New Orleans daily crescent., 1859-01-15

Rev Mr.. Ellis, in his Visits to Madagascar giyes
the following account Of the trials Of the Chrsians
in l849, the period Of the last severe persecution.
Numbers were informed against, and spprehendsd by
the officers Of Government bearing silver spear de-
signated 1.-THE hater of lies y and numbers on the
requistion of the Government, acknowledged their
having engaged in Christian worship. The nature OF
their oense may be inferred from the subjoined re-
cital of the practices of which they were accused
during the last persecution. When number Of them
were then araigned 1t was asked by the chief officer
which says believe ia 1t OF him. and obey
the Gospel refusing to fight and quarrel with each
other refusing to swear by their sisters with stnh
bornness like that Of stones or wood observing the
Sabbath day of rest; the taking Of the juice OF
the grape and little bread and invoking blessing
on the head, and then falling down to The ground,
and when the head is raised the tears running down
from the eyes Now are yOu !. e do these things
the praying people, and on this account the people
are made to take the OATH" "A a al S &ee 58
OF the numbers implicated some idea may be
formed from the fact. that at one time, and At one
place, thirtyseyen who had explained or preached
the word were reduced to slavery, with their wives
and children; f0rtytw0 who had possessed b00ka
were made slaves and their property seized twenty
seven VINO mad Possessed books snd Tac naa
wives and children six, with whom 1t uas second
ofense, were imprisoned 2055 had paid one dollar
each /; eighteen had been put 70 death fourteen
Those who had been appointed to die were treated
with the greatest indignity. They wers wrapped In
old torn dirty mats and rags were stuffed In their
mouths Seventeen Of them had been tied, each
along pole, and had been thus carried between two
men, bearing the pole on their shouders TO he plaza
where sentence was to be pronounced. One Of their
number, being young female, walked behind the
rest -Four Of them, being mobiles, were not killed in
the ordinary way there is an aversion to the she'd
ding of the blood Of mobiles; they were, therefore,
sentenced to be burned. @s
When sentence was pronounced some defided, and
the condemned were then carried away to the places
of execution. The four mobiles were burned alive In
place by themselves. Two OF them, viz /: Andriam-
pinery and Remanandaiana, were husband and wife,
the latter expecting to become . mother. At the
place of execution life was offered to them II they
would take the required idolatrous OATH Declining
to do this they were bound and laid the pile Of
wood placed between split poles, more wood being
heaped upon them, and the pile was then kindied.
Amid the smoke and blaze Of the burning wood the
pangs o. maternity were added 70 those of an agon
zing death, and at this awful moment the martyrs
child was born. asked my informants what the ex-
ecutioners or bystanders did with the babe They
swered Thrust il into the flames, where its body
The remaining fourteen were taken to . place OF
| common execution, whittier number Of felons, who
had been sentenced to death, were also taken 70 b
executed, together with the Christians The latter
precipice-the Tarpeian Rock Of Antananarivo. Each
one was suspended by cord, or near the edge OF
the precipice, and there offered life, on condition oS
/ renOunClng Christ and t8kInB ud pe4ulteO 9eShS.
The young woman who had walked to the place OF
execution it was hoped, would be induced to recant
With this view she was according to orders, reserved
until the last and placed IN such position g 70 see
rock. So far from being intimidsted she requested
to follow her friends when the idol keeper present
struck her on the face, and urged her to take the
oath and Acknowledge the idols. She refused. and
begged to share the fate OF her friends The execu-
toners then said j" she is IN idiot, and does not
know what she says. Take her Away.n