 
 search. It was therefore aiTanged that they should be- 
 come two bands; still, many were the "hair-breadth 'scapes" 
 of both parties. Once, as Eafaravavy with her two com- 
 panions reached the crest of a hill, a company of soldiers 
 was seen marching towards them ; and as she could not 
 run like the others, it was only by Ijmg half bmied in a 
 bog, smi'ounded by rushes, that she eluded observation. 
 
 But the hearts and hopes of the wanderers were now 
 set upon the house of another Christian friend, where they 
 knew that a loving welcome awaited them. Under the 
 shadow of night, and through a country infested with 
 robbers, they pressed on towards the much longed-for rest- 
 ing place. At length, wearied with the journey, they 
 reached their destination. As soon as their friend saAV 
 them, he burst into tears ; but they were tears of joy at 
 their unhoped-for deliverance out of the power of the armed 
 bands who were scouring that part of the country in search 
 
ITS MISSION AND ITS MAETYRS. 39 
 
 of them. Here, again, was anotlier striking manifestation 
 of Christian confidence and affection, which it is refreshing 
 to contemplate. The fugitives, though fully aware of the 
 danger to which their presence under his roof would expose 
 their friend, nevertheless went thither assured that his 
 love to them for Christ's sake was superior to danger and 
 stronger than death ; whilst he, deaf to the suggestions of 
 expediency, and to the pleadings of selfishness, was ready 
 to risk all for the privilege of affording these persecuted 
 friends all the aid and comfort which his loving heart 
 could prompt, or his liberal hand supply. 
 
 It was, however, not an easy thing to shield these 
 stranger guests from observation. At first an attempt 
 was made to dig a hiding-place for them under a part of 
 the house ; but, failing in this, their host fixed a tent in 
 the centre of a plantation of which he was the proprietor, 
 where the high grass, and a prohibition against trespassers, 
 promised well for their safety. Here, for three months, 
 they were supplied and guarded. But these were not 
 months of mere solitary musings and silent devotions. In 
 common with their friend, the Christians desired to spend 
 it for the profit of others as well as themselves ; and this 
 desire was fulfilled. Every Sabbath a band of brethren 
 met together for worship. And some who were not be- 
 lievers were nevertheless intrusted with the strangers' 
 secret, and admitted to their society. Thus nearly twenty, 
 during their sojourn, learned to read, and several members 
 of the good man's family became decided followers of the 
 Saviour. How obviously in this instance did the kind- 
 ness shown in the name of a disciple, meet with its rich 
 reward ! 
 
40 MADAGASCAR : 
 
 At length tlie soldiers, foiled in their search, returned 
 to the capital, and the Christians felt as if they could once 
 more breathe freely. Just about this time, a letter from a 
 friend informed them that Mr. Johns had come to Tama- 
 tave to aid their escape. But they were now on the 
 western side of Tananarivo, a long distance from the coast, 
 which could only be reached by passing through the capital. 
 Yet, though the danger of the journey was imminent, their 
 desire of deliverance, and their trust in Him who had 
 hitherto been their shield, decided them to make the 
 attempt. 
 
 Notwithstanding her disguise, as she was entering the 
 capital, Eafaravavy was recognised by a slave, who reported 
 the discovery to her former master. Happily, he disre- 
 garded the girl's assertion, and took no measures to ascer- 
 tain its truth. While in the capital, the house where she 
 was hiding herself was searched by a party of men, and 
 once more she experienced a marvellous escape. 
 
 All the fugitives were now in Antananarivo, and here 
 they remained while two friends hastened down to Tama- 
 tave to make arrangements with Mr. Johns for their escape. 
 On their return the party commenced their perilous journey 
 towards the coast. Tor four days and nights after their 
 departure they did not enter a house, and their fears kept 
 them in a state of almost sleepless vigilance. But God's 
 word, and passages from the " Pilgrim's Progress," 
 w^hich shadowed forth something of their own condition, 
 brought them peace in the midst of trouble. As they had 
 to pass though villages where Eafaravavy was known, and 
 to shun the observation of many soldiers who were travel- 
 ling the same road the constant and severe strain upon 
 
ITS MISSION AND ITS MAETYRS. 41 
 
 tlieir spirits and strength was most exhausting. Once 
 and again they lost their way in the ahuost pathless forest, 
 but they pressed on until they reached the river Mangoro, 
 which swarms with crocodiles, and the only way to cross 
 w^hich was in a G-overnment canoe. Happily, the boatman 
 had no suspicions, and made no inquiry. At length, through 
 difficulties and dangers which cannot here be detailed, 
 their weary eyes were gladdened by the gleam of the sea 
 breaking upon the coast. But now their food was ex- 
 liausted, and the distance to Tamatave was still great. 
 There, however, a kind and influential Christian friend 
 was expecthig them, and as soon as he heard of their ap- 
 proach, he sent a canoe to convey them to a house which 
 he had prepared for them in a situation where the danger 
 of discovery was but slight. Who can describe the grati- 
 tude and joy with which, on entering this new abode, they 
 united with their protector in reading the 16th chapter 
 of the Gospel by John, and in pouring out the fulness of 
 their hearts before God in prayer and praise ! 
 
 After a few days, disguised as sailors they embarked 
 for the Mauritius. How they were received at that island, 
 at the Cape of Good Hope, and in England, need not here 
 be told. Thankful and joyful as they were, however, in 
 view of their own great deliverance, their hearts turned 
 sorrowfully back towards Madagascar, as they thought 
 of the dear friends they had left behind them there, and 
 received the intelligence that an order had been issued by 
 the Queen, that, wherever Christians were discovered, they 
 should be tied by their hands and feet, that a pit should 
 be dug upon the spot, and that, having been thrust into it 
 head foremost, boiling water should be poured upon theii- 
 
 D 
 
42 MADAGASCAR : 
 
 bodies until they were dead. This was rendered more 
 bitter by a letter from their fugitive brethren, in which 
 they write, " We have heard of the orders of the Queen res- 
 pecting us, and in what manner we are to be put to death. 
 We still confide in the compassion of the Saviour ; but we 
 ask, ' Can you do anything to rescue us ?' We think of 
 the death awaiting us. The spirit is wiUing, but the flesh 
 is weak." 
 
 Foiled in all her efforts to apprehend the Christians, and 
 learning that Eafaravavy and others, for whom the soldiers 
 had long and wearily searched, had effected their escape, 
 the fury of the Queen flamed fortb more fiercely than before. 
 It was enough now if any were merely suspected of being 
 Christians, to bring them under the oppressor's rod. Three 
 women dwelt in the capital, who were supposed to be Chris- 
 tians. Two of these were the wives of Simeon and David, 
 then safe in a Christian land. Without positive evidence of 
 their Christianity, an official was ordered to apprehend them. 
 Happily, when he reached the house where he expected to 
 find them, one was absent, and another had fled on hearing 
 his errand ; but the rough man rudely seized the third 
 woman, and while beating her, a copy of the Bible fell from 
 her dress. This, of course, made her guilt manifest. She 
 was in consequence cruelly scourged, even to fainting, with 
 a view to extort from her the names of her companions. 
 But torture could not loose her tongue, or shake her con- 
 stancy. She was therefore condemned to perpetual slavery, 
 while her friends sought a refuge in the forest. 
 
 But all could not flee. One of these was a young woman 
 whose eminent piety, while it secured for her the warm love 
 of her Christian associates, called forth the bitter hatred of 
 
ITS MISSION AND ITS MAETYES. 43 
 
 her own family, all of whom were bigoted heathens. Her 
 father's house was closed against her ; she was scorned and 
 repudiated by her husband, while all her other relatives 
 sympathized with their anger and aversion. Having ob- 
 tained her condemnation as a Christian, she was sentenced 
 to unredeemable slavery. It might have been imagined 
 that a doom so severe would have satisfied them ; but it 
 was not so. They thirsted and plotted for her life, and 
 at last, by a subtle device, obtained a decree which com- 
 pelled her to take the tangena. The poison-cup proved fatal. 
 The WTetched relatives had now satiated their vengeance, 
 but they had added another to the honoured band of 
 Madagascar martyrs. The name of this Christian sufferer 
 was Eavahiny, and it will be remembered with love and 
 honour, when that of her deluded murderers will have 
 perished. 
 
 In the hope of rendering valuable aid to the Christian 
 sufferers, in July, 1840, Mr. Johns, who had remained 
 until this time at Mauritius, ventured to revisit the capital; 
 but on reaching it, he received the sad intelligence that 
 fourteen Christians had been captured, and were then in 
 chains, awaiting their trial. Their history was soon learned. 
 Two years before, like so many of their brethren, a party 
 of sixteen resolved, if possible, to flee from the tyranny of 
 the Queen. With this view they set out towards Tama- 
 tave, and had, after long wandering, reached a village 
 called Beforona, which was within three or four days' 
 journey of the coast, when the suspicion of some oflicers 
 who saw them there was awakened by their appearance, 
 and by the circumstance that they travelled through bye- 
 paths, and at night. They were, in consequence, taken into 
 
44 
 
 MADAGASCAR: 
 
 
ITS MISSION AND ITS MAETYRS, 45 
 
 custody. After three days' examination, during whicli 
 nothing of importance had been elicited, they resolved to 
 say who they were. Accordingly, one of them stood fortli 
 and thus spoke : " Since you ask us again and again, we 
 will tell you. We are not robbers, nor murderers, we 
 are praying people ; and if this make us guilty in the king- 
 dom of the Queen, then, whatsoever she does, that we 
 must submit to suffer." '^Is this, then," inquired the 
 officer, " your final answer, whether for life or for death ?" 
 '^ It is," they rejoined, " our final answer, whether for life 
 or for death." 
 
 The captives were then bound, and marched off towards 
 Antananarivo. Two of them, however, happily escaped 
 during the night, but the remainder were brought to the 
 capital. Though they well knew what awaited them, their 
 faith triumphed over fear. Firm and calm throughout the 
 examination to which they were separately subjected, they 
 witnessed a good confession, and avowed their readiness 
 to die for the name of the Lord Jesus. 
 
 This sad intelligence greatly distressed Mr. Johns, and 
 the more so because he knew that no appeals to the justice 
 or the mercy of the inexorable Queen would turn her from 
 her purpose. His only refuge, and that of the Christians 
 with whom he communed in secret, was the Divine throne. 
 And there they often met, and the burden of their prayers 
 was that their brethren might not faint in the day of 
 danger, or prove faithless in the prospect of death. And 
 in this God gave them the desire of their hearts. 
 
 Early one morning, after he had been in the capital 
 but a few days, Mr. Johns was startled by the firing of 
 cannon. This was an unusual sound, and he well knew 
 
46 madagascae: 
 
 that it betokened something extraordinary ; but what, he 
 could not learn. At length the heavy tidings reached 
 him, and oppressed his heart, that nine of the four- 
 teen Christians were that day to die. He knew them 
 all, and loved them much. They had been amongst the 
 first ripe fruit of missionary labour, and were deservedly 
 honoured by their brethren. Amongst them was Paul and 
 Joshua, with their wives, and the wife of David, who had 
 escaped to England. Eut besides these, there was another 
 who was greatly beloved, and w^hose name and memory 
 are still fragrant in Madagascar. This was Eamanisa, who 
 took the baptismal name of Josiah. Before the persecu- 
 tion, he had been a faithful preacher of the Gospel ; and 
 when trouble came, he was not only himself prepared to 
 endure it, but was earnest and active in strengthening 
 others. Despairing of the Christians' liberty, for which he 
 longed, he resolved to accompany the fifteen in their 
 attempt to find a refuge and a resting-place beyond their 
 native shores. And greatly did they value his presence. 
 He was to them a guide and a pastor, ministering counsel 
 and consolation where they were most needed, while they 
 were lurking in caves, and travelling by night, and wander- 
 ing in forest solitudes. In these dark days his cheering 
 words and fervent prayers made them ^^ strong in the 
 Lord," and "joyful in tribulation." This good man was 
 the author of a hymn much prized, and often sung by 
 the persecuted Christians when scattered by the storm, or 
 fleeing from their foes, or hiding in secret places far oiF 
 from the friends and the homes they loved. It is now in 
 the Malagasy hymn book, and from the sacred associations 
 which cluster around it, it will long retain its power over 
 
ITS MISSION AND ITS MAETYES. 47 
 
 the hearts of Christians in that land. The following is a 
 translation. 
 
 " Loud to the Lord your voices raise, 
 Extol His name, exalt His praise, 
 Publish the wonders of His hand 
 O'er all the earth, in every land. 
 
 Tell of the pity of the Lord, 
 
 Of grace and mercy : — ^preach the Word, 
 
 For wonderful to us appears 
 
 That love for us He ever bears. 
 
 Though guilty, we're with pardon crown' d j 
 Condemn' d and lost, we now are found ; 
 Though dead, new life to us is given, 
 And everlasting life in heaven. 
 
 Oh ! God, our God, to Thee we cry, 
 Jesus, the Saviour, be Thou nigh ; 
 Oh ! sacred Spirit, hear our prayer, 
 And save the aflQicted from despair. 
 
 Scarce can we find a place for rest. 
 Save dens and caves, with hunger press' d ; 
 Yet Thy compassion is our bliss, 
 Pilgrims amidst a wilderness." 
 
 The day of the martyrdom of these true-hearted sufferers 
 was a peculiarly sorrowful one to the solitary Missionary 
 then at Antananarivo, and to their Christian survivors. 
 Throughout the morning, his heart sunk as the heavy 
 booming of the cannon fell upon his ear, and as he 
 watched the lines of soldiers marching towards the dreaded 
 Ambohipotsy. At noon, officers commissioned by the 
 Queen made the public announcement that nine praying 
 people had been condemned, and would die that day ; but 
 
48 MADAGASCAE: 
 
 it was not until nearly four o'clock tliat they were led forth 
 from prison. They were then stripped, and each of them 
 was slung up to a pole by their hands and feet, which had 
 been firmly tied together. In this most painful position, 
 they were borne upon the shoulders of fom' men to the place 
 of execution. Calm and strong, they endured the torture 
 without murmuring, and when the fatal spot was reached, 
 they showed that death had no sting for them. Like 
 Easalama and Eafaralahy, they were sentenced to be 
 speared, and the appointed signal for the execution was 
 the firing of a cannon. All were now aivaiting the fatal 
 moment. The match was applied, but the cannon burst, 
 and the gunner was much injured, which accident the people 
 deemed a bad omen. But the Queen's command admitted 
 of no delay, and as the echoes of the bursting gun were 
 dying away amongst the distant hills, these nine faithful 
 witnesses for Christ were rising to join the noble army of 
 the martyrs, and to take their places in that world where 
 " they hear not the voice of the oppressor." 
 
 There were still very many, not less than two hundred, 
 "destitute, afflicted, tormented," who "wandered in deserts 
 and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth," and 
 whose condition called forth the strong sympathy and 
 solicitude of many British Christians. Intensely anxious 
 for the escape of their persecuted brethren, the Directors 
 of the London Missionary Society instructed their devoted 
 Missionary, Mr. Johns, who continued at the Mauritius, 
 principally with this object in view, to spare neither labour 
 nor expense for its attainment. And in that admirable 
 man they possessed an agent in whose judgment, energy, 
 and self-denial they could fully confide. But although 
 
ITS MISSION AND ITS MAETYRS. 49 
 
 lie and other friends of the oppressed employed every 
 effort they could devise, the coast was now so closely 
 watched and guarded by the Queen's emissaries, that 
 escape for a single Christian seemed all but hopeless. This 
 was the more distressing from the fact that their suffer- 
 ings and dangers were continually increasing. Many of 
 the Christians had been hunted by the Queen's officers, 
 with the instinct and ferocity of bloodhounds, until they 
 had been driven into wild and almost, inaccessible heights 
 of the mountains, where there was little shelter and less 
 food. Two of these wanderers risked their lives in order to 
 visit a Christian friend at Tamatave, in the hope that some 
 method might be devised for the rescue of their breth- 
 ren. But with heavy hearts they were compelled to carry 
 back the sad tidings that little or nothing could be done. 
 Wonderful, indeed, was the power of principle, and the 
 energy of Divine grace, which, in circumstances so 
 appalling, made these Christians strong to suffer, and 
 enabled them in the endurance of trial, and in the face of 
 death, to " quit themselves like men." 
 
 While the two hundred scattered over the country were 
 fleeing from their persecutors, many Christians still remained 
 in and around the capital : but most of these were either 
 prisoners or slaves. The year after Mr. Johns' visit, some 
 of them thus wrote to a friend at Tamatave : — 
 
 " Our salutations to you, say the little flock in Mada- 
 gascar. Through the blessing of God on us, we are 
 yet alive, and do not forget you and all our friends. This 
 is what we have to say to you, beloved Father! The 
 affliction which has occurred to us, and of which you 
 have heard, greatly increases. Executions, ordeals, and 
 
50 MADAGASCAE: 
 
 miseries increase tliroughout tlie country. * * Tlie 
 wretcliedness of the people is unutterable. * ^ Do rescue 
 us, beloved Father ! if possible. If God be not oiu' defence, 
 we are dead men. We are as a city set on a hill, that 
 cannot be hid, 
 
 " Our Grovernment service continues to be very severe. 
 When the children of Israel served under Pharaoh, perhaps 
 they obtained some little respite, at any rate, by night ; 
 but ours is incessant labour ! We must work both night 
 and day." 
 
 In another letter to the same friend, they say — " You 
 exhort us to take courage, and not to be cast down. We 
 accept your exhortation, and we all take confidence and 
 rejoice. And you further ask us if there is any thing you 
 want, adding that we should write and tell you. Now, 
 there is one point on which we are much afficted — our 
 want of Bibles. We can conceal them, though there are 
 many enemies. Those we have are quite worn out. 
 
 " And with regard to the means of our support, it may 
 be said we have, and have not. AU our property was 
 taken from us. However, this is the word of the Lord — 
 ^ Consider the ravens ; they sow not, they reap not, yet 
 God feedetli them.' And just so, dear friend, the Lord 
 has pity on us." 
 
 During the next year (1842), the cruelty of the Queen 
 and the constancy of the Christians continued. Five more 
 were at this time added to the honoured roll of Madagascar 
 martyrs. Two of these were on their way back from a place 
 where they had gone to seek a refuge for themselves and their 
 brethren, where they could also instruct the inhabitants. 
 They belonged to Yonizongo, where the prisoners were taken. 
 
ITS MISSION AND ITS MARTYRS. 51 
 
 Their names were Eatsitaliina and Eabearahaba. Like 
 many who had suifered before them, they were put to the 
 torture, to extort from them the names of their brethren, but 
 the attempt was in vain ; all they would acknowledge was 
 that they had themselves prayed, and followed the practices 
 of the praying people. Just before they suffered, a mes- 
 senger from their Christian friends found his way to them, 
 to whom they whispered — " Let them not fear that we shall 
 disclose their names. We shall do them no harm ; but say 
 farewell ! If we do not meet again here on earth, we shall 
 meet in the future life . ' ' They were execut ed in t he market- 
 place of Vonizongo, and their heads were then stuck upon 
 poles, to warn others not to follow their example. 
 
 In a very affecting letter, written about this time, one 
 of the Christians says — " Our trials are greater than ever, 
 and the number of the persecuted is increasing daily. The 
 officers of the Queen are searching for them everywhere, 
 to put them to death. We do not know what to do, as 
 the road in all directions is almost impassable, and our 
 hiding-places are nearly all known to our enemies." 
 
 "The present trials of the Christians," writes another, 
 '*are very heavy io flesh and blood, but they are even light 
 to be borne by the mind and soul that lean upon the Lord. 
 * * I told you, in a former letter, that the Queen ordered 
 the tangena to be given to me, but, by the blessing of God, 
 I got over it. Join me, O my beloved friend ! in praising 
 the Lord, who hath blessed and preserved me alive. Five 
 of our friends are hiding themselves with me, and I shall 
 take particular care of them ; but others go from place to 
 place to seek for something to support nature." 
 
 In October of this year, three more laid down their lives 
 
52 MADAGASCAE: 
 
 rather than deny the Saviour. Some unknown person had 
 affixed a paper to a wall in Antananarivo, with something 
 WTitten upon it which displeased the Queen. The writer 
 was commanded to give himself up in four days. Eaharo, 
 who had been one of the twelve principal teachers in the 
 reign of Eadama, was, with other Christians, apprehended 
 upon suspicion. They were forced to drink the tangena, 
 which proved fatal to Eaharo. But as another Christian, 
 called Eatsimilay, was detected in an attempt to save his 
 friend from the effects of the poison cup, he was condemned 
 to die; whilst a third, Imamonjy, was sentenced with him 
 to be cut into small pieces, and then burnt. 
 
 Thus far we have sketched the history of eight years of 
 the persecution in Madagascar. Within this short perigd, 
 hundreds of Christians had been condemned to chains or 
 slavery, while others were hiding in the forests and the 
 mountains, and at least seventeen had suffered death. 
 And for what had they endured such things ? For their 
 religion. This was their only crime — their enemies them- 
 selves being judges. And had they denied the faith, their 
 pioperty, liberty, and lives would have been safe. A word 
 would have sufficed for this purpose. But no ! They took 
 joyfully the spoiling of their goods ; they cheerfully endured 
 bonds and imprisonment, and counted not even their lives 
 dear unto themselves, so that they might win Christ, and 
 be found in Him. Such noble virtues, under almost any 
 circumstances, would constrain the thoughtful observer 
 to exclaim — *'This is the finger of God!" But this 
 acknowledgment will be made with double emphasis when 
 we consider the history of these heroic sufferers. Had 
 they been nurtured in the midst of Christian associations, 
 
ITS MISSION AND ITS MAETYES. 53 
 
 with tlie superior advantages of mental and spiritual training, 
 and trained in the ways of God from their youth, the mani- 
 festation of piety like theirs — in circumstances the most 
 trying, and in such forms as have invested with the brightest 
 lustre the most honoured names recorded in the martyrology 
 of the Church — would have compelled us to "glorify God 
 in them." But that such nobleness of character, that such 
 triumphs of principle, that such superiority to every sordid 
 and selfish motive, that such faith in God and fidelity to 
 conscience, that such unyielding constancy and unfaltering 
 fearlessness should have been matured and developed in 
 those who from their early days had been surrounded by the 
 dark and debasing influences of paganism, is a phenomenon 
 to baflle philosophers and moralists, and one which only 
 admits of a Christian solution. 
 
 And if any thing more were necessary to prove that God 
 was certainly with them, we might find it in the remark- 
 able fact that, even now, when in the view of sense there 
 w^as so much to deter others from treading the same path 
 of sorrow and danger, these sufferers could write, " The 
 number of learners is greatly increasing," and that several 
 of the people had lately joined them. 
 
 Although the Queen's command, enforced by fearful 
 threats, that all books should be delivered up had been 
 urgent, many of the Christians, both in the capital and in 
 the country, had disobeyed it, and had hid — often buried — 
 their Bibles in the earth. But the copies thus preserved 
 were few, and many of them had been so diligently read by 
 their possessors, or so often lent to less fortunate friends, 
 that they were almost worn out. What, therefore, they 
 desired above every earthly good, was a supply of this 
 
54 MADAGASCAR : 
 
 sacred treasure. '' Exceedingly afflicted are we," they 
 write, " on account of the fewness of the Bibles here with 
 us, and we exceedingly desire to have more. We are 
 thirsting for them, for the Bible is our companion and 
 friend, to instruct, and search in, thoroughly, when in 
 secrecy and silence, and to comfort us in our grief and 
 tribulation. Send us many, for even then they will not be 
 enough, and let them be small in print, so as to be easily hid- 
 den." In the same letter they add — '' As to the condition 
 of the country, it is still dark, and there is still persecution 
 by the Queen. Nevertheless, the people are going forward. 
 Blessed be God ! who thus prospers them." They further 
 state, that every Saturday the men travel a long way to 
 some hill or valley, '' so as to get beyond the reach of the 
 people, that none may see, that they may spend the 
 Sabbath together in worshipping God. But the women 
 were not strong enough to walk so far; and this," says 
 the writers of the letter "makes us feel very much on 
 account of the sorrow of those who cannot go." 
 
 Thus the Christians of Madagascar, though "faint," 
 were "yet pursuing" the pathway of faith and holiness. But 
 still they were often "cast down," though "not destroyed." 
 This was especially the case with those in the capital. 
 From the year 1840, that dreadful time when so many 
 had perished, they had been so closely watched, that it 
 became increasingly difficult to escape discovery. Since 
 that day, five weary years had rolled along, and still no 
 change had come. God was indeed with them, and His 
 Word was their light in this great darkness. But they 
 were prone to cry, " Why standest thou afar off, God! 
 Why hidest thou thyself in time of trouble ?" And they 
 
ITS MISSION AND ITS MAETYRS. 55 
 
 needed the exhortation, ''Consider Him, who endured 
 such contradiction of sinners against Himself, lest ye be 
 weary and faint in your minds." 
 
 Eut a great revival was now at hand. Suddenly, a 
 bright light broke through the black cloud which had so 
 long hung over the faithful sufferers. At that time there 
 was a youth residing at the capital, named Eainaka. He 
 had become a Christian, and, subsequent to the commence- 
 ment of the persecution, a preacher of the Gospel; and 
 very bold and very earnest was he in the service of the 
 Saviour. Eegardless of royal decrees and legal penalties, 
 he laboured with heart and soul to draw others to the 
 cross. Encouraged by his bright and bold example, the 
 Christians assembled in a large house for worship three 
 times a week. It was a daring venture, but God honoured 
 it. Many strangers were drawn to listen to the young 
 Apostle, and not a few of them believed the Gospel. 
 Thus, in a short time about a hundred were added to the 
 proscribed Christians. But this was not all. Amongst 
 these new adherents, there was one of the very last men in 
 Madagascar whom they expected to find there. This was 
 Eakoto-radama, (which means so7i of Eadama), the Queen's 
 only child, then about seventeen years of age. 
 
 In what way the preaching of the zealous Eainaka in- 
 fluenced the young Prince, we do not know ; but the good 
 fruits in his character and conduct soon showed themselves, 
 and have continued to this day. Five months after he 
 had joined the Christians, twenty-one of them were seized 
 by the Queen's order ; and as she was incensed at their bold- 
 ness and augmented numbers, there is every reason to believe 
 that she had resolved to destroy them all. But now, for the 
 
56 MADAGASCAR: 
 
 first time, young Eakoto placed liimself between liis heathen 
 mother and his Christian brethren. He went to her and 
 begged for their lives. As she loved her son, his earnest 
 entreaties somewhat softened her hard heart, and saved the 
 Christians from death ; but nine were compelled to di^ink 
 the tangena, one of whom died, and the rest were sold as 
 slaves, or held in chains. At length, however, by the exer- 
 tions of the Prince, they all regained their liberty, but not 
 until those who were in prison had been made the instru- 
 ments of the conversion of their gaolers. How greatly the 
 Christians were encouraged by these wonderful proofs of 
 God's presence and favour, will appear from a letter written 
 by some of them in February 1846, to the Missionaries 
 at Mauritius. 
 
 " We went up to Antananarivo, and there met (in a re- 
 ligious assembly) with the Queen's son, and the persecuted 
 Christians, nothing disheartened by the temptations of Satan, 
 though they may suffer in bonds : and those Christians 
 who are not persecuted, we found increasing exceedingly; 
 yea, becoming indeed many. And Eakoto, the Queen's 
 son, makes very great progress in the love of the Lord, by 
 God's blessing, and is able to assemble some Christians 
 with himself eveiy night to thank and praise God. Oh ! 
 blessed be God, who has caused His mercy to descend 
 upon Eakoto and all the people I" 
 
 Trom the time when first convinced that the Scriptures 
 were of God, the Prince has continued the fast friend 
 of the Christians, and how valuable that friendship has 
 proved during the dark and stormy years that followed, 
 we shall see. He was cautious, indeed, but he practised 
 no concealment, even from his mother. She and others 
 
ITS MISSION AND ITS MARTYRS. 57 
 
 knew perfectly what lie was and what he did. He could 
 not indeed openly defy the law ; but, wrote the Christians, 
 " He comes regularly with ns in the woods on Sundays to 
 pray and sing, and read the Bible ; and he often takes some 
 of us home with him to explain to him the Word of Truth, 
 and he keeps his mother from doing us any harm." But 
 he was accomplishing even more than this just then. The 
 printing-press had been long stopped, and was now out 
 of repair. But the Prince used means to get it again 
 into working order, that it might print the Bible, and 
 religious books. This was a very bold proceeding upon 
 his part, and strikingly shows how firm and fearless he was, 
 even though so young. By the great favour of God, the 
 good promise then given has since, and is now, largely 
 fulfilled. 
 
 The agency through which the Prince was first brought 
 into association with the Christians, and subsequently to 
 their secret meetings, appears to have been a Christian 
 young man, whose uncle frequented the palace on business, 
 and who was occasionally admitted with him. Influenced, 
 as all the Christians obviously were, by a fervent desire to 
 diffuse the Gospel, this young man contrived to bring the 
 subject nnder the notice of Eakoto. Thus the interest in 
 Christianity which, happily for that great country, has 
 suffered no decline, was originally awakened in the Prince's 
 mind. Subsequently, the same young disciple drew 
 him to the assemblies of the Christians, where, as al- 
 ready stated, he heard the Gospel. from the fervid lips of 
 Eainaka. 
 
 " Prom this time," writes one of them, " he was 
 very diligent in conversing with us on the subject of 
 
 E 
 
58 MADAGASCAR: 
 
 Christianity ; and at length he invited some of as into his 
 house in the palace-yard, to converse with him in secret, 
 and we were thus frequently invited to his house to con- 
 verse with him." 
 
 It may be well supposed that such a change in Eakoto filled 
 the enemies of Christianity with burning anger, and that 
 many would have rejoiced had he been numbered with the 
 martyrs. Amongst those who felt thus was the chief minis- 
 ter of the Queen, Long had he been the unrelenting foe 
 of the Christians, and well knowing how much they were 
 protected and encouraged by the Prince, he thirsted for the 
 young man's life, and only waited for a favourable moment 
 to assail it. So one day when he was with the Queen, 
 and had, as he imagined, a suitable opportunity for indulg- 
 ing his wicked desire, he said to her, " Your son, Madam, 
 is a Christian ; he prays with the Christians, and encourages 
 them in this new doctrine. We are lost if your Majesty 
 does not stop the Prince in this strange way." "But," re- 
 plied the Queen, "he is my son, my only, my beloved son ! 
 Let him do what he pleases ; if he wishes to become a 
 Christian, let him : he is my beloved son !" Thus, happily 
 the love of the mother proved stronger than the hatred of the 
 persecutor. 
 
 But natural affection was strong even in Eainiharo him- 
 self. This appeared soon afterwards. He had a favourite 
 nephew who had become a Christian, and had attended the 
 secret meetings of the proscribed and hated sect. With- 
 out the slightest suspicion of the truth, one day Eainiharo 
 sent this nephew as a spy to one of their well-known resorts, 
 with a strict injunction to take the names of all who were 
 there. To this the nephew made no objection; but in- 
 
ITS MISSION AND ITS MARTYRS. 59 
 
 stantly hastened to the place where prayer was wont to 
 be made, told the brethren why he had come and who had 
 sent him, and then asked them to separate, lest they should 
 be se n by their foes. On his return home, Eainiharo in- 
 quired for the list. " There is none," replied the youth. 
 " Young man I" he sternly exclaimed, " you have disobeyed 
 my oiders. Why have you done this? Your head must 
 fall, for you show that you also are a Christian." With 
 simplicity and godly sincerity the nephew said, " Yes, my 
 uncle, I am a Christian ; and, if you please, you may put 
 me to death, for I pray." The persecutor was confounded 
 at the answer. For a moment he was silent, and gazed 
 with wonder at the youth, who, firm and calm, stood pre- 
 pared to meet the consequences of his bold confession; 
 but the only reply the persecutor could make was, " Oh 
 no ; you shall not die." 
 
 Eut the son of the sovereign, and her chief councillor, 
 were not the only persons of high rank who at that period 
 avowed their attachment to the new religion. E^akoto had 
 a cousin named Eamonja. He was a son of the Queen's 
 sister, and a great favourite of the Queen herself; and it is 
 not improbable that her partiality to him arose, in part at 
 least, from the devotion with which he supported the 
 superstitious customs of the country, and the bitter hos- 
 tility which, in common with his aunt, he cherished against 
 the Christians ; for at this time he was one of their most 
 determined persecutors. 
 
 But as there was a close intimacy between him and 
 the Prince, it was not long ere their conversation turned 
 upon the subject so interesting to both of them, though in 
 so different a way. The result was, that through the efforts 
 
60 MADAGASCAR : 
 
 of Eakoto, his cousin abandoned the idols and embraced 
 the Gospel, and from that time became the friend and 
 protector of the Christians, and one of the most devout 
 and consistent of their number. 
 
 But these conversions were not the only circumstances 
 which at this time cheered the hearts of the Christians. 
 At no previous period had the desire to learn to read been 
 more manifest. But as the teachers subjected themselves to 
 heavy pains and penalties, they very prudently refused to 
 instruct any but those whose character and conduct war- 
 ranted the belief that they were influenced by love to the 
 "Word of God. let, notwithstanding this restriction, they 
 tell us that not less than a hundred and fifty of their num- 
 ber were engaged in this work, all of whom were con- 
 stantly surrounded by pupils, to the number of from six 
 to upwards of twenty. 
 
 But there were, at the same time, more decisive proofs 
 of the Divine favour even than this. Early in the year 
 1847, one of the Christians thus describes their spiiitual 
 condition. "How wonderful is the power of God as we 
 see it now in the spirit of anxious inquiiy produced in the 
 minds of the people ! They come to seek the Lord in the 
 prison with the prisoners, in the hiding-places of the per- 
 secuted, in the mountains and in the dingles. Whenever 
 and wherever they can meet with any calling upon the 
 name of the Lord, thither they resort. Sweet are the 
 cords of imprisonment to the prisoners — they are not 
 ashamed of them any longer." 
 
 Another writer relates an incident which was not with- 
 out its influence upon many of the weak and wavering. 
 A heathen man, hoping to bring back the Prince to hea- 
 
ITS MISSION AND ITS MARTYRS. 61 
 
 thenism, went to him with tlie grave assurance, that if an 
 attempt were made to set fire to the house of the idol Ea- 
 mahavaly it could not be burned. The Prince resolved 
 that the experiment should be tried, and first, he ordered the 
 keeper of the idol to make the attempt. As, however, he 
 merely threw a piece of Hghted cow-dung upon the roof, 
 which immediately rolled off, it failed. Two Christians 
 then volunteered for the service, and the work was soon 
 done, the Prince all the while watching the blazing temple 
 from the balcony of his house, and manifesting his delight 
 at its destruction. 
 
 Thus, by various indications of His presence and grace, 
 God was preparing His servants for persecution more 
 terrible than any which they had hitherto endured. And 
 amongst the exciting causes to which that persecution 
 must be traced, are those which had brought the greatest 
 gladness to their hearts — the signs of progress and pros- 
 perity. These, so cheering to themselves, were hateful to 
 their foes. The increasing numbers and boldness of the 
 Christians ; the openness with which they assembled, and 
 read, and prayed in defiance of law ; and still more, the fact 
 that her son, her nephew, and others of high rank had em- 
 braced their opinions, filled the Queen and her abettors with 
 rage almost amounting to madness. It is at this period that 
 Eambosalama, the brother of Eamonga, first comes promi- 
 nently into view. Adopted by the Queen as her successor to 
 the throne, prior to the birth of her son, this young man 
 had always regarded Eakoto as his enemy and supplanter. 
 He had long been opposed to the new religion ; but the 
 Prince's adhesion to it increased his hostility, and made 
 him, there is reason to believe, a chief instigator of the per- 
 
62 MADAGASCAE j 
 
 secution of 1849, as well as an active agent in the dis- 
 covery and impeachment of Christians. He sent spies in 
 all directions, and employed other means which proved but 
 too effectual in bringing suffering upon the objects of his 
 aversion. 
 
 The earliest indication of the coming tempest appeared 
 on the 19th of February, 1849, in an order from the 
 Queen to destroy two houses which had been used for 
 Christian worship. Prince Eamonja interposed with a 
 claim upon one of them, but it was disallowed, and the 
 buildings were razed to the ground. During the next two 
 days, nine Christians were consigned to prison. One of 
 these had been an officer of the army, and after the loss of 
 his sight, had become a faithful preacher of the Gospel. 
 
 In the course of the following week the people were twice 
 called together to a kabary; and when they were assembled, 
 an officer thus addressed them : " ' I ask you,' saith the 
 Queen, ' what is the reason you will not forsake the very 
 root of this new religion and mode of worship ? For I 
 have deprived officers of their honour, put some to death, 
 reduced others to unredeemable slavery, and you still per- 
 severe in practising this new religion. What is the reason 
 why you will not renounce it ?' " Bold must those have 
 been who could answer these words of the Queen. But 
 such there were amongst the Christians, two of whom thus 
 replied in the name of their companions : '' We are re- 
 strained by reverence for God and His law !" It was a 
 noble reply, and was influenced by the same spirit which 
 constrained the apostolic appeal, *' Whether it be right in 
 the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, 
 judge ye." 
 
ITS MISSION AKD ITS MAETYES. 63 
 
 Eiit all the recorded confessions made by tlie Christians 
 at this time breathe the same spirit. " When," said one, 
 " the Queen inquires why we have not abandoned this 
 worship, we reply that there is a law in this worship, 
 which makes us afraid of Grod if we steal, or if we commit 
 murder, or if we deceive our fellows, or if we do any evil. 
 Therefore toe have not forsalcen it.^^ " We make supplica- 
 tion,'' said another, " to God for the Queen, for her sub- 
 jects, for our wives and children, and for all the good we 
 need, and as we can do this, we have not forsaken the 
 religion." 
 
 Nine Christians who had refused to take the prescribed 
 oath were wrapped in mats and loaded with chains ; to 
 this number an officer of the army and a soldier were 
 added shortly afterwards. On being again urged to sub- 
 mit to the Queen, they unitedly refused, and added, " It 
 is God that we worship, for He, and He only, can do all 
 things for us, and we will pray to none but Him." 
 
 Immediately after this, five others were accused, two of 
 them attendants upon Prince Eamonja. One man, named 
 Eamany, stood up before the multitude, and with a courage 
 and calmness like that of the martyr Stephen, said, " I 
 believe in God, for He alone can do all things for me ; but 
 as for swearing by the Queen, or by one's mother or sister, 
 or father or brother, a lie is a lie still, whether you swear 
 to it or not. I believe in God, and put my trust in Jesus 
 Christ, the Saviour and Eedeeraer of all that believe in 
 Him." He and his companions were then put in chains, 
 and cast into prison. 
 
 The following account of the examination of some of 
 these witnesses for Christ was given to Mr. Elhs. 
 
64 MADAGASCAR : 
 
 " Do you pray to the sun, or the moon, or the earth ?" 
 asked the officer. 
 
 " I do not pray to these," was the answer, " for the 
 hand of God made them." 
 
 Officer*. " Do you pray to the twelve sacred mountains ?" 
 
 Christian. "I do not pray to them, for they are 
 mountains." 
 
 0. "Do you pray to the idols that render sacred the 
 Kings ?" 
 
 (7. " T do not pray to them, for the hand of man made 
 them." 
 
 O. " Do you pray to the ancestors of the sovereigns ?" 
 
 G. " Kings and rulers are given by Grod, that we should 
 serve and obey them, and render them homage. Never- 
 theless, they are only men like ourselves. When we pray, 
 we pray to God alone." 
 
 O. " You make distinct, and observe the Sabbath day ?" 
 
 C. " That is the day of the great God; for in six days, 
 the Lord made all His works. But God rested on the 
 seventh, and He caused it to be holy ; and I rest, to keep 
 sacred that day." 
 
 There are some things in these confessions which deserve 
 special notice. Had there been at that most exciting 
 time, and amongst a people so recently brought out of 
 heathen darkness into light so marvellous as that of the 
 Gospel, some indications of ill-regulated zeal, an undue 
 desire for a martyr's crown, or a low estimate of life and of 
 death, we might not have been surprised. But never have 
 sufferers evinced less of irrational enthusiasm. Though 
 they employed eveiy justifiable precaution to evade the 
 penalties, they resorted to no unworthy arts of concealment 
 
ITS MISSION AND ITS MAETYRS. 65 
 
 or compromise. And in all their answers to the royal 
 requirements, we clearly discover that the will of Christ 
 was their only law. Each could truly say, '' But so did 
 not I because of the fear of God." Hence the simplicity 
 and strength with which they gave the reasons of their 
 refusal. Nor should those reasons themselves be un- 
 noticed. Independently of other sources of information, 
 they make it evident that the only crime alleged against 
 them was their Christianity. Theii' worst foes could " find 
 no occasion against them except concerning the law of 
 their God." Upon this point the testimony of their op- 
 pressors is the most explicit. In all the Queen's edicts 
 their evil practices are minutely described. The following 
 is a specimen of many similar documents. 
 
 " These are the things which shall not be done, saith 
 the Queen. The saying to others, Eelieve and obey the 
 Gospel ; the practice of baptism ; the keeping of the Sab- 
 bath as a day of rest ; the refusing to swear by one's 
 father, or mother, or sister, or brother ; and the refusing 
 to be sworn, with a stubbornness like that of bullocks, or 
 stones, or wood ; the taking of a little bread and the juice 
 of the grape, and asking a blessing to rest on the crown of 
 your heads; and kneeling down upon the ground and 
 praying, and rising from prayer with drops of water falKng 
 from your noses, and with tears rolling down from your 
 eyes." 
 
 When we consider, in the light thus thrown upon it, the 
 character of these Christian confessors, we can under- 
 stand why it was when bonds, imprisonment, tortures, and 
 death awaited them, that they denied nothing, concealed 
 nothing, and feared nothing. Nor is it wonderful that 
 
MADAGASCAK : ITS MISSION AKD ITS MAETYRS. 67 
 
 others who saw their boldness took knowledge of them 
 that they had been with Jesus. The husband of one of 
 those who were bound at this time was so impressed with 
 what he heard, that he came up to the prisoners and said — 
 " Be not afraid, for it is well if for that you die." Upon 
 this, he too was apprehended, and, having confessed his 
 faith in Christ, was bound, and led away with the others. 
 
 Nineteen Christians now lay under sentence of death, 
 and their brethren knew that their execution was fixed for 
 the morrow. What could they do ? Let us observe their 
 proceedings. 
 
 The midnight hour has closed a day of terror, and yet 
 of triumph to the Christians — one of the darkest, but one 
 of the brightest in the history of Madagascar. Though 
 the city is still, here and there might have been seen 
 individuals and groups quietly leave their dwellings and 
 steal noiselessly along the streets. Whither are they 
 going ? The word has passed from one to another that 
 they are to meet to offer prayer for their suffering brethren. 
 "And at one at night," writes one of those who were 
 present, and who took part in the service, " we met to- 
 gether, and prayed." What meaning is there in these 
 simple words, and what power was there in the exercise 
 they describe ! Had we listened, as these men of prayer 
 cried, like their Saviour, with strong cryings and tears, to 
 Him who was able to succour and to save, how assured 
 should we have felt that such supplications would bring 
 down Divine help to their suffering friends ! 
 
 To see the proof of this, we have only to visit other 
 spots, and gaze upon other scenes which were made memor- 
 able upon that day. The voice of prayer, as it rose from 
 
68 MADAGASCAR: 
 
 the assembled believers, had scarcely died away, and the 
 light of morning had not yet appeared, when the city was 
 all astir. Swiftly and widely had the intelligence spread 
 on the previous evening, that the decree of the Queen had 
 gone forth, and that on the following day nineteen Chris- 
 tians would suffer; and great was the multitude which 
 now hastened to the spots where these noble martyrs would 
 demonstrate the sincerity of their faith in Jesus, and the 
 strength of their love to His cause, by follomng Him in the 
 same pathway of sorrow which He trod, and laying down 
 their lives for His sake. 
 
 There were two spots to be rendered almost sacred by 
 the sufferings and the spirit of those who were there 
 cruelly sacrificed upon that day. One is called Akapima- 
 EiNANA. The meaning of the name is, '' the place of 
 hurling down." It is in the midst of the city, and the 
 place of execution is a precipice of granite rock, 150 feet 
 high, over which condemned persons were flung. Hither, 
 on this dreadful morning, flowed the stream of people : 
 some prompted by the desire of excitement, others by their 
 hatred to the Christians, but many, no doubt, by deep 
 sympathy; and here, crowding the dreadful spot almost 
 to the edge of the giddy precipice, stood the gathered 
 throng. But let us turn from them to the prison. Meek, 
 like their Divine Master, though seized with rude violence 
 and flung upon the ground, no complaint escapes the 
 sufferers' lips. But other sounds are heard. As they sit 
 upon the prison floor, with heart and voice they unite in 
 singing a favourite hymn, which thus begins — 
 
 " When I shall die, and leave my friends, 
 When they shall weep for me, 
 
ITS MISSION AND ITS MAETYRS. 69 
 
 Wlien departed has my life, 
 Then I shall happy be !" 
 
 And when that hymn was ended, they began another, the 
 first line of which is — 
 
 " When I shall, rejoicing, behold Him in the heavens." 
 
 Eut these sounds of sacred melody were now drowned by 
 the hoarse, harsh voice of the Queen's messenger, who, in 
 the name of Eanavalona, is pronouncing upon each the sen- 
 tence they were that day to suffer. Pour of them were 
 nobles, two of whom were husband and wife. As it was 
 unlawful to shed the blood of persons of their rank, they 
 were to be burned alive, and the remaining fifteen* to be 
 thrown from *' the place of hurling down." As the officer 
 was leaving the prison, the nobles sent to request the Queen 
 that they might be strangled before their bodies were burned; 
 but even such mercy was denied. The fifteen having been 
 wrapped in mats, and mats having been thrust into their 
 mouths to prevent their speaking to each other, or to the 
 people, were then hung by their hands and feet to poles, 
 and were thus carried to the place of execution. But the 
 attempt wholly to silence them failed, for they prayed, and 
 addressed the crowed as they were borne along. ''And 
 some," we are told, " who beheld them, said that their 
 faces were like the faces of angels." 
 
 Thus they reached Akapimarinana. A rope was then 
 
 * Mr. Ellis speaks of eighteen, but the author has followed 
 the authority of native letters written at the time, from 
 which it appears that fourteen suffered, and one, a young 
 female, was saved. 
 
70 MADAGASCAK: 
 
 firmly tied round tlie body of each, and one by one, 
 fourteen of them were lowered a little way over the 
 precipice. While in this position, and when it was hoped 
 by their persecutors that their courage would fail, the 
 executioner, holding a knife in his hand, stood waiting for 
 the command of the officer to cut the rope. The question 
 was then put for the last time, "Will you cease to pray?" 
 But only one answer was returned. It was an emphatic 
 '' No 1" The signal was then made, the rope was cut, and 
 in another moment the mangled and bleeding body lay 
 upon the rocks below. One of these brave sufferers for 
 Christ, whose name was Eamonambonina, as he was led 
 to the edge of the precipice, begged his executioners to 
 give him a short time to pray, " for on that account," he 
 said, " I am to be killed." His request being granted, he 
 kneeled down and prayed aloud very earnestly. Then rising 
 up, he first addressed the people in tones and words of 
 solemn eloquence which amazed all, and awed many ; and 
 then, turning to his executioners, he said, "My ^o<^y you will 
 cast down this precipice ; but my soul you cannot, as it 
 will go up to heaven to God. Therefore it is gratifying 
 to me to die in the service of my Maker." 
 
 What the people thought and said, as they left that spot 
 and returned to their homes, we are not told, but who can 
 doubt that from that hour not a few saw for the first time, 
 the truth, and felt the power of the religion of Jesus ? 
 
 Mr. Ellis and the Bishop of Mauritius visited this spot, 
 and the latter thus refers to it : — 
 
 " It was a very harrowing spectacle to witness the actual 
 rock from wliich our brethren and sisters have been thrown 
 with so much cruelty to meet so fearful a death ; but the . 
 
ITS MISSION AND ITS MARTYRS. 
 
 71 
 
72 MADAGASCAR : 
 
 evidence was clear that they died with unfailing faith and 
 triumphant hope. The brother of one of the sufferers was 
 with us — a manly and devoted Christian lie seemed to be. 
 I saw him every day, I believe, while I was in Antanana- 
 rivo, and sometimes twice a day and oftener. He brought 
 his children to see me, and from all that I saw of him, I 
 was led to form the highest opinion of his straightforward, 
 earnest, Christian character ; but, when he afterwards 
 came to the spot to which the bodies had been taken to be 
 burnt, he wept like a child at the recollection of his 
 brother's sufferings. One severe part of the fiery trial 
 through which these Christians passed on to their rest 
 with God, was their being placed where they could seethe 
 fall of their brethren, and then being asked whether they 
 would not recant. All such attempts to move them proved 
 ineffectual. They seemed so filled with the love of their 
 Saviour, and with joyful hope of heaven, that they utterly 
 despised all offers of life on such conditions. One very 
 striking instance I heard of from an old officer of the 
 palace, as well as from our companions on that day. 
 A young woman who was very beautiful and accomplished, 
 and who was very much liked by the Queen, was placed 
 where she could see lier companions fall, and was asked, at 
 the instance of the Queen — who wished to save her life, but 
 could not exempt ber from the common sentence against 
 the Christians — whether she would not worship the gods, 
 and save her life. She refused, manifesting so much 
 determination to go with her brethren and sisters to 
 heaven, that the officer standing by struck her on the 
 head, and said, ' You are a fool ! you are mad !' And 
 they sent to the Queen and told her that she had lost her 
 
ITS MISSION AND ITS MARTYRS. 73 
 
 reason, and should be sent to some place of safe keeping. 
 She was sent away, strongly guarded, into the country, 
 some thirty miles, and afterwards was married to a Christian 
 man, and died only two years ago, leaving two or three 
 children behind her." 
 
 But there is another place where martyrs of Jesus are to 
 suffer on this fatal day. Its name is Faravohitra, which 
 means '' the last village." Let our readers mark it well. 
 The King of Madagascar has given it, and three other 
 spots consecrated by the blood of the martyrs, as the sites 
 of Memorial Churches in memory of the martyrs. And 
 here it is proposed that the Church shall be built by the 
 Young People of Great Britain and Ireland, and that it 
 shall proclaim to the present and to future generations 
 of Madagascar, their reverence for those who suffered 
 there. 
 
 Faravohitra stands high on the crest of a hill on the 
 northern part of Antananarivo, and what took place there 
 on this memorable day could be seen from a large part of the 
 city. As it was well known that four of the Christian nobles 
 were there to be burned alive, a crowd was soon collected, 
 and the preparations for the horrid execution were eagerly 
 watched. The stakes were firmly fixed in the earth, fuel 
 was laid around them, and the grim executioners stood 
 ready for their dreadful work. Instead of being carried 
 on poles, like their humbler brethren, it would appear that 
 these titled sufferers were allowed to walk to the place of 
 execution. And how great, how triumphant their faith ! 
 There was no wavering, no shrinking back from the fiery 
 ordeal. Even the Christian lady, who had peculiar reasons 
 for dreading the flames, was raised above all weakness and 
 
 F 
 
74 MADAGASCAU: ITS MISSION AND ITS MAETYRS. 
 
 fear. And as they went along, they sang together a hymn, 
 which begins with 
 
 " When our hearts are troubled," 
 
 and each verse of which ends with 
 
 " Then remember us." 
 
 They reached the place, calmly gazed upon the preparations 
 for their death, and were fastened to the stakes. Just 
 then a bright rainbow arched the heavens, one end of which 
 appeared to rest almost upon the spot where they were to 
 suffer. The pile was kindled, and then, from amidst the 
 crackling and roaring of the fire, was heard, not the sounds 
 of pain, but of praise. That scene, and the hymn which 
 these martyrs sung as they rose in their fiery chariot to 
 heaven, will never be forgotten in Madagascar. But 
 prayer followed praise. " O Lord," they were heard to 
 cry, " receive our spirits ; for Thy love to us has caused 
 this to come to us ; and lay not this sin to their charge." 
 
 " Thus," writes a witness of that wonderful and memo- 
 rable scene, " they prayed, as long as they had any life. 
 Then they died; but softly— gently. Indeed, gently was 
 the going forth of their life, and astonished were all the 
 people around, that beheld the burning of them there." 
 
 But while this tragic scene is being acted there is 
 another in progress. As the cruel orders of the Queen,, 
 in hurling the fourteen martyrs from the precipice of 
 Arapimarina, had now been obeyed, we might have sup- 
 posed that even her malignity would have been fully satis- 
 fied. But no ! not yet. Hastening to the spot where lie 
 their mangled bodies, in some of which possibly life's ex- 
 
76 MADAGASCAR: 
 
 piring flame still trembled, officers seize the ropes which 
 hung around them, and then, followed by the rabble, with 
 yells and execrations, they drag them through the streets 
 of the city to the spot where the four nobles had suffered. 
 Teedingthe fires afresh which had consumed those honoured 
 servants of Christ, body after body was flung upon the 
 pile, until the horrid work had been finished. 
 
 And now pause and think awhile. Here are Heathenism 
 and Christianity face to face. " Look on this picture and 
 on that 1" See human nature without the Grospel : see it 
 with ! Contrast the passions of the Queen and her agents 
 — their bitter malice and fiendish ferocity — with the sweet 
 smiles and sacred songs of the burning nobles, and ask. 
 Who ? what, has made them to differ ? Their own ex- 
 planation is the only one. It is '^ by the grace of God." 
 Nothing less is sufficient; nothing more is necessary. 
 Lately, Mr. Ellis surveyed the place where these things 
 were done, and speaking of rAEAVOHiTRA, he thus 
 writes : — 
 
 " When I visited the place in company with the Bishop 
 of Mauritius, we stood and gazed on the prisons in the 
 distance, in which the sufferers had been confined, on the 
 place where their sentences were read over to them, and 
 where, as they sat together on the ground, bound with 
 chains, and encircled l)y soldiers, they sang their hymn of 
 praise to Christ. We passed up the road along which, 
 surrounded by an excited crowd, they raised their voices 
 in prayer that God would remember them. We stood by 
 the side of the spot — the place itself Ave felt to be holy 
 ground — on w^hich, when fastened to the stake, they 
 sano; — 
 
ITS MISSION AND ITS MARTYRS. 77 
 
 ' There is a blessed land, 
 Making most happy ; 
 Never (thence) shall rest depart, 
 Nor cause of sorrow come.' 
 
 " Our companions, most of whom had been spectators 
 on that eventful day, and one the brother of a martyr, 
 pomted out where the sokliers and the heathen stood 
 around and cried, ' Wliere is Jehovah now ? Why does 
 He not come and take you away ?' To which, from the 
 midst of the flames, the martyrs answered, ' Jehovah is 
 here ; He is taking us to a better place.' Our companions 
 also showed us the part of the road, a little distant, on 
 which the relatives and associates of the Christians stood, 
 waving their last adieus to their rejoicing friends, who 
 smiled, and lifted up, as far as they could, their scorched 
 hands, or burning fragments of dress to return the saluta- 
 tion. In perfect accordance with this account is the spirit 
 and feeling manifested by survivors when recounting their 
 sufl:erings. I have sometimes sat as if enchained to the 
 lips of the venerable widow or sister of a martyr, as she 
 has recounted with simple pathos the suflering she has 
 endured ; and have been overcome with wonder and admi-" 
 ration at the marvellous power of ' the love of Christ shed 
 abroad in their hearts by the Holy Ghost given unto 
 them.' The Christians especially rejoice in the proposal 
 to raise, as a perpetual memorial of these events, a church 
 consecrated to the worship of the martyr's God and 
 Saviour." 
 
 In another letter, Mr. Ellis adds, " The deep emotion 
 wdth which tlie Pastors and others spoke on this topic was 
 most aftecting. Some, they said, had lost fathers, others 
 
78 MADAGASCAE: 
 
 children, some wives, otliers husbands, or brothers, or 
 sisters, whom they now rejoiced to think of as with the 
 spirits of just men made perfect in heaven, but whom 
 they and their fellow Christians would never forget. If 
 chm'ches, they said, were built upon the spots on which 
 they had suffered and died for the love of Christ, it would 
 not only comfort surviving friends, but do much to perpe- 
 tuate the impressions which their constancy had produced 
 upon the minds of both Christians and heathens." 
 
 Eut while, for a brief space, our earnest thought is na- 
 turally fixed upon those who, in this fiery persecution, died 
 for Christ, we must not overlook the far larger number who 
 at the same time were condemned to suffer in the same cause. 
 Not a few were consigned to a life of slavery. More than a 
 hundred of their number were flogged, and sentenced to 
 work in chains during their lives. Some who were also 
 made slaves, might purchase back their liberty and the 
 liberty of their wives and children, if money enough could 
 be found. Many were heavily fined, and those who 
 Lad been among the great and noble of the land were 
 stripped of their honours and titles, and even forced to the 
 hardest and meanest labour. Altogether, in the early 
 spring of 1849 — that fearful year for the Christians, truly 
 called the year of "the great persecution " — 1903 were 
 punished, because they had either professed or favoui*ed 
 the religion of Jesus. 
 
 Some who had been officers in the army were reduced 
 to the rank of common soldiers ; but to add to the pimish- 
 ment, they were ordered to build a stone house. This was 
 a severe task, especially for men altogether unused to such 
 labour, for they were compelled to go into the quarry, to 
 
ITS MISSION AND ITS MAETYES. 79 
 
 dig out tlie blocks of stone, and then to carry tliem to tlie 
 site of the building. Hard-hearted taskmasters were placed 
 over them ; their clothing was bare, and their food short ; 
 but on and on they were forced to work for a whole year. 
 And besides this, they were branded with the name, " Tsi- 
 hiaharana," which means, '' That which is not to be imi- 
 tated," to prevent others, who witnessed their sufferings, 
 from obe^dng the Gospel. Nor was this all. As soon 
 as they had completed one heavy task, they were called to 
 others equally laborious. Thus, after the house had been 
 built, the same band of Christians was sent into the forest 
 to fell large trees, and, though there were no roads, to drag 
 them over hill and dale, to a considerable distance. Some 
 were despatched to fight the Sakalaves, and to remain in 
 the enemy's country during the wet season, when the 
 deadly fever prevailed. One of these Christians thus 
 writes : — " T was condemned to slavery, and valued at 
 thirty dollars. My wife and children were also made 
 slaves. My property was all taken from me. I was aide- 
 de-camp to Eainiharo, and had been promoted to the eighth 
 honour.* But mine honour was taken from me, and I was 
 made a common soldier, to carry a musket, and perform the 
 exercise of a soldier once every fortnight, until my skin 
 peeled off, like that of a serpent, every time we performed 
 the exercise ; for we were not allowed to wear either a hat 
 or a shirt, but only a girdle around our loins. ' Blessed 
 be God, who lightens our sorrows." 2 Cor. v. 
 
 Amongst those who were condemned at this time, was 
 the Prince Eamonja. Though a favourite of his aunt, he 
 was sentenced to pay a heavy fine, and to be stripped of his 
 * About equal to that of a Colonel in the army. 
 
80 MADAGASCAR : 
 
 honours. But he suffered all with Christian meekness. 
 No man was more deservedly beloved and honoured by 
 his brethren than he. His house became their meetins: 
 and sometimes their hiding-place, and most cheerfully did 
 he expend his remaining property in providing for those 
 who had been robbed of their all. " He is a wise man/' 
 writes one who had not only seen, but experienced his 
 help, "and truly loves Christ. He fights the good fight 
 every day. He preaches constantly to the Queen, though 
 her heart kindles against him whenever he opens his mouth 
 on the subject of Christianity. ^ * He is at present 
 called to bear greater affliction, and to carry a heavier cross 
 than any of the Christians ; but he considers all this light, 
 and preaches the word boldly, and continually to the 
 Queen and to his relations. He does not mind the rage 
 of his sovereign's heart against him, but we, his compa- 
 nions, are very sorry for what he has been called to endure. 
 His relations often upbraid him for what he suffers. ' He 
 does not follow the religion of his ancestors, but he fol- 
 lows the religion of the ancestors of the white people, and 
 that is the reason of his afflictions.' Eut the Prince speaks 
 to them, saying, ' I do not worship the ancestors of 
 strangers, nor my own ancestors, but God, that made 
 heaven and earth : Him alone do I worship ; and Jesus 
 Christ, who died for the sins of men.' They consider him 
 on this account obstinate, but the Queen does not punish 
 him, because he is her sister's beloved son." 
 
 If the fear of pain, privation, and death could have 
 shaken the faith and courage of the Madagascar Christians, 
 we should have heard little more about them after this 
 terrible trial. But none of these things moved them. 
 
ITS MISSION AND ITS MARTYrvS. 81 
 
 They encouraged themselves and each other in the Lord, 
 and were consoled by the conviction that the day of their 
 deliverance would come. Secretly, therefore, but yet stea- 
 dily, they travelled on in the path of duty, though it was 
 ofttimes a way of darkness and difficulty. Tearless of con- 
 sequences, they still assembled for worship. And there were 
 now seven houses in the capital, and others in the country, 
 where, during the dead of night, they met to consider 
 Him whose love for them was stronger than death, and 
 to speak and hear of that world where " the wicked cease 
 from troubling, and the weary are at rest." In this they 
 were countenanced by the example of the Prince Eoyal, of 
 Eamonja, and of others high in rank, who were ready to 
 lay their honours and their lives at the Saviour's feet. And 
 after a time, a few appeared in their solemn assemblies 
 whom they little expected to see there. These were be- 
 loved brethren who had been banished from the capital, 
 but who had found their way back to it. Still they were 
 " prisoners of the Lord," and in bonds. Each of them 
 bore the heavy iron fetters that had from the first been 
 rivetted upon their limbs ; and a strange spectacle must 
 they have presented to the Christians as they entered 
 their meetings, and very sad the sound of their clanking 
 chains, as they returned the salutations of their brethren, 
 or lifted their fettered hands to God in prayer. But 
 doubtless such courage and constancy as they had shown, 
 must have cheered the hearts and confirmed the faith 
 of many who saw that though " persecuted " they were not 
 "forsaken." 
 
 There were others at these private gatherings who 
 had suffered the loss of all things. The imposition of fines 
 
82 MADAGASCAE : 
 
 had left tliem penniless. But this only furnislied occasion for 
 new manifestations of Christian principle and affection. It 
 might almost be said that, like primitive beh'evers, they had 
 all things common. This, at least, is certain, that the 
 noble man who now reigns, his devout cousin, and others 
 of the more wealthy Christians, appropriated nearly all 
 their property in assisting their destitute brethren. 
 
 The chief cause of the wonderful firmness of these Chris- 
 tians was their simple faith in God's Word, their familiar 
 acquaintance with its contents, and the deep love with which 
 they regarded it. Most truly was it their meditation day 
 and night, the man of their counsel, sweeter than honey, 
 better than their necessary food, more precious than thou- 
 sands of gold and silver. But that Word was scarce. 
 Many books had been given up, and others had been dis- 
 covered by the diligent search of the Queen's officers. Only 
 a few were still hidden or buried ; and very many were with- 
 out this treasure. But these heard it read, or borrowed 
 it from their brethren ; and in this way they riclily stored 
 their memories with its contents. The letters written to 
 the Missionaries after their departure are replete with 
 indications of this, as scarcely a statement or a sentiment 
 occurs which is not supported by Scripture references. 
 
 The Directors, and their friends at Mauritius, made 
 repeated attempts to satisfy the cravings of the Christians 
 for Bibles, but the obstacles were so formidable that few 
 copies could be added to their scanty stock* 
 
 Describing his first visit to Tamatave, Mr. Ellis says that 
 nothing struck him so much as the earnest, repeated, and 
 importunate applications for the Scriptures, and Christian 
 books, which reached him from all quarters. " One fine- 
 
ITS MISSION AND ITS MAUTYKS. 83 
 
 looking young officer," he writes, in a letter to tlie Directors, 
 " who had come from a distance, on hearing that we were 
 at Tamatave, almost wept, when, in reply to his earnest 
 request for a book, Mr. Cameron told him that he had not 
 a single copy left." 
 
 While Mr. Ellis was at Mauritius, he received a letter 
 from a Christian who had nearly lost his sight, in conse- 
 quence of having devoted years in copying portions of 
 Scripture for his Christian brethren. 
 
 One evening, while at Tamatave, two men called at Mr. 
 Ellis's house. On being admitted, they told him that, 
 having heard that he had brought the Bible to their land, 
 they had come a long way in order to get a copy. As 
 they were strangers to him, he thought that possibly 
 they might be spies, and that, if he complied with their 
 request, he might be banished from the island. He told 
 them, therefore, that he could not give them what they 
 wanted then, but that they might call upon him again on the 
 following morning. In the meantime, he made inquiries 
 about them from some of the Christians of the place, and 
 learned that they were excellent men, and members of a 
 family that feared the Lord greatly ; that they lived at the 
 capital, and having come down about a hundred and fifty 
 miles towards the coast on business, and having there heard 
 that Mr. Elhs was at Tamatave with the Word of God, they 
 resolved to travel more than a hundred miles further, in 
 the hope that they might secure this treasure for themselves. 
 Of course Mr. Ellis was delighted to hear such a report of 
 these worthy men, and was ready, when they called again 
 on the following morning, to give them what they wanted. 
 Before doing this, however, he learned from them that 
 
84 ITADAGASCAE : 
 
 tlieir family was large, and scattered, but that all of the 
 members of it were Christians. When asked whether they 
 had the Scriptures, they told Mr. Ellis tliat they had seen 
 them, and heard them, but that all they possessed wTie 
 '' some of the words of David," which, however, did not 
 belong to themselves alone, but to the whole family. He 
 further ascertained that this sacred fragment was sent from 
 one to another, and that each, after keeping it for a time, 
 passed it on, until it had been read by all. IMr. Ellis 
 then inquired whether they had these "words of David" 
 with them. This was a question which they seemed un- 
 willing to answer ; but at length they confessed that they 
 had. Mr. Ellis having asked to see the book, they looked 
 at one another, and appeared as if they knew not what to 
 do. At length one of them thrust his hand deep into his 
 bosom, and from beneath the folds of his lamba he drew 
 ibrth a parcel. This he very slowly and carefully opened. 
 One piece of cloth after another was gently removed, when 
 at length there appeared a few leaves of the Book of 
 Psalms, which the good man cautiously handed to Mr. 
 Ellis. Though it was evident that the greatest care had 
 been taken of them, their dingy colour, their worn edges, 
 and other marks of frequent use, showed plainly enough 
 how much they had been read. We can only fancy the 
 feelings with which our friend looked upon these few soiled 
 and well-worn leaves, revealing as they did the deep love 
 which these Christians feel for God's Word, and the dili- 
 gence with which they keep and use it. Desiring to possess 
 these precious fragments, ]\Ir. Ellis asked the men w^hether 
 they had not seen other words of David besides those which 
 they now produced, and also the words of Jesus, and of 
 
ITS MISSION AND ITS MAUTYRS. 85 
 
 Paul, of Peter, and of John ? " Yes," they replied, " they 
 had seen and heard them, but they had them not." "Well, 
 then," said Mr. Ellis, holding out the tattered leaves, "if 
 you will give me these few words of David, I will give you 
 all his words, and I will give you besides, the words 
 of Jesus, and of John, and of Paul, and of Peter." Upon 
 this he handed to them a copy of the New Testament 
 and the Psalms, bound together, and said, " You shall 
 have all these if you will give me this," The men were 
 at first amazed. Then they compared the Psalms they 
 had with those in the book, and having satisfied them- 
 selves that all their own words ot David were in it, with 
 many more, and that beside these there were other Scrip- 
 tures which they greatly desired, light beamed in their faces, 
 they took Mr. Ellis at his word, gave him those leaves of 
 the Book of Psalms which had so long yielded them com- 
 fort, seized the volume he offered in exchange, bid him 
 farewell, and hastily left the house. In the course of the 
 day he inquired after them, wishing to speak to them again, 
 when the Christians at Tamatave told him that, as soon as 
 they left bis house, they set out upon their long journey 
 to the capital, doubtless "rejoicing as one that findeth 
 great spoil." 
 
 Eor two or three years after the great persecution, there 
 was a lull in the tempest. But this was not the effect of 
 any change in the Queen's feelings towards her Christian 
 subjects* "Her wrath," writes one of them, in 1852, 
 " continues to rage against us, for there is a law written 
 in a book, stating, ' That no person is allowed to pray and 
 worship according to the religion of the white people. He 
 that does that shall be put to death,' saith the sovereign. 
 
86 MADAGASCAE : 
 
 'The worship and religion of my ancestors you must 
 follow and practise for ever and ever, but the worship or 
 religion of any other people shall never be allowed in my 
 country/ saith the Queen. This law is read every fort- 
 night to the soldiers, when they are exercised." 
 
 But though still *' breathing out threatening and 
 slaughter against the disciples of the Lord," her violence 
 was at this time restrained. This, doubtless, may be 
 ascribed in part to the influence of her son, the Prince 
 Eamonja, and other Christian nobles, with whose assist- 
 ance in the conduct of the Government she could not 
 dispense. But the principal cause was the death of 
 Eainiharo, her chief minister, and great favourite. From 
 the commencement of the persecution, this hard man had 
 been forward to advise, and execute the most severe 
 measures against the hated Christians, and in him the 
 Queen ever found a ready instrument of her will. But his 
 direful career was now closed, and the Christians had a 
 brief respite from persecution, and indulged the hope that 
 their deliverance drew nigh. "What confirmed this hope 
 v/as the fact that Eoharo, Eainiharo's son, who was a 
 friend of the Prince, and now, through Eakoto's in- 
 fluence, commander of the forces, had joined himself to 
 them. Nor was this all. Left without her chief minister, 
 and feeling the effects of age and disease, the Queen 
 from this time leaned more than ever upon her son, and, 
 to some extent, shared the Government with him. Li 
 1853, indeed, it was believed that she had resolved to 
 abdicate in his favour ; and this was so positively stated, 
 that the Directors sent Messrs. Ellis and Cameron to 
 Madagascar, to ascertain the truth, and if practicable, to 
 
ITS MISSION AND ITS MAETYRS. 87 
 
 prepare for the recommencement of Missionary opera- 
 tion. But these hopes were not realized. Neverthe- 
 less, the intelligence obtained by Mr. Ellis, both on this 
 and two subsequent visits, was of the greatest value, and 
 such as to justify the conclusion that the time to favour 
 Madagascar was at hand. 
 
 Mr. Ellis's admirable volume has been so extensively 
 read that its contents are familiar to most. It may ther<^- 
 fore suffice to say, that during the month he passed at the 
 capital on his third visit, in 1856, his intercourse with the 
 Christians of all classes, and the information he obtained 
 from them, proved to be of inestimable value. Much came 
 under his notice to show their steadfastness and their in- 
 crease ; and although no change had passed over the spirit 
 of the Queen, there appeared good reason for the hope 
 that severe measures against the Christians would not be 
 renewed. 
 
 But these calculations proved to be unfounded. An- 
 other time of great trouble was at hand — as great as any 
 that had preceded it. The full particulars of this perse- 
 cution have not as yet been received, but the following brief 
 statement will indicate its origin and its consequences, 
 
 Por some years there had been some Prench residents 3.t 
 Antananarivo, who, by their mechanical knowledge and mer- 
 cantile transactions, had made themselves useful to the Go- 
 vernment. One of these had resided there for several years. 
 Under the pretext of delivering the country from the cruel- 
 ties and oppression of Eanavalona, these men determined, 
 if possible, to dethrone her, and to establish a *' Trench Pro- 
 tectorate" — that false and fraudulent misnomer for French 
 usurpation. By their promises and persuasions they had 
 
88 MADAGASCAR : 
 
 gained over several men of rank and influence, and had also 
 secreted in one of their own houses a large quantity of arms, 
 armour, and ammunition. Everything having been aiTanged, 
 the night was fixed upon in which the palace was to be in- 
 vaded, the Queen seized, and the new Government pro- 
 claimed. But Eanavalona heard of the plot, confined the 
 conspirators, and finally sentenced them to perpetual ba- 
 nishment from the country. Amongst the party there was a 
 Catholic lady and two Jesuit priests. The latter, disguised 
 as an apothecary and a physician's assistant, were met by 
 IVIr. Ellis on his return from Antananarivo. The so-called 
 " assistant," however, proved to be the Abbe Jouan, the 
 principal of a Jesuit college at Bourbon. Such shameless 
 pretenders were meet companions for reckless conspirators. 
 
 Had the frustration of the plot and the banishment of 
 its authors been the sole results of its discovery, it would 
 not have been noticed here. But, unhappily, while the 
 guilty escaped, the innocent sufi"ered. How far any of the 
 Christians, groaning under cruel oppression, and expecting 
 deliverance from the proposed change in the Government, 
 were drawn into the snare, is not known. But it was suffi- 
 cient for the Queen that Christians were still amongst 
 her subjects, notwithstanding her edicts, her punish- 
 ments, and her threats. She resolved, therefore, that, 
 whether guilty or not, they should sufi'er for that which 
 strangers had devised, and of which the great midtitude 
 had not even heard. Like the sudden eruption of the long 
 pent-up fires of a volcano, the wrath of the Queen once 
 more burst forth with desolating fury. 
 
 The 3rd of July was one of those awful days of doom, 
 of which the Christians of Antananarivo had seen but too 
 
ITS MISSION AND ITS MAUTYRS. 89 
 
 many during the present reign. Early in the morning of 
 that day, the announcement was made by the Queen's 
 officers that a great kabary was to be held. "What this 
 foreboded they knew but too well : and they did not 
 conceal their fears; for, together with the royal sum- 
 mons came the intelligence that they were hemmed in by 
 soldiers stationed at every outlet of the city, so that escape 
 was impossible. At the same time, officers broke into 
 their houses, and forcibly drove them to the place of the 
 great assembly. 
 
 " There was," said an eye-witness, " a general howling 
 and wailing, a rushing and running through the streets, 
 as if the town had been attacked by a hostile army." 
 At length the appointed hour came. Within the great 
 square, thousands of people, strongly guarded, were 
 crowded together, many of them waiting with dread the 
 announcement of the royal pleasure. At length, a Queen's 
 messenger, with a loud voice delivered the following mes- 
 sage from his dreaded mistress : — That she had long sus- 
 pected that there were many Christians still amongst 
 her people, and that, within the last few days, she had 
 discovered that several thousands of them dwelt in and 
 around her capital; — that every one knew how she hated 
 this sect, and how strictly she had forbidden the practice 
 of their religion ; — that she should do her utmost to 
 discover the guilty, 'and would punish them with the 
 greatest severity ; and that all should die who did not, 
 within fifteen days, submit themselves to her pleasure. 
 
 What added to the danger of the Christians was the 
 circumstance that one of their worst foes had in his pos- 
 session a list of the names of all who dwelt in the city, 
 
 G 
 
90 MADAGASCAR t 
 
 whicli he intended to send to the Queen. Tor this pur- 
 pose he commissioned one of her attendants to deliver it ; 
 but, providentially, this man, who was a firm friend of the 
 Prince, and favourable to the Christians, brought the 
 document to him. He read it, and the next moment 
 tore it into fragments and scattered it about the ground. 
 This bold but prudent act saved many, most probably 
 hundreds, of lives ; and as the accused were now warned, 
 numbers of them, as soon as they could find an egress 
 from the city, either fled to the forests, or by other means 
 escaped the fury of the storm. But all were not so 
 fortunate. Some were seized and put to the torture, 
 that they might be forced to disclose the names of their 
 brethren; and while this was going on, every house 
 was entered by soldiers, and every person suspected of 
 Christianity was consigned to prison. One of the prisons 
 used on that occasion had originally been a chapel, and 
 to that sacred purpose it has now been restored by 
 Eadama II. But at the time of which we write, many 
 Christians were crowded there and cruelly tormented, by a 
 royal order. 
 
 What a contrast the scenes then witnessed, the suffer- 
 ings then endured, and the dangers then impending, 
 presents to the congregations who now, under the same 
 roof, listen to God's Word, and with the voice of joy 
 and melody sing forth the honour of His name ! We can 
 readily believe what Mr. Ellis states, that " the people 
 have almost as strong an attachment to this scene of their 
 distress and sorrow, as to the spots on which their com- 
 panions actually died." 
 
 Six days after her decree, the Queen heard that com- 
 
ITS MISSION AND ITS MAKTYRS. 91 
 
 paratively few Christians had been apprehended. This made 
 her more furious than ever. Her rage indeed seemed to 
 know no bounds. " The bowels of the earth," she said, 
 "shall be searched, and the rivers and lakes shall be 
 dragged with nets, rather than that one Christian shall 
 escape." At the same time, new orders to track them to 
 their hiding-places were issued to the officers and soldiers 
 of her army ; and another kabary was held, when it was 
 proclaimed that whoever helped, or did not hinder their 
 escape, should surely die. But these violent measures 
 were to a large extent in vain. The entire population of 
 one village, nine miles from the capital, was thus saved 
 from death. Fifteen hundred soldiers were sent to sur- 
 prise the place and secure the victims ; but happily, on 
 their amval, all the inhabitants had fled. 
 
 The first victim of this cruel outburst of the insensate 
 despot was an aged Christian female, who, before the nine 
 days given for self-accusation, was dragged away to the 
 market-place, and, horrible to relate, her backbone was 
 sawn asunder. This was on the 11th of July; but the 
 next morning, six more Christians were taken at a village 
 not far from the city. Their concealment, however, had 
 been so contrived as very nearly to have prevented their 
 discovery ; for the soldiers had searched the hut in which 
 they were, and were just leaving it, when one of them said 
 that he had heard a cough. They therefore renewed 
 their search, and soon, beneath some straw, they discovered 
 a large hole, in which the hunted Christians were hid. 
 With violence they were dragged out, bound, and hurried 
 away to their doom. But here, unhappily, the consequences 
 of this discovery were not to end. The other inhabitants 
 
92 MADAGASCAU : 
 
 of the village had been privy to the concealment of their 
 neighbours, and although aware of the threatened penalty, 
 had kept their secret, even at the risk of their own lives. 
 Whether tliey themselves, or any of them, were believers in 
 the Gospel is not known ; but vvhatever might have been 
 its cause, their generosity met with a sad requital. The 
 officer in command was a stern man ; he therefore ordered 
 his soldiers to seize every inhabitant of the place, to 
 bind them, and to lead them away to their fate, with the 
 six Christians whom they had sought to save. 
 
 It was said by those who saw her, that the Queen had 
 never before given way to such outbursts of rage as now ; 
 and that at no former periods had she manifested such a 
 determination to exterminate the Christians. In the city, 
 and the surrounding villages, kabaries were held almost 
 daily, for the purpose of denouncing them as the cause of 
 all the evils which afflicted the land, and of declaring the 
 Queen's purpose not to rest until the last of this hated 
 sect had been destroyed ; and, had not the register of 
 their names fallen into the hands of the Prince, there is 
 too much reason to fear that his mother's sanguinary de- 
 sires would have been largely gratified. But this was not 
 the only aid which the watchful kindness of their friend 
 and protector, together with the secret but earnest efforts 
 of some Christian nobles who acted with him, now rendered 
 to the oppressed. The escape of many who had even been 
 apprehended, must be attributed to them. This was the 
 case with several of the villagers who had connived at the 
 concealment of their Christian neighbours, as well as 
 others. The marvel and the great mercy was that the 
 Prince himself escaped ; but his savage mother seemed dead 
 
ITS MISSION AND ITS MARTYRS. 93 
 
 to every human feeling save one — the love of her son. It 
 was this natural instinct which God overruled for the pre- 
 servation of Eadama's own life, and through him of the 
 lives of so many of His servants. 
 
 But notwithstanding these interpositions, human and 
 Divine, not a few were at this period added to the 
 number of Clnistian martyrs. Only fifteen days after 
 the great kabary, ten were publicly executed, and their 
 death was accompanied with frightful tortures. On 
 their way to the place of execution, the soldiers goaded 
 them on with their spears, and the blood-stained path 
 through which they had been driven showed with what 
 effect the weapons had been used. For what special 
 reason is unknown, but it was ordered that they and 
 others, to the number, it is believed, of twenty-one, should 
 not be executed in any of the accustomed modes. It is 
 probable, however, that as the previous martyrdom of 
 Christians had failed to accomplish the object of their perse- 
 cutors, the Queen resolved to try the effect of a more painful 
 method. They were therefore sentenced to be stoned, but 
 not to death; for, ere life was extinct, or consciousness 
 lost, their heads were to be severed from their mutilated 
 bodies, and held up to the view of the multitude. But the 
 spirit which had sustained Stephen, and so many of their 
 brethren who had laid down their lives for the sake of 
 the Lord Jesus, characterized these noble sufferers. Theirs 
 was the same unwavering faith, the same patient suffering, 
 the same victorious death. No faltering, no timid cling- 
 ing to life, no compromise with conviction, cast the faint- 
 est shadow upon the worthy name they bore, or the holy 
 cause for which they died. As they were led out from the 
 
94 MADAGASCAR : 
 
 prison, amongst the sounds whicli first caugM the ear was 
 the voice of praise ; and still, as they approached the fatal 
 spot, notwithstanding the piercing of the spears, and even 
 when crushed beneath the stones, they were happy, and 
 almost jubilant. To quote the brief, but expressive words 
 of a native witness of the scene, " They continued to sing 
 hymns till they died." 
 
 These were the last of the long line of Madagascar 
 martyrs ; and most worthy successors they were of those 
 who, through much tribulation, had entered before them 
 into the Kingdom of God. 
 
 We have now written the closing record of the wrongs 
 and suflPerings of the faithful and much enduring Chris- 
 tians of Madagascar. The persecution just described was 
 almost immediately to be followed by the day of deliverance. 
 The cry from beneath the altar had been heard; the rod of the 
 oppressor was broken, and a future full of high and holy 
 promise has opened, which calls aloud for all the works of 
 faith, the labours of love, and the patience of hope, which 
 the servants of God can consecrate to the evangelization 
 of that noble land. But we must now briefly sketch the 
 features of this great change, which will form a fit and 
 bright closing page of this eventful history. 
 
 Eanavalona, the Queen of Madagascar, was now of 
 advanced age. Her reign had extended to thirty-three 
 years. But the day of her death drew near. For several 
 weeks during the summer of 1861 her strength rapidly failed, 
 and dangerous symptoms appeared. Early in August, 
 it was generally known that her sceptre would speedily 
 pass into other hands. But who would possess it ? This 
 was the question with the people, and it was asked 
 
ITS MISSION AND ITS MARTYRS. 9d 
 
 earnestly, anxiously, by tens of thousands. Had tbe 
 decision been theirs, the issue would not have been 
 doubtful — their warm and almost unanimous response 
 would have been Eakoto-radama. Long had he been 
 their hope and their desire, and throughout the land, no 
 man was so honoured, trusted, and beloved as he. For 
 years he had stood between the oppressor and the oppressed, 
 and in instances without number, contrary to his mother's 
 law, and at the peril of his own life, he had rescued the 
 victims of her wrath from chains, from slavery, and from 
 death. For years, the interests of his country and the 
 highest welfare of its inhabitants had been the object of his 
 intense solicitude ; but, while the benefactor of all classes, 
 he had been the especial friend and protector of the 
 Christians. Tt was not surprising, therefore, that his 
 accession to the throne should have been regarded with 
 bright hopes and eager desire. But pitfalls and perils 
 lay in his path. The Prince had a rival in his cousin 
 Eambosalama, the son of the Queen's sister, and brother 
 of his own wife. Older than himself, this man had been 
 named by the Queen, at the commencement of her reign, as 
 her successor; but when the unexpected birth of a son gave 
 a rightful heir to the throne of Madagascar, Eambosalama 
 lost his title. Nevertheless, he resolved, if possible, to 
 secure the object of his ambition. Nor was he without the 
 hope of success. Eesolute, contriving, and unscrupulous, 
 he had gained over to his side the Queen's chief adviser, 
 Eainijoary, and many who stood near the throne ; while 
 with herself, whom he too closely resembled in his hatred 
 of the Christians, he was a great favourite. It was con- 
 fidently reported, and commonly believed, that this un- 
 
96 MADAGASCAR : 
 
 principled man had hired assassins to remove the only 
 obstacle to the attainment of power, and that more than 
 once these wretched men had confessed to the Prince their 
 meditated crime. Ee this as it may, it is certain that 
 Eakoto and his friends well knew the purpose, and 
 probably the plots of his rival. Amongst those in whom 
 he placed entire confidence, was his long-tried Christian 
 associate, the commander of the forces. This man, who 
 had attained the highest honour (the 15th) which the 
 Queen could confer, and more absolute power, as the head 
 of the army, than any other of her subjects, was, as our 
 readers may remember, the son of Eainiharo, so long prime 
 minister, and the fierce persecutor of the Christians. The 
 second officer in command was also one of the Prince's 
 warm supporters. Nevertheless, it required all their vigi- 
 lance and skill to frustrate the purpose of Eambosalama 
 and his co-conspirators. 
 
 Within about a month of the Queen's death, the Prince 
 and his friends agreed that the time had come when it 
 behoved them to adopt measures for their own protection. 
 In most cases, we know what those measures would have 
 been, — the chain, the dungeon, and the dagger. But Eakoto, 
 always remarkable for his humanity, had resolved not to 
 pass to power over the fallen and the dead. His sole 
 purpose was to preserve, not to punish — to save his own 
 life, not to sacrifice that of others ; and all his plans at 
 this period were governed by this purpose. But to prevent 
 surprise, and to be fully prepared for the coming change, he 
 and his advisers often met in council, that, when the 
 necessity arose, they might act with concord, promptitude, 
 and decision. 
 
ITS MISSION AND ITS MARTYES. 97 
 
 x^t length, at dawn of day on the 16th of August, the 
 intelligence spread through the city that the Queen was 
 stricken with death, and that, in a few hcurs, all would be 
 over. Soon, an immense crowd filled every avenue to the 
 palace, and was even pressing within the courts. For 
 what purpose were they come? Had you marked the 
 features of some of them, watched their secret and 
 suspicious movements, and noticed the deadly weapons 
 which they vainly attempted to conceal, their design 
 would have been but too plainly disclosed. These were 
 the partizans of Eambosalama; they had been brought 
 there, that, at a given signal from him, they might cut his 
 pathway to the vacant throne. But while the son was weep- 
 ing at the death-bed of his mother, the faithful commander 
 of the forces had his keen eye fixed full upon every move- 
 ment of her would-be successor. He knew his plans and 
 his partizans ; watched his movements within the palace, 
 and followed him out from the chamber of death, as he has- 
 tened to give the concerted signal to his ready instruments, 
 who were waiting without. But on his way, and ere he could 
 effect his purpose, he was seized, and hurried back in safe 
 custody. Almost at the same instant a trumpet sounded, 
 and more than a thousand soldiers, who were awaiting this 
 summons, marched in strong array, and with quickened 
 steps, to the palace. 
 
 Eakoto was now safe : his foes had been foiled, and his 
 rival a prisoner. Soon the commander-in-chief appeared 
 upon the balcony of the palace to announce the Queen's 
 death, and to proclaim Eadama II. as King of Madagascar. 
 In a moment, loud shouts and wild demonstrations of joy 
 broke forth from the soldiers and multitude, which soon 
 
98 MADAGASCAR: 
 
 spread througli the capital. Eor a time the people seemed 
 almost mad with delight, and when, towards the afternoon 
 of the day it was rumoured that Eadama would present 
 himself to his subjects, every approach to the palace was 
 again thronged. About four o'clock, arrayed in the robes 
 of royalty, with the crown upon his head, and surrounded 
 by his chief nobles, the King appeared. It was long ere 
 the shouts and cries of the people could be hushed ; but as 
 soon as silence was obtained, in a few expressive words he 
 begged them to be calm, and then assured them (and never, 
 we believe, were words more truthful) that, in becoming 
 their sovereign, his one desire was to devote himself to their 
 welfare, and to that of the country over which he reigned. 
 
 Meanwhile, Eambosalama was conducted under a strong 
 guard to the centre of the city, where he was compelled to 
 take the oath of allegiance to his cousin. After this, he was 
 conveyed to a residence of his own in the country, there to be 
 detained a prisoner, guarded by two hundred soldiers. But 
 this was the extent of his punishment. Not a fetter 
 bound his limbs, not a fraction of his large wealth was 
 forfeited, nor was he forbidden to communicate Vv^ith his 
 friends. Such was the generosity, the magnanimity — we 
 cannot term it justice — with which the King treated the 
 man who had conspired against his title and his life. 
 
 The revolution thus brought about soon made itself felt. 
 " The sun," writes Mr. Ellis, " did not set on the day on 
 which Eadama II. became King of Madagascar before he 
 had proclaimed equal protection to all its inhabitants, and 
 declared that eveiy man was free to worship God according 
 to the dictates of his own conscience, without fear or 
 danger. He sent his oflicers to open the prison doors, to 
 
ITS MISSION AND ITS MARTYES. 
 
 99 
 
 PALACE AT ANTANANARIVO. 
 
100 MADAGASCAU: 
 
 knock off tlie fetters from those to whom the joyous shouts 
 of the multitude without had already announced that the 
 day of their deliverance was come. He despatched others to 
 recall the remnant of the condemned ones from the remote 
 and pestilential districts to which they had been banished, 
 and where numbers had died from disease, or exhaustion 
 from the rude and heavy bars of iron with which they had 
 been chained from neck to neck together. The exiles 
 hastened home ; men and women, worn and wasted with 
 suffering and want, reappeared in the city, to the astonish- 
 ment of their neighbours — who had deemed them long since 
 dead — but to the grateful joy of their friends. The long- 
 desired jubilee had come, and gladness and rejoicing every- 
 where prevailed ; for many who were not believers in the 
 Gospel, sympathized with the Christians in their suffer- 
 ings, and rejoiced in their deliverance." 
 
 Thus, seven of these restored exiles speak of themselves 
 and others : " On Thursday, 29th of August, 1861, we 
 that were in concealment appeared. Then all the people 
 were astonished, when they saw us, that we were alive, and 
 not yet buried or eaten by the dogs ; and there were a 
 great many of the people desiring to see us, for they con- 
 sidered us as dead ; and this is what astonished them. On 
 the 9th of September, those that were in fetters came to 
 Antananarivo ; but they could not walk, on account of the 
 weight of their heavy fetters, and their weak and feeble 
 bodies." 
 
 To pass over other proceedings which show how much 
 the King desired the social and political prosperity of the 
 country, it must not be forgotten that one of his earliest 
 acts was to lay the foundation of a large stone building as 
 
ITS MISSION AND ITS MAKTYKS. 101 
 
 a college, and to restore the schools throughout the 
 country, which had been closed by his mother. He also 
 abolished the tangena, divination, and sorcery; removed 
 all idols from the palace and the capital, and withdrew 
 support from them elsewhere. 
 
 While Eadama II. was thus showing that God had 
 given to him what He gave to Solomon, " largeness of 
 heart," the Christians improved their long-lost privileges. 
 No longer gathering together by stealth in secret places, or 
 at the midnight hour, they now met in the very heart of 
 the city, in buildings which their own sovereign had set 
 apart for Divine service, and in the broad face of day ; 
 while " their unquenchable thirst after instruction," their 
 " industry in acquiring knowledge," " the vitality and 
 strength of the faith by which they have been sustained," 
 " their activity and force of character," " their clear per- 
 ceptions of the saving truths of the Gospel," "their family 
 religion," their " large congregations in the city," and 
 " the smaller assemblies in almost every village in the sur- 
 rounding country," together with " the great influence for 
 good which the sufferers of Christ exercise over their 
 brethren by the simple, humble recital of their sufl'erings, 
 always given with devout acknowledgment and thanks for 
 the Divine consolation they received, may well encourage 
 the most sanguine hopes for the future."* 
 
 Together with the intelligence of the Queen's death, 
 letters reached this country which made it plain to the 
 Directors that Missionaries, so long excluded from Mada- 
 gascar, would now receive, both from the King and from 
 
 * Letter from Eev. W. Ellis. 
 
103 MADAGASCAR: 
 
 the people, a cordial welcome. Six weeks after this great 
 change, four of the native pastors in the capital thus 
 WTite : — "We are filled with joy that the kingdom of God 
 gains ground, and establishes itself more and more in our 
 country. We have begun to meet for public worship at 
 Antananarivo since Lord's-day, 29th September last. As 
 one house was not large enough to contain us all, we had 
 to meet in eleven separate houses, and they were all 
 crowded to excess. When the people saw how great was 
 the number of Christians, they were exceedingly amazed ; 
 and what increased their astonishment was the appearing 
 in public of Christians who, having been hidden for so 
 long a period, were considered by all as dead. Everybody 
 could not but exclaim, ' Truly, God is great, who can thus 
 watch over those who place their confidence in Him 1' A 
 general disposition to join us seems to take hold of the 
 people. ^ * The King, Eadama II., teUs us to write, 
 and persuade the Missionaries to come and settle at Anta- 
 nanarivo, as weU as our friends and countrymen who are 
 at Mauritius. There is now no obstacle ; the way is open 
 to everybody." 
 
 Eeferring to one of the congregations which he saw at 
 the capital, the Bishop of Mauritius, says, '^ Mr. Ellis, 
 who was with me, said there must have been at least 1500 
 persons present. I never saw anything like the fervour 
 I there witnessed. 1 shortly afterwards again addressed 
 the people, when from 1000 to 1400 persons were present, 
 a mighty crowd pressing us in upon all sides. While 
 I addressed them, a kind of electric feeling seemed to 
 possess and pervade the whole assembly. I spoke to them 
 of the fulness of the blessing of the Gospel of Christ. The 
 
ITS MISSION AND ITS MARTYES. 103 
 
 Eev. Mr. Ellis interpreted my observations, and tlieir effect 
 so gratified me, that I recalled those lines of Dr. Watts, 
 
 * In holy duties let the day 
 In holy pleasures pass away l* 
 
 * * Mr. Ellis commences his services early, and concludes 
 them at 11 a. m. To see the people swarm along the 
 streets, produces much the effect of a swarm of bees 
 around a bee-hive." 
 
 To the London Missionary Society belongs the great 
 honour of being not only the first, but the only Protestant 
 Society whose agents have laboured in Madagascar. The 
 Embassy sent by the British Government to congratulate 
 Eadama II. on his accession to the throne, when referring 
 to the cordiality with which Englislimen were welcomed to 
 the capital, truly remark in their official report of the visit, 
 '^ We need not look far for an explanation of this feeling. 
 The Missionary work initiated thirty* years ago, will suffi- 
 ciently account for it. Nearly all the arts with which the 
 people were acquainted, were taught them by the Mission- 
 aries." 
 
 Under these circumstances, the Directors and friends of 
 the London Missionary Society felt that upon them the 
 solemn obligation peculiarly devolved of re-occupying this 
 field as soon as the way into it was open. The King of 
 Madagascar was well aware of their purpose, and therefore, 
 immediately after ascending the throne, his principal Secre- 
 tary of State was instructed to invite the Eev. J. Le Brun, 
 the Society's Missionary at Mauritius, to visit the capital 
 without delay. Too aged to undertake the toilsome journey, 
 
 * It should have been "forty." 
 
104 
 
 MADAGASCAR: 
 
 Mr. Le Brun deputed liis son — accompaniedby David Jolnis, 
 one of the refugees, and long an evangelist to his countrymen 
 in the Mauritius — to undertake the service. As soon as this 
 intelligence reached theDirectors, they lost no time in making 
 arrangements for the resumption of their labours in a land so 
 longtheobject of their solicitude and theirprayers, and where 
 
 ENTRANCE TO THE HARBOUR OF PORT LOUIS, MAURITIUS. 
 
 SO much had been done and suffered for Christ. But while 
 these preparations were in progress, on the 20th of Novem- 
 ber, 1861, at their request Mr. Ellis sailed on his fourth 
 visit to Madagascar; and on the 15th of April, 1862, he 
 was followed by six Missionaries, including a doctor of 
 medicine, a superintendent of schools, and a printer. 
 
ITS MISSION AND ITS MAETYES. 105 
 
 Since tlie departure of those brethren, almost every mail 
 has brought the Directors such reports from Madagascar, 
 as have filled their hearts with devout gratitude and glad- 
 ness. From Mr. Le Brun they learned that before reach- 
 ing Antananarivo, he received a letter of welcome in the 
 King's name, announcing that His Majesty had appro- 
 priated a house for his use, and had sent officers to con- 
 duct him to it. The day after his arrival was the Sabbath, 
 but it was not to him a season of rest. At an early hour 
 his house was invaded by Christian friends, and from 
 nine o'clock until two he was led from one congregation to 
 another, that he might, though in an unknown tongue, and 
 by an interpreter, utter some words of prayer to God, and 
 exhortation to the people. During that single morning 
 he took part in the services at five sanctuaries. " Where- 
 ever I went," he writes, " I was saluted with tears and 
 expressions of joy ; and whenever I pronounced the blessed 
 name of Jesus Christ, it was truly affecting to witness the 
 utterance of deep emotion by which they testified their 
 faith and gratitude." 
 
 Mr. Le Brun's active engagements in the capital 
 were terminated by illness shortly after his arrival there. 
 But this visit elicited many demonstrations of sympathy 
 and solicitude on the part of the Christians. "Day 
 after day, night after night, it was the same loving care, 
 mingled with prayer and supplication. Oh ! how fervently 
 did they pray as they kneeled by the side of my couch ! 
 What tears of fraternal love and Christian sympathy they 
 shed, as they administered medicines, and watched with 
 anxiety their effect upon me !" 
 
 But though his opportunities of observation and inter- 
 
 H 
 
106 MADAGASCAR: 
 
 course were tlius restricted, Mr. Le Brun had a most 
 cheering audience of the King, a solemn conference with 
 the pastors, thrilling recitals from the lips of returned 
 exiles, of their dangers and deliverances, and proofs which 
 amazed him of the large number and rapid increase of 
 believers. And though weak in body, he left that place 
 refreshed and strengthened by all that he had there seen 
 and heard. 
 
 As soon as the season permitted, Mr. Ellis left Mau- 
 ritius for Tamatave, where he arrived towards the end of 
 May. As he stepped on shore, an officer of the King's 
 household, who had been specially sent from the capital 
 for that purpose, welcomed him to Madagascar in his 
 royal master's name, and stated that he was commissioned 
 to escort him thither. The officer then presented to Mr. 
 Ellis a letter from Eadama, expressing his desire to see 
 him. The same letter announced the death of Eambosa- 
 lama, and thus relieved the fears which Mr. EUis felt for 
 the life of the King. After this reception, he was conducted, 
 by. a procession of chiefs and officers, to the King's house, 
 which a large number of native workmen had been preparing 
 for his temporary residence. The next morning, however, 
 he became the guest of the chief judge of Tamatave, where 
 he was honoured with presents, and treated with the utmost 
 kindness and consideration. 
 
 On the following day, the Christians held a thanks- 
 giving service, at which " a goodly number was present," 
 and " many seemed deeply moved." " You cannot ima- 
 gine," writes Mr. Ellis, ''the sensation my arrival has 
 occasioned, and the satisfaction I derive from all I see and 
 hear about the Christians." 
 
ITS MISSION AND ITS MARTYRS. 107 
 
 After Mr. Ellis had been a week at Tamatave, a special 
 messenger from the King arrived to hasten his depar- 
 tm-e for the capital. Accordingly, he left early the next 
 morning (May 31), and on the 16th of June he reached 
 his destination. When within thirty miles of Antanana- 
 rivo, he was met by a large number of Christians from that 
 city, with two of their pastors ; but instead of expressing 
 their joy by ordinary salutations, they came towards him 
 with the voice of thanksgiving and melody. No reception 
 could have been more cordial or more touching ; and tears, 
 he tells us, were the only response he could make to the 
 devout gladness of his friends. This real Te Deum ended, 
 the pastors announced that they had been sent by their 
 brethren and the churches to bid him welcome, to assure 
 him of their delight, and to accompany him to the capital. 
 
 Ten miles further on they rested for the Sabbath Day, 
 at a village called Ambotomanga. It was a high day to 
 Mr. Ellis. As he saw the chief room of the largest house 
 in the place, " thronged with simple and devout worship- 
 pers, while numbers crowded around on the outside," he 
 was affected on thinking of the change thus indicated in 
 the circumstances of the Christians since his former visit 
 in 1854. Then, when tarrying for a Sabbath in the same 
 place, only 2ifew Christians dared to meet him for prayer, 
 and they came by stealth and at night. 
 
 Next morning, letters of welcome from the King and the 
 principal Secretary of State were put into his hands, and 
 soon after nine o'clock the party, consisting of about two 
 hundred persons, set out for the capital. As they ap- 
 proached the city, and all through the suburbs, a warm 
 reception was awaiting him from the gathered multitudes. 
 
108 MADAGASCAR: 
 
 On tlie following day he was most cordially received by 
 the King and Queen at the palace, in the piesence of the 
 nobles of the Court, who expressed their great gratification 
 at the expression of friendship on the part of the English, 
 and the endeavours of the London Missionary Society to 
 impart to his people the blessings of Christianity and 
 education. 
 
 During the next week, Mr. Ellis's house was thronged 
 with Christian friends, not merely with those who resided in 
 the capital, but with others from distant parts of the country. 
 The only drawback to his joy was the disappointment 
 which many evinced when told that he had not brought 
 with him what they longed to possess — copies of God's 
 Word. On the two following Sabbaths he attended two 
 of their places of worship, which consisted of houses with 
 the partitions and fronts removed, to afford sufficient accom- 
 modation. Each of these rude sanctuaries was, with an in- 
 terval of two hours, densely filled, from daybreak to five 
 o'clock, with congregations of about 1500. " No descrip- 
 ' tion," Mr. Ellis writes, " can convey to you any correct idea 
 of the seriousness, attention, apparent devotion, and deep 
 feeling of these assemblies during the time of worship." 
 
 We cannot, and indeed need not follow Mr. Ellis through 
 the details of his almost incessant occupations. The sub- 
 joined extracts will sufficiently show their number, inte- 
 rest, and importance. 
 
 " I am occasionally sent for by the King or some of the 
 high officers, and I have for some short time past attended 
 His Majesty at his house daily, from one to three o'clock, 
 to read English with him. We read together out of a large 
 quarto Bible, on the outside of which is inscribed in gilt 
 
ITS MISSIONS AND ITS MARTYRS. 
 
 109 
 
 THE KINa AND QUEEN OF MADAOASCAR. 
 
110 MADAGASCAE : 
 
 letters, " Presented to Eadama, King of Madagascar, by 
 the London Missionary Society, 1821.' A number of 
 officers, some of tliem Christians, are generally present, 
 and we frequently converse on what we have read. I have 
 also every forenoon at my house, eleven or twelve sons of 
 the chief nobles and officers, who come to learn English 
 an hour and a half daily. They will be the future rulers 
 of the country. They accompany me to the chapel, and 
 sometimes to my readings with the King. Last Sunday, 
 with His Majesty's approval, I held Divine service at the 
 King's house at three o'clock in the afternoon; His Majesty, 
 some of his high officers, all my pupils, and a number of 
 others, were present. I read in the Old and New Testa- 
 ment ; we sang twice ; when I prayed, partly in English, 
 and partly in Malagasy, concluding with the Lord's 
 Prayer in Malagasy. Then I occupied about a quarter 
 of an hour in an address from 1 Tim. i. 15 : 'This is a 
 faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ 
 Jesus came into the world to save sinners.' This was 
 faithfully translated by Ea Haniraka. All were very 
 attentive. I was informed that the King expressed his 
 approval, and I hope to be permitted to continue the 
 service, I have seen nothing yet to diminish the high 
 opinion I had formed of the strength and purity of the 
 religious feeling among the people. I attend the King 
 daily, read the Scriptures with him, and converse with 
 him on their contents as well as on other matters. I con- 
 tinue my Sunday service at his house, and, as I am told 
 by his officers, with increasing interest and satisfaction to 
 the King, who sometimes interrupts me to express his 
 entire concurrence in something I may have said, or to 
 
ITS MISSION AND ITS MARTYRS. Ill 
 
 impress it more forcibly upon tlie minds of the hearers. 
 Besides these engagements — which take the best hours of 
 every day, viz., from half-past ten in the morning till three 
 in the afternoon — my house, during other intervals, is 
 seldom free from persons v^^ho come to seek medical aid, 
 or instruction and advice on religious subjects." 
 
 As a further illustration of the devout character of the 
 Christians in Madagascar, the following extract, from a 
 speech of the Bishop of Mauritius, may be added. 
 
 " One evening I was obliged from fatigue to go into my 
 cot, and fell asleep. I was awakened in the early morning 
 by the voices of persons who were engaged in reading the 
 Scriptures, and prayer, and on inquiry I was informed that 
 these exercises had been carried on throughout the night. 
 * * ^ They were ever ready for prayer and reading 
 the Scriptures — more so, indeed, than I was able at all 
 times to assist in, owing to my being sick with fever. 
 
 " In testimony of their desire to read and hear the Word 
 of God, I now hold in my hand a copy of the New Testa- 
 ment, which, when I left Mauritius, was quite strong and 
 all but new. I was only a few weeks in Madagascar ; but 
 such was the desire of the people to handle the sacred 
 volume, that my copy of it has been reduced to the state 
 to which frequent use of it by them now exhibits it to 
 you. All these young men were able to read ; and one of 
 them engaged in prayer. This was precisely the state of 
 things T met with throughout my passage from the coast 
 to the capital. In the capital and its immediate neighbour- 
 hood I was struck by yet more sterling proofs of the 
 abiding power of God's Word. * * * I met with 
 many Christians who appeared to have had the truth brought 
 
112 MADAGASCAE: 
 
 to tlieir knowledge in a very special and striking manner. 
 Some of these I particularly questioned. One of them had 
 been taught Christianity by a Hova mother. She had been 
 seized, imprisoned, and had almost miraculously escaped. 
 Seized again, she was again imprisoned, and put to death, 
 with horrible torture. * * * With reference to the 
 way in which the Bible has been circulated, and its know- 
 ledge spread abroad in Madagascar, I will only mention 
 one further instance. A young man possessed a Bible, 
 which he had invariably carried about his person during a 
 period of eighteen years. In the course of that time his 
 Bible had frequently been exposed to destruction ; but he 
 had dwelt with peculiar confidence and satisfaction upon 
 that passage in Jeremiah, ^ But fear not thou, my servant 
 Jacob, and be not dismayed, O Israel ; for behold ! I will 
 save thee from afar off, and thy seed from the land of their 
 captivity ; and Jacob shall return and be in rest and at 
 ease, and none shall make him afraid.' That poor man 
 had read this in the midst of his troubles, and he was not 
 afraid. He went on his way ; and here, he said to me, we 
 are now in good health and in safety. He further quoted 
 to me the lltb and 12th verses of the same book, ' Be not 
 afraid,' &c., and six other similar passages." 
 
 The most recent communications convey the intelligence 
 that the Missionary band has been welcomed at Antana- 
 narivo, and are assiduously applying themselves to the 
 acquisition of the language, and rendering their best assist- 
 ance in promoting the objects of their Mission. The ser- 
 vices of Dr. Davidson, the Medical Missionary, were in great 
 request. All classes appreciated his skill and kindness. His 
 patients numbered about two hundred and fifty daily. 
 
ITS MISSION AND ITS MARTYRS. 113 
 
 Althougli the preceding pages contain numerous illus- 
 trations of the trial and the triumph of the faith of many 
 in bonds, imprisonment, exile, slavery, torture, and death, 
 and at the same time prove that persecution did not pre- 
 vent, but rather promoted the cause it was designed 
 to destroy, it must have been evident to every thoughtful 
 reader that large additions were yet to be made to such 
 records, and fresh evidence brought to light of the prevalence 
 and power of the Gospel. 
 
 It will also have been noticed, as we have traced the history 
 of the late Queen's reign, that many of her Christian sub- 
 jects were condemned to life-long slavery, and that others had 
 effected their escape, and were either at a safe distance from 
 the capital, or evading, in the forest, or other hiding-place, 
 the active search of their foes. Many of these have passed 
 away, in exile and sorrow, in solitude or amongst strangers, 
 to their rest in heaven. Their record is on high ; probably, 
 no page on earth will ever contain it. But this is not the 
 case with all. Some survive, and to them, as we have seen, 
 the accession of Eadama II. has been the year of jubilee. 
 They have returned from their long captivity. And now the 
 events of their lives and the fruits of their labours are be- 
 ginning to be known. It is the singular privilege of Mr. 
 EUis to hear their own thrilling histories from the lips of 
 these faithful brethren. Seldom does he preach without 
 seeing some of them amongst his hearers, and occasionally, 
 two or three come to his residence in the evening with 
 their relatives, and with one of the native pastors, and remain 
 for family worship. Amongst these are individuals who had 
 long worn heavy fetters — fetters now happily struck off 
 
114 MADAGASCAE : 
 
 from their limbs, and on their way to the Missionary Museum 
 in Blomfield Street. One of these relics of the late reign of 
 terror is an iron ring, which was worn around her ankle by 
 an eminent Christian woman, the wife of a native pastor, 
 who died in her chains rather than deny the Lord who 
 bought her. During the persecution, her husband was one 
 of the most earnest and efficient preachers. But he was 
 able to conceal himself until the storm was overpast, when 
 he reappeared amongst his brethren, and has resumed the 
 work to which God had called him, " The more," writes 
 Mr. Ellis, " I see of these Christians, the more I admire 
 and praise God for their patient endurance aud humble 
 triumph." 
 
 ''I was shown," says the Bishop of Mauritius, *'a 
 chain, although the person who showed it to me had 
 previously stated that he *did not like' to exhibit it. It 
 consisted of very heavy iron rings — now broken and cut 
 through — and had been for many long years around the 
 ankles of a poor Christian woman, whose life those rings 
 had helped to wear away ! Other instruments of torture — 
 one of them a long iron bar with adjusting rings — were 
 shown to me by a person who bore marks of the suffering 
 these had occasioned, but must carry those marks to his 
 grave ; but in spite of this, the Word of God has yet gone 
 on and prevailed." 
 
 But the most interesting and important of the commu- 
 nications which have reached the capital since the Queen's 
 death are from remote parts of the island. One of these 
 is 200 miles distant. Thither some of the Christians 
 who suffered during the early period of persecution 
 
ITS MISSION AND ITS MARTYRS. 115 
 
 were banished. Bat they carried with them the precious 
 truths for the faith and love of which they suffered. Yet, 
 though they were enslaved, " the Word of God was not 
 bound." " But in the fulness of their hearts, their mouths 
 spoke of Christ and His salvation. What has been the 
 result ? A wide and glorious harvest," writes Mr. Ellis, 
 " invites the reapers to the field. * * I am informed 
 that there are thousands of believers in the Belsileo country!'' 
 Nor is this the only remote region, in which fruits of 
 Christian effort have sprung up during the darkness which 
 has now passed away. In a postscript to a letter which ar- 
 rived while these sheets were passing through the press, occur 
 the following pregnant and suggestive words. " I received 
 a visit from another party of Christians far to the south 
 on the east coast. The Sova officers at the military post 
 have been the evangelists,''^ 
 
 Such " marvellous and gratifying " revelations of the 
 previously unknown and unanticipated effects of Christian 
 influence in the more remote parts of Madagascar, concur- 
 ring with the fact that in the capital the " numbers con- 
 tinue to increase," justify large expectations. But still the 
 friends of Missions should rejoice with trembling. One 
 period of great trial has indeed passed, but another may be 
 at hand. Prosperity may prove more fatal than persecu- 
 tion — the sunshine than the storm, 
 
 " E'en more the treach'rous calm we dread, 
 Than tempests bursting o'er our head." 
 
 But, added to the enervating influences to which too 
 frequently Christians have yielded when " rest " has been 
 
116 MADAGASCAR: 
 
 obtained " from adversity," there are active agencies at 
 work whicli must be met with vigilance and energy. It 
 is well known that as soon as the country was open, large 
 numbers of Catholic priests hastened to the capital. These 
 enemies of the truth will do their utmost to sow tares 
 amongst the wheat ; and the friends of Protestant Christi- 
 anity must labour earnestly to counteract their influence. 
 Thus, with God's blessing, mischief wiU be prevented. 
 Happily, the Bible was in Madagascar before the priest, 
 and that blessed book, when read and pondered, loved 
 and preached, as it is by the Malagasy, is mighty through 
 God against the subtleties and sophistries of Eome. The 
 testimony, therefore, of Father Jouen, that "the whole 
 Christianity" of the Malagasy '' consists in reading the 
 Bible," rightly interpreted, is fraught with high encourage^ 
 ment. We expect great things, therefore, in the future, 
 and this expectation is confirmed by the fact that those 
 who would beguile the people begin to despair of success. 
 Many of the priests have already left the capital, and 
 the Bishop of Mauritius makes the following important 
 statement upon the subject : — 
 
 " My firm impression is, that it is not of the least use to 
 attempt to spread the Eoman Catholic religion in Mada- 
 gascar. One of the Eoman Catholic priests, whom I met 
 there, observed to me that one might just as well attempt 
 to cut a rock with a razor as attempt to make Eoman 
 Catholics of the Malagasy." 
 
 But, that this and other evils may be prevented, we 
 must pray without ceasing. And if prayers such as have 
 prevailed on behalf of the persecuted, be presented with 
 
ITS MISSION AND ITS MAUTYRS 117 
 
 the same faith and fervour on behalf of the prosperous, 
 their '' power with God " will be as manifest in the one 
 case, as in the other. But with prayer there must be a 
 large increase of Christian labour. Grod has signally ho- 
 noured the London Missionary Society, in permitting it to 
 commence so great a work in Madagascar. But the 
 Directors of that Institution feel that together with the 
 honour there is a weighty obligation to carry it on with an 
 energy, and upon a scale in some degree commensurate 
 with the wide extent of the field to be cultivated, and with 
 the assurance, founded upon the past and the present, that 
 the time is at hand when, with the blessing of Him wdio is 
 ''Head over all," that noble island will be filled with the 
 knowledge of His salvation, and sustain a position and 
 exert an influence which will entitle it to even a more 
 honourable name than " The Great Britain of Africa." 
 
 William Stevens, Printer, 37, Bell Yard, Temple Bar, 
 
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