We went accordingly, and found more than a hundred persons—judges, nobles, and officers—sitting in a large half circle on benches and chairs, and some on the ground; behind them stood a number of soldiers. One of the officers received us, and made us sit down opposite the judges. These judges were shrouded in long simbus; their glances rested gloomily and gravely upon us, and for a considerable time there was deep silence. I confess to having felt somewhat alarmed, and whispered to Mr. Laborde, “I think our last hour has come!” His reply was, “I am prepared for every thing.”
At length one of the ministers or judges rose, and in sepulchral tones, embellished with a multitude of high-sounding epithets, he spoke somewhat to the following effect, telling us:
“The people had heard that we were Republicans, and that we had come to Madagascar with the intention of introducing a similar form of government here; that we intended to overturn the throne of their beloved ruler, to give the people equal rights with the nobility, and to abolish slavery; also, that we had had several interviews with the Christians, a sect equally obnoxious to the queen and the people, and had exhorted them to hold fast to their faith, and to expect speedy succor. These treasonable proceedings,” he continued, “had so greatly exasperated the natives against us, that the queen had been compelled to treat us as prisoners as a protection against the popular indignation. The whole population of Tananariva was clamoring for our death; but as the queen had never yet deprived a white person of life, she would abstain in this instance also, though the crimes we had committed could fully have justified her in such a course; in her magnanimity and mercy she had accordingly decided to limit our punishment to perpetual banishment from her territories.
“Mr. Lambert, Mr. Marius, the two other Europeans who lived at Mr. Laborde’s, and myself, were accordingly to depart from the city within an hour. Mr. Laborde might remain twenty-four hours longer; and, in consideration of his former services, he was to be allowed to take away all his property that was not fixed, with the exception of his slaves. These, with his houses, estates, etc., were to revert to the queen, by whose bounty they had been bestowed on him. With regard to his son, inasmuch as the youth was a native by the mother’s side, and might be supposed, on account of his tender years, to have taken no part in the conspiracy, it should be optional with him either to remain in the island or to quit it with us.
“The queen would allow us, and Mr. Laborde also, as many bearers as we required to carry us and our property, and, as a measure of precaution, she would cause us to be escorted by a company of soldiers, consisting of fifty privates, twenty officers, and a commandant. Mr. Laborde would have a similar escort, and was commanded to keep at least one day’s journey in our rear.”
In spite of our critical position, we could hardly refrain from laughing at this oration. All at once the people were made out to be important—the poor people who were groaning in bondage like Russian serfs or the slaves of the United States; now all at once we found the poor people influencing the royal will, and invested with the right, not only of expressing a wish, but even of uttering threats! The orator, however, did not seem at all familiar with the word people, frequently substituting for it that of “queen,” by mistake, in the course of his speech.
Of course we were not allowed to say a single word in our own defense or justification, nor, indeed, did we think of such a thing; for we were very glad to escape so easily, and could hardly understand this unexpected magnanimity on her majesty’s part. Alas! we neither knew nor suspected what sufferings lay before us.
At the close of the kabar Mr. Lambert received back the presents which had been carried away a few days before; but not all of them, as we could see at the first glance. I fancy, however, that the missing articles had not been detained by the queen, but by the officers and grandees. Prince Rakoto kept nearly the whole of his share, sending back only a few trifles, as it seemed, in nominal acquiescence to the queen’s wishes.
All the officers and nobles among whom Mr. Lambert had distributed presents were ordered to bring them back; but the considerable sums of money they had received from the visitor, and of which the queen knew nothing, remained in their possession.
Within an hour we were not only to get our baggage in order, and make the necessary preparations for our journey in the way of laying in provisions, but likewise to pack up all the valuable articles returned to Mr. Lambert. How to do this was the question. Most of the chests had been broken to pieces; for, after the queen had so solemnly fetched away the presents, who would have thought of their being sent back?