the King's own hand, his Excellency has hastened to avail himself of the first means he can command, of sending special messengers to offer his congratulations to His Majesty and his assurances of continuing friendship. And, although his Excellency regrets that he has not at this moment, in the harbour of Port Louis, one of Her Majesty's ships by which he could send his message of congratulation in a more complimentary manner to His Majesty, he thinks it unnecessary to delay his messengers on that account, and prefers showing how promptly he desires to acknowledge the courtesy with which His Majesty has honoured him, by sending his special messengers in a private ship. I beg to announce to you the names and rank of the officers and gentlemen who are entrusted with this special message and letter. Lieutenant-Colonel Middleton of the Royal Artillery, Companion of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath; Lieutenant Marindin, of the Royal Engineers, an officer of his Excellency's personal Staff; Edward Newton, Esq., Assistant Colonial Secretary; Edward Mellish, Esq., merchant of Mauritius and representative of the mercantile body of Port Louis; James Caldwell, Esq., a public officer and interpreter of languages, accompanied by a medical officer, and by several subordinates and followers. And I beg to request you will be so good as to cause every facility to be afforded to these officers and their subordinates in proceeding to and returning from the capital, and that you will furnish them with all the accommodation they may require. SIR, I have, &c. FELIX BEDINGFELD. No. 2.-Mr. Chichester Fortescue to Governor Stevenson. Downing Street, November 26, 1861. I HAVE received your despatch of the 23rd September, transmitting a letter to the Queen from King Radama II, announcing the death of the late Queen of Madagascar and his accession to the throne. That letter has been forwarded to Her Majesty, and I shall by the next opportunity communicate Her Majesty's pleasure upon it. In the mean time, I have to inform you that Earl Russell concurs with me in approving of your proceedings in sending a mission of congratulation to the King. I have, &c. Governor Stevenson. C. FORTESCUE. No. 3.-Governor Stevenson to the Duke of Newcastle. MY LORD DUKE, Mauritius, December 3, 1861. IN continuation of my despatch of the 23rd of September, I have now the honour to report the safe return from Madagascar of Colonel Middleton and the gentlemen whom I sent with him on a mission of congratulation and encouragement to King Radama II, and to transmit to your Grace copies of two reports which I have received from Colonel Middleton, and of a general report which has been furnished by all the members conjointly, together with the letter of acknowledgment from King Radama, all which documents will be found among the printed papers which accompany this despatch. As I sent this mission on my own responsibility, with the approval of the Council of Government, before I could communicate with your Grace on the subject, and as the cost of the mission, as well as of the presents which have been sent by the colony to King Radama, will be defrayed by the local treasury, I considered it proper to place all the papers and correspondence before the Council, for their information as to the progress and success of the mission; and it appeared to me desirable, for other reasons, that my own letters and instructions should be printed also, as no room would then be allowed for surmise or speculation as to the real object and intention in sending the mission; the correspondence and instructions affording full explanations on the subject. Your Grace will see from these reports that the immediate objects of this mission have been accomplished as satisfactorily as could be desired, and that Colonel Middleton and the rest of the members were received in a marked and gratifying manner. The compliment appears to have been highly appreciated, and the prompt manner in which the King's liberal policy of open trade and commerce has been acknowledged, and his desire to improve his country and his people has been encouraged, has made, I think, precisely the impression that was hoped for, and will, I trust, ensure those advantages of uninterrupted and improved trade and commerce between this colony and Madagascar, which will be as advantageous to the latter as it is necessary to the former; our sole reliance for a supply of cattle and an auxiliary supply of rice being placed on that island, and the interruptions and restrictions which have hitherto taken place, having proved highly inconvenient, and, in some measure, disastrous to this colony. I have every reason to believe that the plain and undisguised objects of the mission, and the candid bearing of all its members had the effect of satisfying the King and his principal Ministers, as well as the people of the country generally, that every confidence, was to be placed in the straightforward assurances they were authorized to convey, of our wish to maintain and to improve our reciprocal trade and friendship, without desiring any advantages that might not be as fairly given to all other friendly and trading countries; and the accredited authority to go so far and no farther, to explain everything and disguise nothing, placed the members in favourable contrast with those doubtful and unaccredited speculators of whom, and of whose pretensions we have, from time to time, heard so much in connexion with the Island and affairs of Madagascar. A similar mission appears, from these papers and others, to have been expected from the French Government, but, up to the time of leaving Madagascar, no such accredited mission had arrived, although several French gentlemen and Jesuit priests, from Bourbon, had come there, and a French vessel of war in the harbour of Tamatave had saluted the new King's flag. The King's letter of acknowledgment plainly evinces his desire that an amicable and improved position should subsist between himself and Her Majesty, and between his people and English people, and with the inhabitants of this colony in particular; and that trade and commerce, arts and agriculture, should be spread and encouraged as fully and as openly as possible. The assurances conveyed to the mission likewise manifest that wish; but in a country like Madagascar, which has been so long closed against the general traffic of the world, it is no wonder that they should possess but a crude and elementary knowledge of commerce, and of the proper mode of carrying out their wish, and that their best practical lessons still remain to be learnt. In this infancy of Madagascar in all these necessary arts and pursuits, which alone make a country useful and profitable to itself and to the rest of the world, it is our duty, in my opinion, in the advancement of our own local interests, as well as of those of Madagascar, to give every encouragement and assistance for their promotion; and if other neighbouring colonies and countries follow the example that has been shown by ours, it will greatly aid in promoting a general good understanding with that country, and in establishing that advancement in civilization, and in the elementary arts of commerce, among these isolated and unknown people, which would soon form the basis of their future importance and improvement, if not frustrated by the unaccredited speculations or sinister designs of intriguing persons. Admiral Sir Baldwin Walker having sent down Her Majesty's steam-ship Brisk, with orders to proceed to Madagascar, and to call here for any instructions I might think proper to give to Captain de Horsey, I did not hesitate to put her services in requisition to bring back the members of the mission, and the subordinates and servants they took with them; and Captain de Horsey was enabled to pay the usual compliment to the King's flag and to bring back the mission after a few days' detention. I have informed Sir Baldwin Walker of the proceedings I have adopted, and shall send him a copy of the accompanying printed papers for his infor mation. These papers will show, and I have also learnt from all the members of the mission, that the King is exceedingly anxious that an English Resident, probably a Consul or Consular Agent, should be appointed to Madagascar. The mere amount of trade that is at present pursued in that country, would not of itself justify any such appointment; but if British commerce is to be encouraged in that island, or British, as well as foreign, companies or private persons, are to be allowed by the King to undertake mining or agricultural pursuits, as I am informed is likely to be the case, it will be desir able that some sort of Resident or Consular Agent should be sent there, not only for the protection of British commerce and interests, but for the purpose of giving any reliable information that may be required by the King, or by the people of the country on subjects of trade, commerce, and financial economy generally, with the very elements of which they appear at present to be but slightly acquainted. The rudimentary instruction which the first King Radama received from the missionaries, teachers, and merchants, who formerly went from England and from this island under the protection and support of the British and local Governments, appears to have been almost effaced by the last 30 years of isolation and restriction which have been allowed to arrest and blight all progress in that island, under the baneful policy of the late Queen and her counsellors or coadjutors; and civilized countries should begin the work of instruction anew, now that a fair opening is afforded for its commencement. A man of high principle and unflinching rectitude of purpose, and of favourable and conciliating manner, and imposing presence, accredited in some Consular position, with the means and the power of affording useful information to the King, might be the means of accomplishing great improvements in the country, and among the people and its institutions, while he would insure an uninterrupted continuauce of commercial advantage to this colony and other neighbouring places. If there were a concurrence of views in these respects, by other countries likewise, and philanthropy as well as commerce, were embarked in the undertaking, with no ulterior objects of individual or national advantage in prospect, to which exception could be taken, a still greater service might be done to the country, and to the interests of commerce at large. British, as well as French, coins have not hitherto been equally current at Madagascar. It appears that, in consequence of some strange misrepresentation as to their value, the former have been depreciated, to the inconvenience of the Mauritian trader, while the latter have been admitted into free circulation. But this misrepresentation has been partly exposed, and the error and inconvenience will soon be rectified with an extension of British trade, and an assurance of fair dealing. I have to express, in conclusion, my full approval of the manner in which all the members of this mission have accomplished the work they were appointed to fulfil, and of the careful and discreet judgment they have displayed in carrying out my instructions. The thanks and acknowledgments of the Council of Government have been already expressed for their services; and I hope I may now ask your Grace to approve, and to obtain from Her Majesty's Government a further approval of those services. The Duke of Newcastle. I have, &c. WILLIAM STEVENSON. (Inclosure 1.)-Lieutenant-Colonel Middleton's First Report to the Governor of Mauritius. SIR, Tamatave, September 27, 1861. I HAVE the honour to inform you of the safe arrival here of the mission of congratulation from your Excellency to King Radama II, on the afternoon of the 26th September, at 2 p.m. Immediately on my arrival I despatched Lieutenant Marindin with a letter, enclosing that of the Colonial Secretary, announcing my arrival, and intimating my desire that the mission should be publicly acknowledged, by their sending an officer of high rank to call upon me, to enable me to fix a time to see the Governor of Tamatave. Lieutenant Marindin was received with all honours, although at the time of our arrival the Governor was receiving two officers of the 13th and 14th Honour, just arrived from Antananarivo for the purpose of proclaiming the King, and hoisting his new flag; which flag, when fully known, will be intimated to your Excellency's Colonial Secretary by the Assistant Colonial Secretary, now with the mission. Accordingly, at 9 o'clock this morning, I received a letter from the Governor, informing me that at 11 o'clock one of the two officers just arrived from Antananarivo would come on board to pay your Excellency's mission all honour. Exactly at the time mentioned he arrived, accompanied by 3 others of high rank. After the usual salutations, I arranged for the Governor to receive me as soon as possible. We landed with all the honours it was possible to give your mission, and everything and every expression was, I think, all that your Excellency could have desired. To-night we land, and are lodged by the King; to-morrow we are publicly entertained by the |