The Benton weekly record. [volume] (Benton, Mont.) 1880-1885, 1883-11-03
THE HOVAS' STRUGGLE.
A MissiOnary's Account of the French
Fight i'm Madagascar.

had long and interesting talk in th,
Garth Castle saloon with the Rev, Mr.
Cousins, another English missionary from
Madagascar, now on his way home witt
his wife.
1.-The new Queen," said Mr.. Cousins, ssis
firmly established on her throne. he,
Prime Minister stronger than ever he was
her people are resigned to their misfor.
tune, but are nevertheless calmly and dog.
gedly making preparation for long re-
slstence. Every able-bodied Hova mar
and boy has voluntarily joined the Hova
army, and are now training. The BOYS
diligently learning how to handle the ma
tive spears, and even the very women talk
OF fighting the detested invaders. The
worst OF it is the Hovas have no big guns.
They have few thousand Remingtons.
which they don't know how to use, and
that is all. For the rest they have to trust
to their spears-ugly weapons enough at
close quarters. The French, very small
force of them (probably only four or five
tave, and command the town itself. No
sooner did the bombardment begin than
the Hovas withdrew into the country,
They have made desert around Tama-
taVe tor distance of twenty. five miles.
and are watching the French-preventine
all supplies from reaching them by land,
and virtually besieging the besiegers, who
are III position the reverse of being
pleasant. All the towns and villages for
miles on the road to Antanarivo have been
burned. The invaders will be led into
ambushes and harassed incessantly. If
necessary Antanarivo will be burned
rather than it shall fall into French hands
and, as the Hoyas are most obstinate peo-
pie, the war might be prolonged indefi-
nltely. Meanwhile, provisions are grow
ing dearer daily in Tamatave. Business
in Madagascar is utterly at a standstill.
The Hovas have stopped all exports of rice
from the island, and make night attacks on
their foe when they can, and every
Frenchman has been driven out of Hoya
territory to Tamatave. Twenty wears ago
there would have been general massa-
re. There was some talk even now when
he news of the bombardment reached the
capital, but the Prime Minister interfered
% prevent it. So you see civilization has
lone something for the Malagasies.
AMERICAN AND ENGLISH FAyoRITEs
'Foreigners are rather disliked, but an
Exception is made in the case of English
nd Americans. / an inclined to think
hat the Hoyas still hope that the English
will interfere to protect them.
''The Sakaluvas and other tribes domi-
ated by the Hovas number altogether |
bout four millions. The Hoyas, who rule
yer the territory that stretches from the
xtreme north to Fort Dauplain, number
My about one million, but they alone of
Ii the tribes are united. The others are
pitt up into an infinite number Of fact
ons, continually at strife among them
elves. The French are spending vast G
mount of money. They are obliged to
ave electric lights burning constantly af- I
# dark, and to relieve the garrison at fire.
lent intervals. Every night boatfuls of
rench troops are taken off shore and re-
laced by others from the men of war. :
nd all this to effect most unjust pur- T
ose. At the outlet they had right on r
eir side, for the Hovas tried to evade the !
auses Of treaty allowing foreigners to 4
lrchase land in Madagascar. Had the J
rench been fighting for this they would ),
I'VE universal sympathy. But they are J
It. They began war of aggression and !,
Hovas, seeing that they would have =
is struggle forced upon them, soon grew :
signed to the inevitable = =