HISTORY OF EUROPEAN COLONIZATION 113 
Bachelor, and afterwards Pickersgill and Parret visited 
the district of north-west Sakalava-land under some¬ 
what remarkable circumstances. Here the French had 
claims to possession; the disposition of the natives was 
sounded and their chiefs were invited to pay a visit to 
Antananarivo, on the ground that this act of homage 
would make a good impression on the Queen, and would 
be in the interest of a good neighbourly understanding. 
Individuals, in fact, came to the capital, were excellently 
received and were escorted on their return by Hova 
officers, who brought Hova flags with them and hoisted 
these in Sakalava-land in places which belonged to France, 
such as Bavatube and Ankify. They even attempted to 
lay hands on the French possessions of Nossi-F'aly and 
Nossi-Mitsiu. When France protested, the Queen declared 
that her kingdom extended to the sea; the Frenchmen 
settled in the island being continually threatened, the 
French consul in the capital lowered his flag and took 
his departure. 
In May 1883 French ships of war appeared in the 
waters of Madagascar. Admiral Pierre bombarded the 
coast towns of Majunga and Tamatave, in order to 
land troops there. The prime minister answered this 
step by banishing the French en masse and by sending 
troops to the coast under the command of an English 
colonel. Meanwhile reeular warfare was avoided; an 
indecisive struggle took place at Farasate, and the 
endeavour was made to reduce the Hova to submis¬ 
sion by blockading the harbours on the coast. 
On the 17th of December, 1885, a treaty of peace 
actually came about, the leading conditions of which 
were that the Hova government should remain inde¬ 
pendent as regards home affairs, but that a French 
Resident-General should conduct all intercourse with 
foreign powers. The French on the island were to 
be under French jurisdiction and might acquire the 
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