who informed Colonel Middleton that he had instructed the Governor of Tamatave to deliver to him 40 bullocks as a present to your Excellency. His Majesty was at the same time pleased to present the Embassy with a number of specimens of the woven silk manufacture of Madagascar. The King expressed much anxiety that a mission should be sent at the time of the coronation, to take place in August. The King's wish was interpreted to Colonel Middleton, who undertook to represent His Majesty's desire in its proper light to your Excellency. It was then formally announced to His Majesty that the two horses presented to him by the Governor and people of Mauritius had arrived in good order. His Majesty soon after expressed a wish to see them, and we adjourned to the court-yard of the palace. The King was pleased to express great satisfaction, as he had done with regard to the other presents. Before taking our leave, Colonel Middleton again, in the name of the Governor and people of Mauritius, wished the King a long and happy reign, and cordially thanked him for our reception. The Embassy then retired, after the King had wished a safe and speedy return voyage. On the following morning (the 22nd) we were ready to start at 8 o'clock, and took our farewell look at Antananarivo. The King sent a letter after us, expressing his regret, that in consequence of our sudden departure no arrangements had been made for any ceremonial, but stated that the Governor of Tamatave had been instructed to fire a salute on our departure; we therefore made our exit quietly, and without delay. It was most satisfactory to see the state of things at Antananarivo, especially when we reflected that only 6 short months before, scenes of cruelty and tyranny had been enacted which are difficult of belief. The Christian persecution had gone on, with little intermission, up to the time of the late Queen's death, and parties of Christians, who had been for many years in chains, were released at King Radama's accession. We have, &c. W. A. MIDDLETON. F. A. MARINDIN. EDWARD MELLISH. Wm. Stevenson, Esq. SIR, J. CALDWELL. No. 4.-The Duke of Newcastle to the King of Madagascar. Downing Street, December 18, 1861. THE Governor of Mauritius has transmitted to me, and I have laid before the Queen of England, your Majesty's letter, in which you announce that you are King in Madagascar. The Queen of England has long known that you are a liberal and enlightened Prince, entertaining wise views respecting trade with foreigners and the education of the people, and she learns with pleasure and satisfaction that you reign in Madagascar. She desires that there may be always a kind and friendly intercourse between you and her, and between your people and her people. The Queen has sent to you a copy of the Holy Scriptures, which she has written her name, with a picture of herself, and som other presents, which she hopes you will accept as tokens of her friendship. As one of Her Majesty's Principal Secretaries of State, I have been commanded by Her Majesty to express to you these Her Majesty's sentiments, and to add the assurances of my high consideration. And I have, &c. The King of Madagascar. NEWCASTLE. No. 5.-The King of Madagascar to Her Majesty Victoria, Queen of Great Britain. (Translation.) YOUR MAJESTY, Antananarivo, 8 Alakarabo, 1862. (November 9, 1861.) I THANK you for the kind speed with which your Government has thought fit to send me an Ambassador to congratulate me on my accession to the throne of Madagascar, and to assure me of the friendly feelings of England. This day I send, in order to thank your Majesty, Mr. Lambert, to whom I give the most extensive powers to settle all affairs which may lead to the well-being and to the civilization of my people. I have opened the ports of Madagascar to commerce, and I have given orders to the Governors to protect the persons and the goods of strangers who may establish themselves in this country. I trust that the relations which may henceforth exist between the two countries may be most satisfactory. Such are the wishes which I form from the bottom of my heart. May God preserve your Majesty! May He bless your family and your Kingdom. RADAMA II. No. 6.-Queen Victoria to the King of Madagascar. VICTORIA, by the Grace of God, Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, &c.; to his Majesty Radama II, King of Madagascar, our most distinguished friend, sendeth greeting: We have received with much pleasure the letter which your Majesty addressed to us by Mr. Lambert, and we gladly embrace the opportunity which that letter affords us, to express to you anew our cordial congratulations on your accession to the throne, and our best wishes for the long continuance and prosperity of your reign. We rejoice to learn that your Majesty has opened the ports of Madagascar to commerce, and that you have given your commands to your officers to protect the persons and property of strangers who may resort to your dominions. These liberal and enlightened measures will not only establish friendly relations between Madagascar and other countries, but will, we are persuaded, greatly promote the welfare of your people, by offering to them inducements to develop the internal resources of the great and fertile island over which you rule, and by opening channels for the interchange of the friends of their industry with foreign countries. With a view to maintain and improve the friendly intercourse between our subjects and those of your Majesty, we shall be ready to enter into a Treaty of Friendship and Commerce with your Majesty, and it is our intention shortly to send to your capital a person possessed of our confidence, who will be furnished with the needful instructions and powers for that purpose. In the meantime we write this letter to assure you of our friendship and good will, and of our earnest desires for your uninterrupted health and happiness. And so we recommend you to the protection of the Almighty. Given at our Court at Windsor Castle, the 21st day of March in the year of our Lord 1862, and in the 25th year of our reign. Your good Friend, RUSSELL. VICTORIA R. No. 7.-Mr. Stevenson to the Members of the Madagascar Mission. Government House, July 8, 1862. THE officers in charge of the Queen's letter and presents to King Radama, viz., the Honourable Major-General Johnstone; the Right Reverend the Lord Bishop of Mauritius; Inspector General Anson, Captain R.A.; Captain Wilson, R.N.; and Lieutenant Oliver, R.A., acting as General Johnstone's Aide-de-Camp, will proceed in Her Majesty's ship, Gorgon, to Tamatave, and thence with all possible expedition to the capital of Antananarivo, where they will receive possession of the presents, which, for the sake of expedition, have been placed under transit charge of Mr. Caldwell. Major-General Johnstone will deliver the accompanying letter from myself to King Radama, and will ask, for himself and the accompanying party, an interview with the King, for the purpose of placing in his Majesty's hands the Queen's letter of compliment and friendly assurances to King Radama, and of delivering the presents of which the party are in charge. I entrust the Queen's letter, which is under Her Majesty's signmanual, to the express care of Major-General Johnstone, for per sonal delivery to the King at this interview; and I wish him to convey, in Her Majesty's name, every renewed assurance to King Radama of the continuing friendship of Her Majesty and the people of England towards himself and his country, and the desire to see and to aid in its material advancement and prosperity; and to repeat to the King that, for the purpose of carrying out such objects, Her Majesty has sent, as announced in her letter, a Consul to reside at Madagascar, and to protect and promote British trade and enterprises there, as well as to aid in advancing the mutual interests of the two countries-Madagascar and England. The King may be informed that, for the purpose of affording his Majesty early information of the contents of the Queen's letter, before the original could be placed in his hands in proper official form, a copy of that letter was lately forwarded to His Majesty by the hands of the Reverend William Ellis; and that the British Consul, who may possibly have already arrived, was furnished with another copy, to avoid the chances of miscarriage. Major-General Johnstone will then present to the King the Right Reverend the Lord Bishop of Mauritius, and inform His Majesty that the Bishop will place the copy of the "Holy Scriptures" in His Majesty's hands; and the Bishop can accompany the gift of the "Holy Bible" with any hopeful words which his Lordship may consider appropriate to the occasion. Major-General Johnstone will then present Inspector-General Anson and Commander Wilson to the King, as the officers charged with the care of the remaining presents, which will then be laid before His Majesty in the Queen's name, with Her Majesty's best wishes to the King; and the General and those officers can explain to His Majesty the particular uses of any of the presents which may require description. This duty being ended, Major-General Johnstone will inform the King that it would be the wish of Her Majesty that he, and the accompanying officers, should be allowed to do honour to the occasion of the coronation by being present thereat, and may ask His Majesty's permission to attend and witness the ceremony; and should the King express a wish that they should form part of the pageant in any complimentary manner, they are at liberty to do so, in testimony of Her Majesty's good feeling towards the King and his Government and people. But care must be taken to avoid any uninvited act that may be construed into an assumed political interference, or which might not be equally performed (under similar invitation) by the high officers of any other Government that may chance to be present on the occasion. Any assistance that may be given at the ceremony must be confined to that only which may be invited on the part of the King, and be afforded as a compliment and honour to the occasion. In case of any doubt, the British Consul may be consulted; and I believe that Consuls from one or two other Governments will be present at the coronation, and, probably, similar acts of compliment will be invited from visitors or emissaries from other countries also. There should be a common and united feeling among all to join in doing every honour to the occasion. At the close of the ceremonies, or as soon after as may be most convenient, the party may return to Tamatave; but I have no desire to hasten their return with the same expedition with which they will be obliged to proceed to the capital, in case it be desirable to pursue any useful inquiries on the spot, or they may be invited to furnish to the King any information they may possess for practical purposes of mutual interest and advantages; at the same time, it is not desirable that the stay of the entire party should be unnecessarily prolonged. For the general convenience of account and resonsibility, I leave all detail arrangements where I have already placed them, with Inspector-General Anson, who will consult the convenience and accommodation of the General and the Bishop, and obtain all the assistance that can be given by Commander Wilson and Lieutenant Oliver. Upon arrival at Tamatave, when the probable period of return (with reference to the close of the coronation) can be better ascertained, Captain Wilson can make arrangements for the return of the Gorgon to Tamatave, to bring back the party, should he find it desirable to send her on a cruize or on any other duty in the interval. The usual complimentary salutes should be fired from the Gorgon on arrival and departure. SIR, WILLIAM STEVENSON. No. 8.-Mr. Murray to Sir Frederic Rogers. Foreign Office, August 25, 1862. I AM directed by Earl Russell to transmit to you, for the information of his Grace the Duke of Newcastle, a copy of a despatch from Her Majesty's Consul at Réunion, reporting the appointment by the French Government of a special Mission from that island to assist at the coronation of the King of Madagascar. I am, &c. Sir F. Rogers, Bart. MY LORD, JAMES MURRAY. (Inclosure.)-Mr. Hill to Earl Russell. Réunion, July 3, 1862. I HAVE the honour to inform your Lordship that, in addition to |