The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1883-10-02
nladagasoar soldiors

A correspondent ffom madagascar
says: A day or two previous to my de-
parture from the Capital, 1 witnessed
a review of one Of tho crack regiments
OF tho Hova Army. Accompanying
the reviewing General, Prince of the
blood royal, we found the battalion.
eight hundred strong, drawn up in line
Oh pleasant meadow. distant some
two miles from the eity. Dressed in
white and armed with Remingtons,
kept scrupulously clean and in good
order, they looked not unserviceable
body Of men. Perfectly steady they
were as we rode along the ranks, and
they ''presented arms'' and saluted the
Prince with a precision and smartness
that betokened discipline and drill.
Ten years ago Sergeant Lovett, from
the battery of British Artillery sta
toned ut Mauritius, was engaged by the
Hovas to drill this troop. He did not
| remain long enough with them, nor,
perhaps, had he sufficient knowledge Of
tactics himself to train the army for
movements in the field on an extended
scale. But minor drill they learned
very thoroughly, and the spirit of
discipline, and OF implicit obedience to
superior officers, seems to have been
acquired and maintained in a striking
degree. Indeed, the sergeant was a
very martinez, and frequently enforced
respect and prompt execution Of his
orders by the weight of his own arm.
a StentOrian word of commnd he also
possessed. and to this day it is the
ambition or all HOva officers to come
n q Of.a lnt -,
On taking up our position Oh a raised
platform i'll front of the troops, the
general i'll command, first; taking a
good bHo"tlA, s"ua on npao,, ee, ...vlySti-
cally as to reduce him for a short
time to a condition Of collapse. A
terrible din ensued, every officer on the
ground repeating the command at the
tOpmost range Of his voice; half
dozen files in the centre of the line
stepped back few PAGES and the band
marched through the gap playing in
quick time as they approached us.
'"There is Happy Land" After this
salute we had the manual, the platoon,
and the DayOnet exercises Of our own
service, Which were all done smartly
and well, except that the officers who
gave out the commands had frequently
to be relieved, otherwise some of them
must have succulnbed to apoplexy. The
regiment advanced in line in good order.
1t broke into column. 1t formed square,
going through these evolutiols in
highly creditablc style. Tho skirinisIl-
ing was not 80 good. In this some three
hundred spearmen co-operated, but
their proceedings, although striking
and picturesque, were about as much
adapted to real warfare as are the bat
TALON movements 30 assiduously prac-
tised from year to year by English
troops. After parade wo had lunch, at
which wines and English beers were
produced in profuslon. But CONVERSE
ton was limited, most of the officers
having previously shouted themselves
hoarse. OF troops such as L had seen,
the Hovas possess some twelve thou
sand men. Then there are as many
more armed with old m,Iskets and
spears, but drilled, and an untold host
OF irregulars. The regulars have
learned much Of the letter of European
drill, but as yet have failed to compre-
hend it's spirit. Still, they could very
easily, in hands of competent leader,
become Il sufficiently fOrmid able force.