The Sun.
London, England, 1858-09-09 00:00:00

I THE ISLAND OF MADAGASCAR.

A letter from Paris, in the Nord, contains some
particulars respecting Madagascar, which at this
present moment,, when the French have just made
it one of their naval stations, and when there has
been much talk of both French and English pro-
jected expeditions thither, are not without interest.
The French writer says :—" The station of the
eastern coast of Africa will form the seventh of our
naval stations, the others being the western coast of
Africa, India, and China, the Pacific Ocean, the
western coast of America, the Antilles, Newfound-
land, and Iceland. I will commence by speaking
of the possessions we actually occupy on the east
coast of Africa. Besides the fine island of Reunion
(formerly the Isle of France), 150 leagues from Ma-
dagascar, we possess on the shores of this great
island the islands of St. Marie, Nossi-Be, and
Mayotte, the last being the head station of this
little Government. The island of St. Marie,
called by the people of Madagascar Nossi Ibrahim,
is situate towards the eastern point of Madagascar,
from which it is separated by a channel 5 kilo-
metres wide; it is 48 kilometres m length, from 8
to 12 in width. An arm of the sea traverses its
southern portion, dividing it into two parts. It is
surrounded in a great measure by reefs, but to the
north there is pretty good anchoring ground, and
Port Louis, the capital of the little island, is an ex-
cellent port. In the middle of this port is a little
island called Madame, strongly defended, and on
which are the barracks, storehouses, and dockyards.
Not far off, on a mountain, are the ruins of a monu-
ment recording the first occupation ; it is a pyramid,
from the middle of which a tree springs, and on
whose sides are carved the arms of France and of
the East India Company. The cession of the island
was made on the 30th July, 1750, by Beti, daughter
of the last Prince of Foulepointe, to Louis XV.,
represented by M. Cosse, a naval officer. The only
compensation for the cession was ' a certain quan-
tity of goods proper and suitable for her.'- It
was abandoned at the time of the Revo-
lution, but-. Count Mole again caused possession
to be taken on the 15th October, 1818, by Baron
Macka,u' and the French agents were perfectly well
received by the natives. Next year a garrison of
60 men was placed there. In 1821 the French
Government, desirous to develop agriculture in our
colonies, sent men and money to St. Marie. The
first attempts were unfortunate ; they were badly
directed, diseases afflicted the colonists, and the re-
sult was total failure. Just then, Feb., 1822, an
English corvette arrived at Port Louis, and its com-
mander, Mr. Moresby, demanded by what right the
French were established there and what they pro-
posed doing at Madagascar. M. Sylvan Itoux,
commandant of the island, replied that he acted in
virtue of orders' from the King, and that Madagas-
car was French. An animated discussion ensued
between the Governor of Bourbon and. the Governor
of the Mauritius, who declared Madagascar an in-
dependent island. It was subsequently that Radama
wished to seize the sovereignty of the island, and to
crush the numerous chiefs who had recognised our
suzerainte. Radama, however, never contested our
right of property in St. Marie. They continued to
fortify the port, which in 1825 had 76 white men
and 182 blacks in' the service of the colony, and 100
more on the properties of some colonistsi Two men-
of-war were stationed there. But the conduct of
Radama brought things to that point, that in 1826
it was necessary to think of forming an expedition,
and to station 300 men of black troops at Port Louis.
The expedition, undertaken in 1829, failed. One of
the first acts of Louis Philippe's Government was to
evacuate St. Marie, but occupation was soon resumed.
" In 1840 our Government felt the importance of
increasing our naval power in those latitudes, and
acquired in July the islands of Nossi-Be and Nossi-
Cumba • in 1841, the island of Nossi-Mitsiou and
surrounding islets and the island of Nossi-Fale ; the
Sultan of Mayotte ceded his island on the 25th of
April, 1841. All these cessions were obtained
from tribes friendly to France, and who felt them-
selves unable to hold their own against the Hovas.
Thenceforward we had an important position in
the Mozambique Channel ; all these islands aro
situate between Madagascar and the continent.
Mayotte alone. one of the Comore islands, is 60
or 70 leagues from the shore ; the others are in
situations analogous to that of St. Marie. Mayotte
and Nossi-Be were at once occupied, and since then
have annually increased in importance. Mayotte,
especially, is on the way to become an important
colony ; it is 21 miles long, and has an area of
30,000 hectares. A chain of mountains crosses it
from north to south. The Frenchestablishment is
at Point Choa, where the land is very fertile. The
island is wooded, has excellent water, pasturage,
and some good anchoring places. Nossi-Be has a
smiling and fertile aspect, the centre, occupied by
mountains, has 30,000 hectares of wood. The esta-
blishment is on the banks of a little river, and has
received the name of Hell-ville, from Admiral Hell,
Governor of Bourbon, when possession was taken.
Of the other islands belonging to us, Nossi-Cumbai
not a league from Nossi-Be, is very populous, and
has magnificent vegetation. Nossi-Fale, eight miles
east from Nossi-Be, is rich in rice grounds.
" According to the latest documents that have
reached the Ministry of Marine and the Colonies,
the population of Mayotte and its dependencies is
as follows :

Mayotte .. . . 6,829 inhabitants, of which 3,748 men.
Nosse-Be . . 15,178 3) 7/ 7,790 „
St. Marie .. 5,560 /9 9, 2,489 ~
To these are to be added 500 or 600 floating popu-
lation, 52 functionaries and employes, 200 men of
European, and 250 black troops. At St. Marie,
the growth of sugar is attaining a great develope
meat ; in 1854, 339,121 kilogrammes of sugar were
exported thence to France.

a In this situation France has military establish-
ments easy of development on the two casts of Ma-
dagascar ; and, moreover, Mayotte gives her an ex'
cellent position, with respect to Muscat.and Zan-
zibar, points towards which French trade begins to
direct itself. The opening of the great road by the
Red Sea (Suez) will augment the importance of this
colony, which will thus find itself considerably
nearer to the mother country, and will be the ad-
vanced post of our colonial power in those latitudes.
I will hereafter trace the history of our rights to
Madagascar, and it will be seen that M. S. Roux,
capitaine de vaisseau and commandant at St. Marie,
was completely- right when he replied to Captain
Moresby, of the British corvette Menai, " that al
the island belonged to France, and that he pro-
tested, by anticipation, against any infringement
on her right of property."
The last news received from Madagascar is to
the effect that Ranavalo, Queen of that island, was
seriously ill. Her decease would, it is said here,
have a great influence on the future affairs of that
country.

COUNTRY 171.1RKETS.

DUBLIN•

-SEPT. G.

Our corn market was firm I
The supply was tolerably fai
only a few samples appeared.
White wheat, new, 228 to 24s
Red do. —s to -.s
Old white 26s to 28s
Red do. 24s to 26s
Barley, malting.— 15s to 17s

For every description of grails.
r, except of barley, of which
No inquiry for Indian corn•
Barley, grinding 15s to I7s
Oats, old, 12st 15s to 16g
New do 13s to 14s
Beans. —s to --s
Malt . —s to

COAL MARKET-SEPT. 8.

Davison's West Hintley, 16s. Od; Holywell, 14s. 3d. ;
Howard's West Hartley Netherton, 15s. 9d. ; Tanfield
'B
Moor, 13s. 3d. ; Tanfield Moor utes, 13s 3d.; Wylam,
14s. .od. ; Eden Main, 16s. Walls End—Riddell, 15s.
9d. ; Eden, —s. Od.; Belmont, —s. Od. ; Thorpe, —s. Od. ;
Bell, 15s. 6d. ;..Russell's Hetton, 16s. 6d. ; Framwell-
gate, —s. Od.; Haswell, 18s. Od.; Hetton, 16s. 9d.; Cassop,
16s. 9d; Lambton, 175.6 d.; Tees' 15s. Od.; Heugh Hall, 16s.
3d.; Hunwick, —s. Od. ; South Hetton, 17s. 9d. ; Acorn
Close, —s. Od. ; Shineliffe, 16s, 3d.; Kepier Grange,
_ 17s. ;
joßruffadrynyll':42Hise._ttopn,ow.l6.s.ell,9odie.;
uffi.Nixynon'sstei, Merthyr,2l4. 2od Is. ; Nixon's
—Ships at
market, 57 ; sold, 49.

• BIRTHS.
ANSTRUTHER.—On the Bth inst., at 30 Craven-hill-
gardens, Hyde-park, Mrs. Anstruther, of a son.
FIELD.—On the Bth inst., at Reigate, the wife of Sidney
• Field, Esq., of a daughter.
KNIGHT.--On the 7th inst., at 11, Bedford-terrace, Upper
Holloway, the wife of Mr. Edward Knight, of a SOIL
SPARKS.—On the 7th inst., at the Charterhouse, the_wife
of Mr. Sparks, of a son.

MARRIAGES.
CHITTY—POLLOCK.—On the 7th ingt. at Hanworth,
Middlesex, Joseph William Chitty, Esq., of Lincoln's-
inn, barrister-at-law, and Fellow of Exeter College Ox-
ford, second son of Thomas Chitty, Esq., of the Inner
Temple, to Clara Jessie, eldest daughter of the Right
Hon. the Lord Chief• Baron and Lady Pollock.
LAY—KIBBLEIVIIITE.—On the Bth inst., at St. Clement
Danes, Mr. William Lay, of King William-street, Strand,
to Harriet Ann, second daughter of the late Mr. Thos.
H. Kibblewhite, Brickhill, Bucks.
DEATHS.

BYRNE.—On the 25th ult., at Ringwood, Hants, Captain
John Francis Byrne, late Scots Fusilier Guards, aged
76.

FRANCIS.-Ou the 6th inst., at his residence, the Newlnn,
East Moulsey, W. P. Francis, late of 1, Allen-street,
Lambeth, aged 56.
TIOOPER.—On the sth inst., at Clifton, William Henry
Hooper, Esq., formerly of H.M.'s Ceylon Civil Service,
aged 70.

KENT.—On the sth inst., Mr. Joshua Kent, late of Castle-
street, Oxford-street, and for the last 40 years of Wes-
leyan-place, Kentish-town, aged 87.
PENHALL.—On the 7th inst., at Hastings, Wm. Penh
Esq., aged 23.
WALFORD.—On the sth inst., at Great Bardfiold, Johrl.
Walford, Esq., Deputy-Lieutenant of the county "
Essex, aged 75.

LONDON : Printed and Published by MURDO YOUNG-
of No. 112, Strand, Printer, at The Sun Office, No. 112,
Strand, in the Precinct of the Savoy, in the county of
Mddleaox, Thor inlay, September 9, 1869.