THE FRENCH IN MADAGASCAR.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1161, 16 October 1883, Page 3

THE FRENCH IN MADAGASCAR.

(From the special correspondent of the Melbourne Argus.) (Continued.) Rev D. Shaw's statement.

"When we got to Bourdon, I found that the admiral had been there for a fortnight! All the formality and fuss about my applying for parole had evidently been a perfect farce. On arrival at Port Lewis, I laid my case before Admiral Hewett, in command of the British squadron, who has forwarded a statement to the Home Government. It appears that after my wife's arrival at Mauritius, pressure was brought to bear on the authorities, and the admiral sent a man-of-war to Tamatave to make inquiries. When this despatch came, I had been at least six weeks in confinement, but the reply was that I was imprisoned for a very grave offence, which was then only undergoing - a preliminary examination. So far as 1 know, no apology for my detention has been offered since my release. I now proceed home myself to state these circumstances, as I relate them to you, and to claim compensation from the French Government. My health is still much impaired, and it will be some time, if ever, before I can fully regain it." Mr Shaw's personal appearance certainly bears out the last quoted sentence, and Mrs Shaw, whom I also had the pleasure of sseing, describes vividly her own mental sufferings during her husband's detention. A subsequent conversation with Mr Shaw, who has been, as already stated, several years in Madagascar, furnished me with many interesting details concerning that great island, Mr Shaw was formerly a missionary i» Samoa, and places the Hoovas, who number twothirds of the population of Madagascar, considerably above the Samoansin the scale of civilisation. The island, be states, abounds in minerals—gold, silver, copper, iron, tin, and antimony ore being frequently picked up on the surface. Mining is forbidden, however, at present, as the Hoovas have a great fear of anything approaching to a f rush' and their own submersion in the tide of humanity, a consequence which they regard as inevitable under such circumstances. The stape export is bullocks, which thrive beat in the highlands, a plateaux towards the centre of the kingdom. The grass near the coast is of higher growth than that inland, but of far less fattening, if not absolutely injurious, qualities. Tamatave has had a bad name for malarial fever, but Antananarivo, the capital, is a fairly healthy city. The report as to the death of Queen Ranavalona is, Mr Shaw says, correct, but he cannot state with certainty what title has been assumed by her successor. The husband of the late Queen—prime minister, chief judge, commander of the forces, etc., all in one —lost no time in marrying the lady who is now the sovereign—she was already a widow—her claim to the throne merely consisting in her being of the royal family, all that is necessary for succession in Madagascar. There are numerous European traders and several missionaries —French alone excepted—still in Antananarivo, to which Mr Shaw purposes returning as soon as the war is over. There is, he says, a strong feeling in favor of the British. The above remarks, by the way, as regards the intelligence of the natives, apply only to the dominant race, the Hoovas ; the other tribes are of a far lower order. The course of events as between Mauritius and Madagascar will, perhaps, be best described by a summary of the action taken by His Excellency Sir John Pope Hennessy, Governor of Mauritius, from the date when the first news arrived of actual war between the French and the Hoovas. Letters announcing the commencement of hostilites came to hand almost simultaneously from the late Mr Pakenham and from Mr Harold W. White, H.8.M., acting consul at Re*union. Mr White's despatch was to the effect that the news had been received with unfeigned satisfaction in Reunion, and that a petition had been presented to Governor Cuinier requesting him to sanction the immediate enrolment of a volunteer corps to be sent on to Madagascar. As will be seen elsewhere, this corps has since been formed, Shortly after this Sir John Pope Hennessy wrote to Captain Johnstone, tho senior naval officer in command at Tamatave.. reminding him that there were several British subjects, inhabitants of Mauritius, in Madagascar, Uiat trading ships and steamers connected with Mauritius were in Madagascar water, and that a certain amount of Mauritian capital was invested in Tamatave and other Malagasy towns. He also pointed out that Mauritius was largely dependent on Madagascar foi supplies of food. The position of affairs in Madagascar being thus of great interest to Mauritius, the Governor requested to be kept au courant with the course of events. Commander Johnstone replied to the effect that by the action of the French admiral not only was communication between H.M. ships tmd the shore stopped, but merchant vessels communicating with the man-of-war were liable to be placed under tho Banie restrictions. Added to this was the fact that the French admiral having chosen to mistranslate one of Captain Johnstone's letters, had refused to oommunicate further with him. Some letters which Captain Johnstone sent closed to the French flagship for conveyance to the shore, and which the officer who conveyed them was told would go in a quarter of an hour, were returned to Captain Johnstone next moining because they were not sent open. As all mnils had to go through the French flagship it

became undesirable to forward any despatches of importance by th<s means, and communication was thus much restricted, not only between Madagascar imd Mauritius, but between Madagascar and England as well. Under these circumstances Captain Johnstone suggested to Sir John Pope Hennsssy f .bo advisableness of sending a small steamer to keep up communication between Mauritius, Madagascar, and Zanzibar, undertaking on the part of the Admiralty to pay the cost of the coal used. The news of Consul Pakenham's death was communicated to Governor Hennessy by Captain Johnstone in the following despatch : ' H.M.S. Dryad, at Tamatave, ' June 22, 1883.

' Sir,—ln explanation, I must first state that the French occupied the town of Tamatave on the 14th inst., and proclaimed a state of siege. It is j with deep regret that 1 have to inform your Excellency of the death of Mr Pakenham, Her Majesty's consul for Madagascar. For a long time past ho appears to have been in failing health, and the troubles and anxieties of recent events here threw him into a serious illness. Hopes were entertained of his recovery, but the noise of hostilities caused an uafavourable turn, and having been insensible for 24 hours, he breathed his last at about 1 o'clock this morning. The conduct of the French has been most unusual; the French Admiral informed me yesterday at 8 a.m. that ill or well Mr Pakenham would, at the expiration of 24 hours, be conducted to their advance po*>ts. Happily, death spaied this painful proceeding. A suspicion of connivance with the Hoovas is the pretext for this order. By a decree founded on false pretences, no one in my ship is allowed to communicate with the shore ; the obsequies of Her Majesty's consul for Madagascar will, therefoie, be performed ptivately or by the French. Whilst waiting' instructions from my superiors I have as far as can yet be ascertained embarked in this shid the whole of the archieves, &c, of the consulate. By *:his opportunity I will not enter into details as to the situation here, further than to say that the French law of the Mat delsiege is being enforced, British subjects have been arrested on suspicion, and one Englishman is still confined without the charge against him being made public. In addition, the secretary to the late Mr Pakenham, is similiarly in confinement. He is supposed to be a "British subject, but of this I have no proof. His name is, I believe, James Andrianisa, and liis history seems-to be as follows: His father was at one time second Governor of Tamatave; this man married a Mauritius woman ; his son James was born in Mauritius, aud lived there until the age of 21 ; and this James Andrianisa married a Mauritius wife. It appears that he is made a prisoner .on the charge of being a Ho va, but 1 can learn nothing officially. lam informed that the French Admiral has with him legal advisers from Bourbon. Provisions are becoming scarce here, and I expect that many Mauritius people will soon wish to leave this place and return there.

' I have the honor to be, Sir your obe dient servant,

f (Signed) C. Johnstone, Commander. 'To His Excellency Sir John Pope Hennessy, K. C. M. G., Governor of Mauritius.

It was afterwards proved that the man Andrianisa, referred to in the above letter was a veritable Mauritian creole and therefore a British subject; his father was smuggled away as a child from Madagascar about 1835, when the rest of the family were speared for being Christians. I have not been able to ascertain whether he was set at liberty ; there seemed to be great doubt on the subject, one correspondent going so far as to say, 'My impression is that he is kept as a hostage as a Hoova of good family, and probably he used his tongue too freely when the Jb'rench buried Pakenham and sealed up his papers. It would not surpriie me to hear he was made away with.' (To be Continued.)