450 



MADAGASCAR. 



THE PRIME MINISTER S RESIDENCE. 



become smoother after the first sharp dispute 

 over the exequatur question. The planters of 

 French and other nations were harassed, and 

 some of them killed, by brigands and by the 

 Favalhos, the Antankares, and other predatory 

 tribes. Nothing was done by the Hova authori- 

 ties to check such outrages. Many believed that 

 they encouraged them in the hope of driving out 

 colonists. The French authorities prohibited 

 the importation of arms under the sanction of 

 the Brussels convention, and some consignments 

 were seized as contraband. It was easy, how- 

 ever, for the American, German, and English 

 importers of firearms to find landing places un- 

 guarded. 



In May, 1894, M. P. Larrouy informed the 

 Hova Prime Minister that the French Govern- 

 ment would recognize no concessions without 

 the previous assent of the French representative. 

 This protest had special reference to the conces- 

 sion of territory and trading privileges to Mr. 

 Waller. The garrison at Diego Suarez was re- 

 enforced by 300 men, and that of Reunion by 

 360. when the depredations of the Malagasy 

 tribes grew more frequent and when the ques- 

 tion of concessions to foreigners came to a direct 

 issue. A boundary dispute occurred at Diego 

 Suarez, where the Malagasy governor of the 

 northern part of Madagascar, whose headquar- 

 ters are in the fortified town of Ambohimarina, 

 near the French settlement, claimed that the 

 limit of French territory was 1-J mile from the 

 bay shore. French gendarmes after some dis- 

 turbances arrested several Hova officers in the 

 town of Ambibaka and seized the place, but re- 

 treated when the Hovas advanced in force, evac- 

 uating the territory claimed and occupied. M. 

 Larrouy left Madagascar, and in September Le 

 Myre de Vilers was sent to Antananarivo on a 

 special mission. The naval division patrolling 

 the coast was re-enforced by 5 vessels. The 

 French residents of Antananarivo and foreign- 



ers in o^her places in the interior sought a safe 

 refuge in the coast towns on being warned by 

 the French representatives. M. de Vilers reached 

 the Hova capital and had his first interview with 

 Rainilairivony on Oct. 17, when he presented a 

 draft treaty for the consideration of the Mala- 

 gasy Government. This interdicted the Govern- 

 ment of the Queen of Madagascar from holding 

 any relations with foreign governments and their 

 agents except through the intermediation ,of the 

 French resident general ; required every govern- 

 ment concession made directly or indirectly by 

 the Malagasy Government to Frenchmen or to 

 foreigners to be first submitted to the French 

 resident general for his approval; gave the 

 French Government the right to maintain in 

 Madagascar any forces that it judged necessary 

 for insuring the safety of its subjects and of 

 foreigners ; and authorized the French Govern- 

 ment to undertake works of public utility if the 

 Government of the Queen refrained from doing 

 so, such as harbors, roads, railroads, canals, etc., 

 having for their object the development of the 

 prosperity of the country, and to collect the re- 

 sulting tolls and dues. The Hova Prime Minis- 

 ter attempted to procrastinate, whereupon the 

 French envoy sent an ultimatum on Oct. 20, 

 saying that if the treaty was not approved and 

 ratified by the Queen before the evening of Oct. 

 26 he would haul down his flag and quit the 

 capital. The Prime Minister sent a reply on 

 Oct. 22, in which he recited a long list of griev- 

 ances, mostly petty acts of lawlessness on the 

 part of French soldiers, as an introduction to 

 the practical rejection of every article of the 

 proposed treaty. On Oct. 24 he presented a 

 counter-project, the aim of which was to dimin- 

 ish rather than increase French influence in 

 Madagascar. He offered to give any explana- 

 tions that might be necessary. The French 

 plenipotentiary thought none were necessary, 

 and after warning his old friend Rainilairivony 



