146 
MADAGASCAR 
It is not easy at present to determine the total amount 
of the trade of the island of Madagascar, and it will not 
be possible till the new colony is fully regulated. The 
last few years have not been normal, on account of the 
state of war. The earlier statistical reports of the Hova 
officials, under a custom duty of 10 7o in money or in kind, 
can raise no claim to be depended upon. In addition to 
this the English missionaries used of old to introduce im¬ 
portant consignments free of duty. We shall perhaps 
come near the truth in setting down the yearly trade at 
from 30 to 40 millions of francs. 
In the roadstead of Tamatave, the most important 
place of trade on the east coast, there appeared during 
1850 a total of 255 merchant vessels, among which 39 
were French, 183 English and a few German. 
The total imports at the port named were distributed 
as follows: Woven stuffs 66 %•) Drink i3 7 oi Provisions 
3 7 o, Ready-made clothes 3 7 o, Groceries and Hardware 
2 7 o each. From the first official report on the Imports of 
Madagascar, that for the year 1896, published by Gen. 
Gallieni, we learn that, in spite of the then still insecure 
condition of the newly conquered country, they amounted 
to a total of T511,507. These imports were mainly 
contributed as follows:— 
England and her Colonies ..... T229,992 
France.,,131,228 
America.. 99,470 
Germany.„ 27,514 
Norway.,, 3,664 
Switzerland and Denmark.,, 649 
Spain and Portugal.,, 180 
Cotton stuffs and other woven goods were introduced 
to the amount of T250,000 in 1896, of which T 150,000 
are credited to England and India, T86,ooo to America 
and T12,600 to Germany. 
