MADAGASCAR.

Maori Messenger : Te Karere Maori, Volume II, Issue 12, 20 July 1862, Page 10

MADAGASCAR.

They suffered hunger, and thirst, and cold, and nakedness. They hoped to get to the coast and find some vessel to take them to England, or elsewhere. About 16 of these were betrayed by a guide and led back tb the Capital, where nine were put to death. The Queen and the heathen party hoped in this way to frighten the Christians, and so to put down the new no * know its power. Ine heathens themselves began to admire the courage and faith of the Christians. Many began to doubt whether the idol worship was right. The Christians that remained were stronger than ever in their belief. For so has it ever been from the beginning;: persecution for Christ's name makes the Church grow. It did so in the first days, SUS Christ has promised that he'would giye to his disciples a wisdom a that none can resist. Amid

this time of trial, to-the great joy of many, the Queen's son became a Christian. He was not taught by the Missionaries, for he had been a liitle child when they left the country. He was still but a lad, when after much talk with the Christian parly, he was baptised. Next the Queen's nephew (her sister's son) began to read the Bible, and soon after professed himself a believer in the true God. The Queen was now furious. She declared i hat her son had been bewitched by the Christians-. Three years after, in 4849, only eleven years ago, more than 2,000 people were arrested. All measures were taken to hunt out the Christians. Sometimes spies lurked about their dwellings to betray them to their enemies. Fathers turned against their children, wives against their husbands, slaves against their masters. In all cases the only charge that could be brought against them, was, that they prayed to God, not to the idols, and that they read the Bible. One of these prisoners was condemned to die, just before he was put to death the Queen sent to hhn saying, if you will give up your new religion and obey me, your life shall be spared and you shall have riches and be made great. He thanked her but answered, I cannot'deny Christ, the. Queen's love will last only during this life, Christ's love will abide for ever; yet he said 1 will serve the Queen also. He was put to death. Many of the prisoners were men and women of high rank. Great chiefs who never did any work for themselves, but had many servants. These were sold as slaves. They were sold to hard masters who were made to promise that that they would never set them free. None of the relatives of these suffering people were allowed to redeem them or their children after them out of slavery. Others were kept in prison loaded with heavy chainsand scourged and otherwisecruelly beaten. We

have learned all this from a book written by a Mr. Ellis. He was Missionary many years ago in Tahiti and in other islands in these; seas. About five years ago, he was. sent by. some friends in Madagascar, to visit; the. Native Christians if possible, and to iearn; what condition they are now in. The Queen did not let him remain long in. the country, and he had need of great caution in talking with the Christians, for the Queen still threatens to destroy all who forsake the idol worship. Every. fortnight the following proclamation is read to . the. soldiers when on parade at the capital, by the Queen's order:— "II any baptise or reeeive baptism, I will put them to death, saith Ronavalomanjaka; for they change the prayers of the twelve kings. Therefore search and spy, and if ye find any doing that, men or women, take them that we may kill them, for I and you will kill them, though they be half the people. For they change what our anceslers ordered and they pray to the ancestors of the foreigners.and not to the idols that sanctified the twelve kings and they do not worship the twelve mountains, whosoever changes one of these observances I will kill, saith Ranavalomanjaka."