, 1877-07-29
LIFE IN MADAGASCAR.
An American Coffee Planter Describes
the Virtues and Vices Of the
Malagash,
And Draws a Pen~P Picture Of tI,e Stronp.
est UnciTn Service Under the
Sun.
EQfTesD0n3knce Nr,r yorL. uor,4

renee. They are hosptable, the traveller. whoeyt
he be. black OF white, always finding shelter unut
their roof, and dish Of dry rice il any Life is vc,
, safe throughout the land, and murders are almo
unknown. Unfortunately these good qualities 4,
connterbalanced By vices which education only c..
! eradicate. The Malagash il lazy. and adticte
beyond all human conception tu lying. lie liz
without necessity, without conpulson Of auy kine
Who ever resided enc month in this country al
! was not thoroughly cured OF believing thems i
Tor conscience, 1t is 1s rare truth among then
They cannot be trusted on any account Shout
! you need to send them on IN Grand, ypu mus
wait until you are indebted to them for a eertat
sum. or else yop will RIM the risI: OF not seeia
yonr messenger return for sewers! days, II he re
turns at all. They steal rather through ncccssit
than through depray:ty. They will to 60 fo
eating, sometimes for drinking, bnt not for &C
cuuluIatin. wealth, ttcy desire nonc The
will occasionally appropriate TO themselves
chicken. OF knife, but no clothing or cumberson
property Save these vices, inherenn to thci
actual state OF civilization, strangers will find th
natlres excessively afab1c and obliging cspeciall,
they make themselves understood b!
n.n aae' an might Gnst.s
to render j service. In their dcalsngi
With white employers They arr generally fair, save
! with regard to the vs1uc of time. which il an in
comprehensive thing for them, and hence their as-
tonsshnent ut the master idea Of having one thing
done to-day when it can bc done just as well next
Another peculiarity with them which met with
nowhere else is The spirit ofsoliaarity pervades
| among them: Should any one commit Il delinquency
OF some kind OF other, all 10 the last will deny bav
| INF any knowledge OF it, and no amount Of reward
Ut punishment VIZ ,huuce tnem 10 betr'y inc
gn.y a il 'nss WI 1 1o1tet @ aii Their wasss rather her
! delinquent 1t the very mor,cn. you sur
prise him IN the aet, amt wait . llttlc, time
e5G0stns n n aspy yo I'll s find n ali tne
! fact; and H. notwithstanding the iErefntahle
! proofs yon may snow asainst the cnprlt, yon dis
ehalSe MN or tnrtal. my Nases' all Will abandon
your service ioI'h"l.h. even to tue Forfeiture OF
lheif wa@es; u not, expect that they Will consp:e
to ITO bo ut their earlicst convenience but they will
| leave you
aschy, occasionally controlled ny murder. The
sovereign IL almighty; NC is the master OF his sub
1eck lives, persons. anu property. The land be-
longs to him exclusively, ami occupants dwell
! It through tolerance. They can be elected
from 1t without warning. anu no qncs-
o1lcer who executes the order. The Queen
ol aceurxea memosy. nc who died M u ls. hat once
ii erds1 81 wt f t. ssf s5e ID the e
much. !icr Majcstys will was obercd Immediate
after The perusa OF her letter, and she selected
to the gr.cat satisfaction Of the Princess,
WHO had no words to express the
joy she, felt ut having pleased her sorer
eisn, and mistress to thar extent ANY hesitation
on her pnrt in complying with the Queens Will
would huve been followed with capital punishment
AL without exception, ere tue sovcrelsns slaves.
band RAdama MI Rakoto was murdered iii 1863,
after short reign. at the very moment he going
to nctray his country INTO tne hands ef Napoleon
Lambert. under the guidance Of the Res. Mr..
Finssse Of 1he he sosssy t of 3esqz e who uthongh
aeS in ray f aas af lhs 70
ap.racy. ,rhs Government has since been reeo:;-
n'zed By the United States. france, and England.
about the possession or pfotcetnrate Of this
island by those two last-namcd countries, and we
trade here IN 1,cacc all on the sa1ae footing
commerce, already alluded TO in my last. 1t
should be revised without delay in order to avoid
future complications on the question Of the leasing
upon the necessity OF eStenung the term OF
twcnty-four. years to nincty-nine years in leases
tremelv suspicious toward foreigners, especially
the French, in consequence of their unccasin:t
and h Of s nd
b. the three principal commercia! nations Of
the world has not yet removed their sus-
picions entirely. They afraid that
are taking possession II il in detail,
their rulers judging OF our socul organization after
their own, and pesevIng that our sovr1eisns eau
scnd US here as traders and planters for thai pur-
pose.- In fact assuming that every Nsi:cash !
without exception is, really is, the slave OF
arc obvious. He is very frequently arrested |
In town, the sii-roads, in his own |
house, by men detailed for that purpose, !
taken to the Fortress compelled to carry the SOW
eresu's packages 10. the cIYilal, to aerre in the
army, and attend 10 all soE1s Of services without
pay, and besides all tina. he must feed nnd cfothe
hIMsclfi Her other slaves from IN: lowest officer
up to the Governor of this province, arc on the |
enn.e equality hcfo1e her eyes. Her chill !
dren only are not slaves. Not Que
single puphc luhctaoaals 10 patu.
III mast live and Keep up "a certain appeatancs. /
ana ne does u ny aehnS Nke ~ eosefe.gn. He
cyacts provisions ana labor from any one hc
chooses, and the afty 70 se!ccte 93ist ela 10 h's
lo per cent levied on cach clss Of goods, ami 50 he
pay the privileged foreigner for the necessities
he buys from him. Whatever he can yet
OF rather take. from the native is never paid for.
One single example Will illnstlsse what say anu
make kno'fn the soclal organization Ct these PEG.
pie: 4 native met co4orsd English subject :snd
within hearing u = 1raend OF nine sad to him:
$50 ana So Misn son Wousd cune
into partnership with me- TO Keep a lit.
tie grocery ethf: hase no money. |
said thc English aEbJect On: II makes no u!ncr-
encc: have enough lot Inc pafposG. ",
then. uont you % u alphe; an fepI1ca 1e.
lit il becAnsc yon are EnS!'sh ann only Aala-
cash. II work alone tue governor VIII sent tD
lnr for provisions aud taNe ~ ne wants without
paving, whereas yuu oclns Ehg1sh aud Win int he
VIII not dare to DO eo .,...
This state OF things Is enoH4h 10 klll any spirit o1
enterprise and 70 tsrGrauc nation. The Intro
iMctapn OF AfTlcs:t slaves has been totoll- !
len under severe penalties, anu al! those |
I'M The M:I{aNnsi SOIL fFe. 1nu Ut I