460 



MADAGASCAR. 



whereupon he dismissed them with the decla- 

 ration that negotiations were useless, as the 

 French admiral and consul had ample author- 

 ity and all the necessary instructions to treat 

 with the Hova Government. 



After the return of the mission to Antana- 

 narivo, negotiations were reopened with the 

 French representatives. At the second con- 

 ference, Nov. 24, 1883, the French insisted on 

 the ultimatum. The principal demand is that 

 the Government of the Queen shall recognize 

 the French protectorate over the northwest 

 coast by renouncing the sovereign rights based 

 on the capitulations obtained from the Saka- 

 lava leaders in 1841 and 1842, and acknowl- 

 edging the validity of the French treaty with 

 the Sakalavas. The territory claimed by France 

 was defined as extending from Cape Amber in 

 the north to 16 south latitude, including the 

 town and river of Mojanga. The French pleni- 

 potentiaries pointed out that their position was 

 conceded in the treaty of 1862 with Radama, 

 and in the convention agreed to by the Mala- 

 gasy ambassadors, Nov. 22, 1882, and that the 

 title of Queen of Madagascar does not imply 

 dominion over all the territories included un- 

 der the geographical name of Madagascar. 

 The Hovas answered that the Queen had paid 

 $240,000 in lieu of the stipulations of that con- 

 vention, and that the de facto rule of the Queen 

 over the disputed district was proved by the 

 presence of Hova troops and officials and the 

 collection of customs duties. On the 26th the 

 Hovas sent in writing their definitive reply to 

 the effect that the Queen could not agree to 

 evacuate any territory, whereupon Admiral 

 Galiber and M. Baudais declared the negotia- 

 tions at an end. 



Queen Ranavalona II died July 13, 1883, and 

 was succeeded by her niece, Rasendranoro Ra- 

 navalona III, born in 1860, who married the 

 husband of the late Queen, the Prime Minister 

 Rasaromino. 



The French admiral in December, 1883, bom- 

 barded the Malagasy ports, destroying a con- 

 siderable amount of English property. The 

 Hovas, despairing of foreign aid, now offered 

 to accept the terms demanded by Admiral Gali- 

 ber, viz., the abandonment of the northern dis- 

 trict between Cape St. Andre and Cape Bel- 

 lone, the right of leasing or owning land in the 

 Malagasy kingdom, and the payment of 1,000,- 

 000 francs war indemnity and the value of the 

 foreign property destroyed. The civil repre- 

 sentative of the French Republic insisted on 

 imposing the further condition that the Qneen 

 should acknowledge the suzerainty of France 

 over Madagascar, and agree not to accept the 

 protectorate of any other power. This was 

 rejected, whereupon the military operations 

 were resumed, and Fenerive, Mahanoro, Mahela, 

 Manansari, and Mar unhang were bombarded, 

 and a blockade declared along the whole coast. 

 Wherever a landing-party came ashore, the 

 Hovas defended themselves effectively. The 

 French held only Tamatave andMajunga. They 



brought volunteers from *Nossi-Be and Reu- 

 nion and mercenaries from Mozambique, but 

 were unable to accomplish any results on land. 

 The Hova Government in the capital, 150 miles 

 inland, across mountains and pathless forests, 

 felt secure from attack. The blockade was 

 not effective, but only turned the trade away 

 from the chief ports to others that the few 

 French ships could not guard. No attempt was 

 made to occupy the disputed territory nor to 

 capture the Hova fort at Antomboka on Cape 

 Amber. Vohimar on the northeast coast was 

 bombarded and the English quarter destroyed, 

 while the part where the Hovas live escaped. 

 At Maroantsetra, on the east coast, the French 

 effected a landing. Towns near Ste. Marie 

 were bombarded twice, and one five times. 

 The places on the coast near Tamatave were 

 shelled twice, but no troops were landed. The 

 French had an ally in the Sakalava Princess 

 Benao, who rebelled against the Hova Queen 

 and attacked the camp of the Hovas at Manon- 

 garivo, on the northwest coast. Not receiving 

 the expected assistance from the French, she 

 was beaten and made her submission. Near 

 Tamatave, which was strongly fortified by the 

 French, the Hovas encamped just out of range 

 of the naval guns. 



During the unhealthy season, while military 

 operations were at a stand-still, the French re- 

 sumed diplomatic negotiations. They invited 

 the Malagasy authorities to propose a demarka- 

 tion-line, but found them determined in the 

 resolve to relinquish no part of the mainland, 

 though they offered to cede the islands of No- 

 sifaly and Nosimitsio, and to pay an indemnity. 

 Admiral Galiber then broke off his negotiations 

 with the Hova Governor of Tamatave. On 

 May 8 he was succeeded in the command by Ad- 

 miral Miot, who established a blockade at Ma- 

 haoro, which had become the center of the 

 foreign trade, and announced that the block- 

 ade of Fenerive and other ports would follow. 

 The Hovas made overtures to the new com- 

 mander, who in a dispatch dated June 10, 1884, 

 declared that friendship could only be restored 

 by accepting his terms, which were the uncon- 

 ditional surrender of the northwest coast and 

 indemnities to French citizens who had suf- 

 fered by the military operations. With Admiral 

 Miot large re-enforcements were sent. The 

 French Cabinet obtained a vote of credit of 

 5,000,000 francs for the operations of the year. 

 The effective strength of the naval and military 

 force attached to the Indian station was eleven 

 war-vessels with 2,224 officers and sailors and 

 1,242 infantry and artillery, besides 600 marine 

 fusiliers from Tonquin, and 600 volunteers from 

 Reunion. No movement from Tamatave on 

 the Hovas' lines was made after January, when 

 a French force of 500 men was driven back 

 with loss. In July fresh troops brought the 

 French force up to 1,500. The Hovas were 

 intrenched six miles behind Tamatave in groat 

 force. Their regular troops were armed with 

 Remingtons. They had four or five field-guns 



