The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-09-26
ACROSS MADAGASCAR.
heport OF Lieut.. Schufeldt on His
Mission.
n country That Prefers American
0anufaetures-Hts Resources In
Precious Metals-Other
Foreign News.

WASHINGTON CITY, Sept 26-Lieut.
Mason Schufeldt, United States navy, whose
visit to Madagascar has attracted much at
tention, reached the city Wednesday morn
Ing, and at night went to New York to see
the president and report to him. Lieut..
Schufeidt was sent to Madagascar in a diplo-
matte capacity. His mission was to.find out
II there were not some way in which the
French occupation of the seacoast could be
terminated
Madagascar is the last stronghold of the
American carrying trade, and our exports to
the island have been large, and much in ex-
cess Of English exports to the island. The
natives will not buy English cotton cloth
When they can get American, and plain
white American cottons are selling at the
Hova capital for 60 cents yard Lieut.. Shu-
Ieldt says the people have a passion for the
purchase OF all sorts of new things, and par
ucuiarly all the appliances OF civilization,
and the island offers richer opening to com
merce than even Japan at its zenith The
people have such mechanical ingenuity that
they manufacture an excellent Gatling gun
SIMPLY from drawings without ever having
seen model The country is enormously
-A~AA III uii 1oStuICSS, buU LQ6
natives only work in iron mines.
They know, however, that they possess
rich gold and silver mines, though for
currency they use the French 5-franc pieces,
which they cut up for change Lieut..
Sehnfeidt ascertained that the Hovatgovern-
ment is willing to pay $4,000, 600 or 81 200, 600
indemnity if the French will leave the island,
and to raise the money the queen granted a
concession to foreign company to be formed
to work the gold mines 80 per cent of the pro
ceeds to be paid to the queen, and with that she
Will pay the indemnity to the French.
There has hitherto been a serious question
about getting the precious ores to the sea
coast and part of Lieut. Shufeldt's mis-
sion was to ascertain if the principal rivers
OF the island were navigable as far as the
gold fields. He found the river was
navigable for $50 miles, affording am.
Pile means of communication between the
gold fields and the coast In oil treaties
between Madagascar and foreign powers
there has been provision that any European
developing mine ON the island or CARRYING
away specimens should he made subject to
the Hova criminal laws and punished with
twenty years imprisonment The Hova
government put this stipulation in lest
a gold fever should break out and the
island should be overrun with European
and American miners and adventur-
ers. The queen is now willing to waive this
in part, and on his way home Lieut.. Shu-
feldt stopped in London and organized q
company to work under the concession
given him by the queen. Lieut. Shufeldt is
the only white man who ever went entirely
across the island, distance of LOIS
miles, not in a direct line, but as he was
obliged to travel. He started with 500 ma
tives and three white men The three white
men he buried with his own hands on the
way OF the natives only l58 completed the
Journey. The rest perished of fever.
1t is supposed that the project of the
administration is to bring about Amer
lean Intervention, and induce the French to
abandon their territorial claims, take a lot of
gold to pay the expenses of their Chinese war
and GET out of Madagascar. Lieut. Shufeldt
speaks highly of the Hovas, and enthusias-
tically of the general resources of the island