The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1884-04-10
Queen RaRavalona III.

Great preparations have been going on
for some time. Orders were issued for
the people and elder scholars from the
various divisions of the central prov-
inces to come up to the capital for the
great event, and little encampments
were formed in different parts of the
city for at least week previous. The
MalayGsy Gazette, issued on Saturday,
the 18th of November, was accom-
panied by supplement containing
plan of the great plain of Mahamasina,
below the palace, on the west of the
city, where the coronation took place.
Eight roads converge on the holy stone
in the center, round which platform
of wood has been erected. The plan
reproduced herewith shows the posi-
tions to be occupied by the various divi-
sions of the people and details the ar
rangements which had been made to
avoid accidents and to provide medical
help if needed. In order to encourage
the Queen for the advancement of the
people in education, the former custom
of having soldiers to meet her Majesty
was set aside, and 500 boys and 400
girls from the various schools of the
city were selected for this honor; all
the schools, both town and country,
were assigned place at Mahamasina,
with their teachers and inspectors. On
the day before the coronation, Novem-
ber 81, there was an immense gather
ing of the lads from all the schools on
the plain to show their proficiency in
the spear and shield exercise, to which
they have been giving so much atten-
ton for many months past. This was
inspected by the Queen from the palace
on the overhanging hills, and gave great
satisfaction.
Long before daybreak on Thursday,
November %, the people were astir.
The roads leading to Mahamasina were
speedily lined and the great plain itself
filed. At five a. m. twenty-one guns were
fired, and the great event was fairly
inaugurated. But those who knew any
thing of Madagascar knew that they
must learn to wait. The next step an.
nounced was the starting of the Queen
from the palace at eight O'Clock, wher
all the cannon in the city were to fire
At the appointed time a number o.
natives and few foreigners, who had
been specially invited, were waiting Al
Andohalo, an open space in the center
of the city, where the preliminary cere
mony of publicly proclaiming the SOW
ereign was to take place. But it wa:
not till eleven o'clock that the cannons
doomed out and the procession from
the palace began to wind down the hill
The Queen was covered with the large
scarlet umbrella, the Malagasy emblem
of royalty, and was carried in her pal
80 ,,ol ,f0 .al
her predecessors had been proclaimed
sovereigns. The young Queen was evi
IDENTIFY very nervous. The Prime Min
lister moved off about dozen PAGES ant
| proclaimed her Ranavalomanjaka, Sow
ereign of Madagascar, and then fell OF
his knees and remained in that position
| of homage for some seconds; the cannon
again were fired, the band played th'
Malagasy National anthem and tn,
procession started for Mahamasina.
1t was near midday when Her Maj
esty and followers got on the platform
and found themselves in the presenc,
of between 10000 and 100000 Hova
from all parts of Imerina. The Queer
| was under an ornamented canopy, witt
| the words "God is with us" on the avn
ing and with a large, handsomely bount
Bible on table by her side. Her dres
was white silk, brocadea with gold ant
her train crimson velvet with heavy golt
embroidery, and she wore a large golt
crown. Again the Prime Minister pro
claimed her "Queen of Madagascar
and did homage on bended knees amids
the shouts of the people and the thun
der of cannon and the fiourishing o
thousands of shields and spears. Th,
| Queen then made a short speech, pro
nounced in fairly loud and audible
voice. The two chief points in he
speech were that she would ''mitsangan
ko lehilchy"-literally, ''stand up as
man''-with her people to oppose an
who might attemptto take even hair
breadth of the country, and that she de
sired the teaching in the schools an,
churches to 60 on vigorously. She quo
ted the texts, The fear of the Lord i:
the beginning of WISDOM" and Right
eousuess exalteth Nation" After
long and somewhat tedious delay, dur
ing which the various classes of peopl
offered their allegiance and presente
"hasina"-a present of money-th
| Queen and Prime Minister and follow
ers went down on the plain, and He
Majesty got into light spring carriag
and was drawn by men Cor the hors
was scarcely steady enough) up an
down the various paths along which tn
people were ranged.
This new departure caused great sal
isfaction, as the mass of the people ha
not formerly been able to see the SOW
ereign so near to them. The day fol
lowing the coronation all the schoe
teachers and visitors were called to
gether to hear the Queens word abou
the schools before returning to thei
various villages. They were bidde
to be diligent and earnest in their work
and the significant announcement wa
made that henceforth the spear an
shield exercise need only be taugh
once month, instead of every day a
heretofore since the beginning of tn
war. On Saturday, November "a,
grand feast was given in Mania Kami
adana, the large stone palace, at whic
the chief people of Imerina, the repre-
sentatives from the distant parts of th
country, and twenty-four Vazaha, in
Guiding English, Norwegians and Amer
leans, were present. The Queen wa
present, dressed in a green and gol
brocaded silk, with different crow
on her head from that which she wor
at the coronation. The tables wer
loaded with substantial dishes-beei
turkeys, geese, fowls, etc.-as we'll a
sweets and delicacies, and the Who'll
repast was served in European fashion
Madagascar Cor. Pail Mall Gazette.
|
One of the most singular accident
on record recently occurred in a mill a
Nashville, Tenn. A workman by som
means was thrown toward the circula
saw, and, evidently thinking that h
was going upon it, died from fright
which was the verdict of the Coroner
Jury. When picked up he was dead
but there was no sign of bruise on hi
body.
A certain NJ. Bibbero is reported t
be in training on nTyneside, in England
with the intention of committing suicid
next summer. Undeterred by the pain
full fate of Captain Webb. this foolhard