HISTORY OF EUROPEAN COLONIZAETON 115 
252 years without arriving at any tangible or lasting 
result it was indeed time that a decision should be ar¬ 
rived at. Either the island must be definitely abandon¬ 
ed or a solution must be brought about by force of 
arms. France chose the latter way. 
The young republic of France had had many internal 
troubles to deal with since its establishment; circum¬ 
stances often enough presented a sad picture of discord, 
but in the field of colonial policy it began to display 
praiseworthy energy and made far more rapid advances 
than the monarchy which preceded it. A war with the 
Malagasy was decidedly popular in France. People did not 
conceal from themselves that heavy sacrifices would have 
to be laid upon the country. To lead a considerable 
force through fever-haunted swamps, through forests and 
mountain ranges, in order, sword in hand, to bring about 
the submission of the Hova at the capital, Antananarivo, 
was a hazardous affair and would cost many lives. 
Patriotism, however, was longing for an energetic deed 
on the part of the army, and the Chamber without serious 
opposition voted the sum of 65,000,000 francs for the 
subjugation of the Hova. This sum, sure enough, did not 
suffice, for in reality the whole campaign cost 95,000,000. 
It was not, of course, till the spring of 1895 that it could 
be undertaken, and it was necessary that it should be 
brought to a close in Autumn, that is at the com¬ 
mencement of the rainy season. The Hova rested their 
hopes on the assistance of “ General Forest ” and ‘‘ General 
Fever,” as well as on that of England. The last, how¬ 
ever, left the Malagasy entirely in the lurch. 
The preparations for the campaign were not in all 
cases of an exemplary character. The numerous blunders 
and defective arrangements raised much bitterness in 
France. The boxes of quinine sent to Madagascar for 
the fever-stricken soldiers were in the beginning no¬ 
where to be found. The plan of operations adopted 
