318 MADAGASCAR 



Art. XV. — If any British merchant-vessel should be attacked or plundered in the 

 waters of Madagascar, adjacent to any military station whatever, the local authorities, as 

 soon as informed of the fact, shall institute active pursuit after the offenders, and shall omit 

 no effort to discover and punish them. 



The goods which may hâve been carried off, wherever and in whatever state they may be 

 found, shall be delivered to the owner, or to the Consul, who will undertake to restore them. 



The same course shall be followed in the case of plunder or robbery committed on the 

 property of British subjects residing in the neighbourhood of any military station, whether 

 on the shore or in the interior of Madagascar. 



The local authorities, on proving that they hâve used every effort to apprehend the offenders 

 and to recover the goods stolen, shall not be pecuniarily responsible for the loss. 



The same protection shall be granted in favour of the property of subjects of the Queen 

 of Madagascar plundered or robbed on the coasts or in the interior of the British dominions. 



Art. XVI. — Her Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and 

 Ireland and Her Majesty the Queen of Madagascar hereby engage to use every means in their 

 power for the suppression of piracy within the seas, straits, and rivers subject to their respec- 

 live control or influence ; and Her Majesty the Queen of Madagascar engages not to grant 

 either asylum or protection to any persons or vessels engaged in piratical pursuits ; and in 

 no case will she permit ships, slaves, or merchandize captured by pirates to be introduced 

 into her dominions, or to be exposed therein for sale. And Her Majesty the Queen of 

 Madagascar conceeds to Her Britannic Majesty the right of investing her officers and other 

 duly constituted authorities with the power of entering at ail times, with her vessels of war, 

 or others vessels duly empowered, the ports, rivers, and creeks within the dominions of Her 

 Majesty the Queen of Madagascar, in order to capture ail vessels engaged in piracy, and to 

 seize and to reserve for the judgment of the proper authorities ail persons offending against 

 the two Contracting Powers in this respect. 



Art. XVII. — Her Britannic Majesty and Her Majesty the Queen of Madagascar being 

 greatly desirous of effecting the total abolition of the Trade in Slaves, Her Majesty the Queen 

 of Madagascar engages to do ail in her power to prevent ail such Traffic on the part of her 

 subjects, and to prohibit ail persons residing within her dominions, or subjects to her, from 

 countenancing or taking any share in such trade. No persons from beyond sea shall be 

 landed, purchased, or sold as slaves in any part of Madagascar. And Her Majesty the 

 Queen of Madagascar consents that British cruizers shall hâve the right of searching any 

 Malagasy or Arab vessels suspected of being engaged in the Slave Trade, whether under 

 sail or at anchor in the waters of Madagascar. Her Majesty the Queen of Madagascar further 

 consents that if any such vessels shall prove to be engaged in the Slave Trade, such vessels 

 and their crews shall be dealt with by the cruizers of Her Britannic Majesty as if such persons 

 and their vessels had been engaged in a piratical undertaking. 



Art. XVIII. — Her Majesty the Queen of Madagascar engages to abolish trial by the 

 ordeal of poison. 



If there should be war between Great Britain and Madagascar (which God forbid), any 

 prisoners who may be taken by either party shall be kindly treated, and shall be set free, either 

 by exchange during the war, or without exchange when peace is made ; and such prisoners 

 shall not on any account be made slaves or put to death. 



Art. XIX. — The présent Treaty shall be ratified by Her Britannic Majesty and by 

 Her Majesty the Queen of Madagascar, and the ratifications shall be exchanged at London or 

 Antananarivo, within the space of six months from this date. 



But if, at any future time, it shall seem désirable in the interests of the subjects of either 

 of the two Contracting Parties, to alter or to add to the présent Treaty, such altérations or 

 additions shall be effected with the consent of both parties. 



