The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1861-12-30


while ne are toe busy With cur war 10 con-
,esn oarstiv, with foreign masters, gres'
,h,u-e Is going on Ia the African island OF
hsia,,.car, which the sdvcnt OF new king,
kApASA H. has thrown open to the Europeans
Who .rs h .sioning to take advantage o. me OK
,rsordinry privileges granted them. Tho
,L.oA has hitherto teen closed to strangers and
ths capital, regarded as q sacred city, w's only
Waite! At rare intervals by Europeans, but now
foreigner, have perfect liberty to establish
,h,nselves whore they please, and commercial
liberty is granted to all. This change Of policy
hss induced many English planters TO establish
themselves in Madagascar, whore the king has
made largo concessions Of land, aud the future
ptosp. eta Of the island are 30 satisfactory that
IN, French plantors Of tho Msuritius already
think Of 4ndirg 70 1t part OF the omi grants
d.stintd for thor colony. RADANA is also
making great reforms for his own people, and
contrary 10 what might have bsen eSpectef,
sncour .ers no opposition. lie has already given
encouragement, to education And the useful arts
and has abolished the penalty Of dsAtb The
| promises made 10y him viii be kept, tiaec long
l.,fore hi, accession 10 the throne his excellent
sp,iments were known and esteemed.
| For this change In tho policy OF Msdaga'cai
We arc largely indebted to two Frsnchmen, Nj
NJ LAnoRpk and LAMBEKr, who have induced
tbs King 70 make the island FREQ kingdom and
assure 10 IL III the advantages Of modern civil
zAtioD, by which foreigners would 10 the first &
profit. The opening Of this kingdom Is scarce
ly second in importance to the unsealng Of ia
pan, and, considering the m,re substant a
value Of tho concessions made 20 foreigners, !
might even be placed before that
The history Of tho past relations OF MadagS,
car to tae civilized ' odd is singularly like tina
Of Japan in m.ny respects. There, "a In Japan
Christians with their religion, at one time favor
ed have al another been subjected TO the mos
bitter and relentless persecution, until scarce
Eoothold was left for them in tho islaud an
any favor shown TO them or their religion, o
the part Of its inhabit ante, was cruelty punishe
as treason Of the worst Kind. But the cross
again In tho ascendant, thanks to tho enligh'
, enod policy Of King RADAMA II, this magnii
cent island kingdom Of the East Is brought |
contact, as never before, with the wester
~otjd, A now field is thus opened TO ente
Ntt only TO the commercial world 10 this h
PRODUCTION to Madagascar interesting, but TO Il
scientific man and the naturalist, this new cou,
uy offers field such as has not been op,ns
since Captain Cooks discoveries. There exs,
In It's forest and inland lakes amin ais which ma
create greater sensation wher Uncovered, tina
even the gorilla, and already are there in In
British Museum, and the Museum at Berlin
the cast Of egg as large, or larger, than the hu
man head, the originals of which, taken from
the bank Of Madagascar river, are now in
museum in Paris indeed, tome sanguino ma
turaiists hope yet to discover in the island In,
the original roc of the Arabian Nighis.r Ar
entire srder Of animals, the lemurs, ara onl,
found in Madagascar, one wriery of which, IN,
aye aye, Is actually a monkey beaver. Tn,
vegetable productions are marvellous in thai,
beauty. The dyes, gums, and medicinal plant,
are oil great value and variety, while tho un.
worked mineral treasures are immense.