The Benton weekly record. [volume] (Benton, Mont.) 1880-1885, 1883-09-15
QUEEN RANAVALONA.
Something About the Progressive
Queen of Madagascar.

1t is reported that Queen Ranavalona o
Madagascar, died July 18th. Her reigl
| began in 1868. It markeda new era il
Malagasy history. A series of importan
reforms were at once set on foot. The
term of military service was reduced tt
five years. The corrupt and vexatiouE
system of legal procedure was exchanged
| for trial by jury. National education was
so vigorously promoted that the native
| schools in the provinces of lmerina anC
| Betsileo alone now muster total, accord.
ing to some authorities, of 10000 pupils
All persons engaged in educational work
were declared exempt from the compul.
sorry government service, which is the ma
tive substitute for taxation. The cruel
practices of native superstition was tlnspar-
ingly swept away, and in 1877, all the
slaves from the Mozambique coast who
still remained in the country were freed al
one blow The spread of Christianity was
encouraged and the people aneliorated in
every way. Under Queen Ranavalona' S
sway idolatry was forever extirpated.
BURNING THE IDOLS.
Early III her reign the Queen embraced
Christianity and built Il royal chapel.
Meanwhile the wooden fence around the
temple of the great national idol had been
pulled down, and the priests assumed a
threatening aspect, even limiting that their
god had medicine which would ayenge
him on the hereto sovereign. On the Sth
of September, 1870, they came in force to
the capital to claim their rights as mobiles.
A council was called and it was decided to
send the chief secretary of state and other
mig b officials to the sacred village, seven
miles from the capital, and burn the idol
before its keeper returned. They set off
from the prime minister, seized the idol s
house. The wood of the fallen fence was
collected and a fire was made and the con-
tents of the temple were brought out to be
burned First the long cane carried be-
fore the idol in professions was thrown in =;
then twelve bullocks' horns from which
incense or holy water had been sprinkled +;
then three scarlet umbrellas and the silk
robe worn over the idol by the keeper who
carried it. Then came the idols ease
the trunk of small tree followed and fit
ted with cover, and, last of all, the idol
itself.
THE GOD.
Hardly any of the present generation
had seen the god, aud great was the sur
prise when he was produced. Two pieces
of scarletsilR about three FEET long and
three inches wide, Withza small piece OF
wood about as big as a mans thumb in
serted in the middle between them, so that
the silk formed, us it were, two wings, was
the great god OF Madagascar, whose touch
was sanctifying and whose nearness was
preservative. "You cannot burn him: he
is god," said the people. eff he Oe a
god he will not burn,' said the officers
''we are going to try,o and held it on a
stick in the fire, that the people might see
it as it was consumed. The victory was
complete. Next day four other idols
shared the same fate and the rest followed.
One was little bag of sand, another con-
sisted Of three round pieces Of wood uni
ted by silver chain. The people looked
on in wonder, and when the process was
over, seeing that they had no gods to wor-
ship, they sent to the Queen to ask what
they were to worship for the future. The
government, says the English Independent,
adding to the information contained in
Mr.. POOLS letter, thereupon appealed to the
native Christians to send Christian teach
ers, and they at once responded. It was
found that of $50 towns and villages in
Imerna 100 already had Christian church
es, and teachers were at once found for all
the rest.