Madagascar.

Manawatu Herald, 18 January 1896, Page 3

Madagascar.

VIB ■■■■ ■■ HI I — ■ HI The conquest of Madagascar by the French cost the lives of 8500 men. The French have promised religious liberty both for the missionaries and for thepeople. The French troops were under the Strictest discipline and behaved well towards the natives after the taking of the capital. As soon as the battle was over, the Malagasy began mixing freely and intimately with the French selling products "of various kinds, and manifesting no anti foreign feeling towards the invaders. During ten bombardm«nt of Antananarivo the French did their best to avoid shelling the missionary quarters, though inadvertently they seem to have sent a few missies near, without, however, doing any bodily harm A deputation of missionaries waited on General Duchesne on October sth. He received them kindly, and assured them they need fear no interference from him or his ; and to a deputation of native pastors he declared that they would a l // be aflowecf fad liberty of conscience and worship. The missionaries had been strongly ad* vised to send their wives and daughters out of the country whpn war impending, but they did not do so ; and the admirable conduct of the French soldiers has justified the missionaries in not giving way to alarm.