This prince, a son of a sister of Queen Ranavola, was adopted by the queen many years ago, when she had no son of her own, and, owing to her time of life, could scarcely hope to have any offspring. So she looked upon the prince as her natural successor, and declared him her heir with all the usual formalities. Soon afterward she had hopes of becoming a mother, and Prince Rakoto was born. It is asserted by many that though, in consequence of this event, she removed Ramboasalama from the succession, and declared her own son to be the heir-apparent, this was not done with the usual ceremonies, and it is much to be feared that upon the queen’s decease great and bloody dissensions may arise between the parties of the rival princes, and the faction of Ramboasalama may obtain the mastery. This prince, several years older than Rakoto, is naturally far more experienced than the latter; he has also the reputation of being very astute and enterprising; and, though not so good-natured and philanthropic as the queen’s son, he is far less cruel and bloodthirsty than Ranavola.
So far as I could judge from what was told me, he appears to have formed a powerful party for himself, and to have secured the greater portion of the nobility, chiefly through great concessions, and from the fact that he is entirely averse to the abolition of slavery, while, on the other hand, Prince Rakoto means to carry out this measure, and wishes in general to curtail the privileges of the higher classes.
These reasons ought in themselves to be sufficient to induce one of the European powers to take Prince Rakoto’s part; but European governments only take up cases in which they have the prospect of some immediate and material advantage—to act from mere philanthropy forms no part of their plans.
The plot has unfortunately become what may be called a “well-known secret.” Every body knows of it, and even among the people reports of the contemplated change in the government have become rife; and it is only the queen, we have been assured, who is in profound ignorance of what is going on around her. I can not believe this. We are certainly told that no one would venture to accuse the prince to his mother, for in such a case the queen would surely at once summon her son and make him acquainted with the charges against him, when it might be anticipated that he would deny every thing, and the denouncer would be considered as a traitor, and executed accordingly. I can not believe that the adherents and favorites of the queen have entirely left out the prince’s name, and merely have denounced Mr. Lambert, Mr. Laborde, and a few of the other conspirators. Of adherents and favorites the queen has plenty, in spite of her cruelty and egotism; and she knows how to attach the most influential men in the land to her person, though they do not receive the smallest salary from her; but she gratifies them with estates and slaves, or gives them a still more valuable reward, by assigning to them, under the name of aids-de-camp, a number of people who are obliged to do them service like slaves, receiving neither provisions nor wages in return. Thus Raharo, the present commander-in-chief of the army, has eight hundred of these aids-de-camp continually under his command; his father, who preceded him as commander-in-chief, had fifteen hundred.
June 21. To-day Prince Rakoto told us that his mother would receive Mr. Lambert as soon as his health was restored, and me too, in the inner palace, and that she wished very much to see us dance together. He added that it would give her great pleasure to see us exhibit some new dance, and that, as Europeans, we were doubtless acquainted with several. A strange idea this! First I had to give a concert, and now I am to turn ballet-dancer, and perhaps afterward dancing-mistress—I who, even in my youth, cared very little for dancing, and always had the greatest difficulty in remembering the various steps and figures. And Mr. Lambert! What a thing to expect from a man who is still young, that he should execute a pas de deux with a woman nearly sixty years old! Neither of us had the slightest intention to gratify this ridiculous whim; and as Mr. Lambert suffered much again this morning from the fever, and I also had a renewed attack of that insidious disease, we made our illness serve as an excuse for the present.
June 22. To-day we received very bad news: the queen has received information of the plot. Our friends told us, however, that efforts were being made to divert her suspicions from the right direction, and to make her believe that the people wished for a change in the government. It is said that no names have been denounced to her, but that the wish is represented as having been generally expressed among the people.
Our friends may try to screen us, but our enemies, of whom Mr. Lambert, as I have already remarked, has several, will not be so considerate; and it is unfortunately certain that the queen has for some time looked upon Mr. Lambert with suspicion, for to-day she told her son that when Mr. Lambert lay dangerously ill of the fever, she had consulted the oracle upon the question whether he had any evil design against her, and if so, whether he would die of the fever. The reply of the Sikidy was, that “if Mr. Lambert had any such evil design, the fever would assuredly carry him off:” as this had not been the case—as he had not died, she thought he could not be plotting any evil against her.
Is this the truth, or does the cunning woman only say it in the hope of worming something out of the prince himself? Even if it is the truth, can she not consult the Sikidy over and over again, until, some fine day, it may give a different answer?
At any rate, I consider our cause is lost; and Heaven knows what the queen may intend to do to us. These are the consequences of the prince’s delays and irresolution. But who knows? Several times the thought has arisen in my mind, chiefly from the demeanor of Prince Raharo, that the prince is surrounded by traitors, who pretend to acquiesce in his projects, but only do so to obtain a knowledge of them, and afterward carry intelligence to the queen. Perhaps in this view they treat him like a child, and let him have his hobby, always, however, taking the necessary precautions to be able to stop his highness’s sport before things go too far.
June 27. Last night died Marshal Prince Razakaratrino, the queen’s brother-in-law. The death of this grand lord will give me an opportunity of seeing a new and interesting sight, for the funeral of such an exalted personage is conducted in Madagascar with the greatest solemnity. After the body has been washed, it is wrapped in simbus of red silk, often to the number of several hundred, and none of which must cost less than ten piastres, though they generally cost much more. Thus enshrouded, the corpse is placed in a kind of coffin, and lies in state in the principal apartment in the house, under a canopy of red silk. Slaves crouch around it, crowded together as closely as possible, with their hair hanging loose, and their heads bent down in token of mourning; each of them is furnished with a kind of fan to keep off the flies and musquitoes from the deceased. This strange occupation is continued day and night; and as high personages are frequently kept unburied for several weeks, the slaves have to be continually relieved by others.