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MADAGASCAR. 



M 



MADAGASCAR, an island in the Indian Ocean, 

 separated from the eastern coast of Africa by 

 the Mozambique Channel. The Hova race, 

 who have held the other tribes of the island in 

 subjection, have adopted the Christian relig- 

 ion, and are organized into a kingdom on the 

 European model. The reigning sovereign is 

 Queen Ranavalona III, who was born in 1860, 

 succeeded to the throne in 1883, and married 

 the Prime Minister Rainilaiarivony. The gov- 

 ernment is an absolute monarchy, modified by 

 customs having the force of law. The prac- 

 tical direction of affairs is in the hands of the 

 Prime Minister. 



Area and Population. The area of Madagascar 

 with the adjacent islands is estimated at 228,- 

 500 square miles. The population is about 

 3,500,000. The Hovas, although Christianity 

 is the state religion, are many of them pagans. 

 About one tenth of the population of the 

 island profess to be Christians. On the coast 

 are many Arab traders. There are also ne- 

 groes, who were introduced as slaves. The 

 chief occupations of the inhabitants are cattle- 

 raising and agriculture. The capital of the 

 Hova or Malagasy state is Antananarivo, in 

 the center of the island, with from 80,000 to 

 100,000 inhabitants. The chief ports are 

 Tamatave, on the eastern coast, with a popula- 

 tion of 10,000, and Mojanga, on the northwest- 

 ern coast, with 14,000 inhabitants. 



Commerce. The leading articles of export are 

 India-rubber, hides, coffee, lard, sugar, vanilla, 

 wax, gums, rice, and seeds. The trade is 

 chiefly with Mauritius, Reunion, Great Brit- 

 ain, and France, and in recent times with the 

 United States. The- total trade is estimated at 

 $6,000,000 a year. The native manufactures 

 are silk and woolen stuffs, textures from palm- 

 fiber, and metal-work. The country produces 

 all kinds of tropical and sub-tropical growths, 

 and contains silver, copper, iron, coal, salt, 

 and other minerals, but its chief wealth lies 

 in its extensive forests, which abound in valu- 

 able woods of many kinds. The chief article 

 of import is rum, which is brought from Mau- 

 ritius. Other imports are cotton fabrics, pe- 

 troleum, hardware, and crockery. During 

 1883 there entered the port of Tamatave 89 

 trading-vessels, of which 45 were French, 27 

 English, 9 German, and 8 American. 



French Claims to Madagascar. France estab- 

 lished stations on the island of Madagascar in 

 1642, and under Louis XIV erected numerous 

 forts and factories on the eastern coast. The 

 Government of Great Britain recognized her 

 pretensions in Madagascar in 1817. After- 

 ward the ports on the main island had to be 

 abandoned, but the French established them- 

 selves at Sainte Marie de Madagascar and Nossi- 

 B6, and took under their protectorate the 

 Sakalava population of the northwestern coast. 



The Hovas began to subjugate the other races 

 about fifty years ago. Because they injured 

 the interests of many French colonists, at- 

 tempted to establish their dominion over the 

 Sakalavas, and refused to recognize the suze- 

 rainty of France over the island, the Govern- 

 ment of the republic undertook to assert its 

 position by force of arms, and began hostilities 

 in 1883, which were brought to a close in 

 1885, and a treaty of peace was signed on 

 December 17 of that year. 



Franco-Malagasy Negotiations. The year 1883 

 terminated with a rupture of negotiations in 

 regard to the points of difference between the 

 French and the Hova Government. The Mala- 

 gasy minister offered, on Nov. 26, 1883, to 

 modify the law relating to land leases, and to 

 pay $200,000 to satisfy French claims, but in- 

 sisted on the recognition of the independence 

 of Madagascar. The French did not reply to 

 his note, but began hostilities, as they had 

 threatened. In 1884, M. Ferry telegraphed to 

 M. Baudais to forego the claim of French su- 

 zerainty over the whole island, if the Hovas 

 would engage not to exercise dominion over 

 the Sakalava country in the northwest. Ne- 

 gotiations were reopened by Admiral Galiber 

 and M. Baudais, but the Hovas refused to 

 withdraw their garrisons from the northwest. 

 Admiral Miot went to Madagascar in April, 

 1884, with instructions to establish the French 

 protectorate in the northwest; to insist on the 

 retention of Mojanga, and not to demand the 

 recognition of a protectorate over the Hovas, 

 but an engagement that no cession of territc 

 should be granted to any other power, or 

 protectorate of any other power acknowl 

 edged. Admiral Miot demanded the 

 drawal of the Hova garrisons north of 

 Bellone and St. Andrew ; $600,000 as 

 pensation for damages ; long leases of lane 

 and the revision of the treaty of 1868. It \vi 

 discovered that Englishmen had obtaii 

 leases for ninety-nine years. In a conferer 

 with Hova envoys the French officer refused to 

 recognize Ranavalona as Queen of Madagas- 

 car, but would only allow her the title of 

 Queen of Imarina. The French blockade 

 proved ineffectual. M. Baudais urged an ex- 

 pedition against the Hovas in the center of the 

 island, and reported that valuable discoveries 

 of gold in the vicinity of the capital had been 

 made, and that English missionaries and 

 Americans were acquiring the mining privi- 

 leges. Admiral Miot would not second the 

 envoy's proposition for an invasion of Imarina, 

 and when Admiral Galiber became Minister of 

 Marine and the Colonies, M. Baudais was re- 

 placed by M. Patrimonio, in August, 1885. M. 

 de Freycinet drew up a project for an arrange- 

 ment whereby France should control the for- 

 eign relations of Madagascar, and maintain a 



