posed to refer the question to the arbitration 

 of a neutral power, M. Cassas treated the sug- 

 gestion as a reflection on his authority, and 

 declared that its repetition would involve a 

 rupture between France and Madagascar. The 

 question was here allowed to rest, the Catho- 

 lic missionaries proceeding to put up their 

 buildings against the protest of the Malagasy 

 authorities. 



In 1881 another dispute was caused by the 

 Touel6 affair. Four sailors, while landing goods 

 from a French merchant-ship, were killed by 

 the subjects of the King of Boeni, a vassal of 

 the Hova Queen. The captain of a French 

 man-of-war, which was sent to inquire into the 

 matter, reported that it was a simple case of 

 murder and robbery. The Hova officials, after 

 an investigation, represented that the French- 

 men were smugglers, that they had supplied 

 French Arab colonists with arms and ammu- 

 nition, which are contraband, and that they 

 and the Arabs fired first on the people of the 

 chief of Majanga who came to stop the unlaw- 

 ful traffic. The French consul, Theodore Mey- 

 er, demanded the death of four of the culprits, 

 and a heavy indemnity for the murder in addi- 

 tion to the value of the merchandise. He and 

 his successor, M. Baudais, refused to discuss 

 the Malagasy version of the affair. To the 

 peremptory demand of Baudais for reparation, 

 the Malagasy Government gave way, and paid 

 under protest the $6,000 indemnity for the four 

 French citizens who had been " foully assassi- 

 nated." 



The French Government, at this time in 

 pursuit of its aims of colonial expansion, con- 

 templated the enlargement of the French set- 

 tlements and the strengthening of its political 

 position in Madagascar. Its agents in Mada- 

 gascar had pictured in glowing colors the colo- 

 nial and commercial possibilities of the island, 

 and particularly the importance of the Bay of 

 Diego Suarez as a site for a naval and coaling 

 station to offset the English establishments at 

 Aden and Perim. It claimed a protectorate 

 over the northwest coast, in virtue of a treaty 

 concluded with a Sakalava chief in 1841. The 

 Malagasy Government also claimed the sover- 

 eign rights over this country, which before 

 and after the French treaty was invaded by 

 Hova troops. The English advisers of the 

 Hova ministry, actuated by political, religious, 

 and commercial jealousy, encouraged them to 

 deny that France possessed any territorial 

 rights in Madagascar. The military and politi- 

 cal protectorate accorded in the treaty with the 

 Sakalavas was construed as a right of agricult- 

 ural and commercial colonization on Malagasy 

 territory, with the privilege of keeping an 

 armed force for the protection of the settle- 

 ments. The whole island of Madagascar, in- 

 cluding the district already occupied by France, 

 was declared to be subject to the Malagasy 

 Queen. To forestall the French designs of 

 extending the colonial operations in Madagas- 

 car, the Hova Government sent an Englishman 



MADAGASCAR. 



459 



in 1882 to the northwest coast with a commis- 

 sion to inquire into the extent of the French 

 trade, and the character and number of the 

 French settlements. M. Baudais sent the Prime 

 Minister a dispatch charging the Hova Gov- 

 ernment with " willfully provoking France, 

 whose patience had already lasted too long," 

 aud maintaining the absolute right of France 

 to the protectorate over the northwest coast. 

 The Hovas, relying on English support, pre- 

 pared to resist the French design by force of 

 arms. Captain Le Timbre, commander of the 

 naval station in the Indian seas, whose ship 

 was anchored in Tamatave, laid an embargo 

 on a Hova vessel that was embarking soldiers 

 and arms for the west coast, and forbade the 

 landing of arms for the Malagasy Government 

 from the American ship Stillman. 



The Hova Government then, in July, 1882, 

 announced the intention of sending an embassy 

 with the Foreign Minister Ravoninahitrinia- 

 rivo at its head to Paris, with full powers " to 

 do whatever they may judge necessary to re- 

 store friendly relations between France and 

 Madagascar." The ambassadors were accom- 

 panied by two Englishmen, Messrs. Tacchi and 

 Pickersgill. Their object was not merely to 

 explain the claim of exclusive dominion to the 

 French Government, but to seek the support of 

 other governments. They failed in obtaining 

 effective support from England or other powers, 

 though treaties were signed with Great Brit- 

 ain, Germany, and the United States, recog- 

 nizing the Hova state as the only organized 

 government on the island. Meanwhile Ad- 

 miral Pierre was sent with a squadron to the 

 coast of Madagascar. 



The French admiral arrived in Madagascar 

 in May, 1883. He immediately issued a proc- 

 lamation to the Hova authorities on the north- 

 west coast, ordering them to leave their posts 

 and abandon the country. The Malagasy Gov- 

 ernment replied by expelling the Catholic mis- 

 sionaries and all the French citizens from the 

 Malagasy dominions, giving the priests, who 

 had just completed their fine cathedral, a safe- 

 conduct to the French lines. On June 13 

 occurred the bombardment and occupation of 

 Tamatave. The Shaw incident connected with 

 the operations was taken up by the English 

 Government in a manner that seemed to in- 

 dicate an intention to uphold the Hovas and 

 their missionary abettors ; but when it was 

 closed by the payment of an indemnity andean 

 apology to the aggrieved missionary, no fur- 

 ther opposition was offered to the French pro- 

 ceedings. Before the bombardment the French 

 commander presented an ultimatum to the 

 Hova Government, and on its rejection cap- 

 tured Tamatave, driving out the Hova troops 

 and taking possession of the custom-house. 



Fortified with the American and German 

 treaties, the envoys returned to Paris. Presi- 

 dent Ferry received them with polite reserve. 

 In the course of their conferences he received 

 the report of the operations at Tamatave, 



