The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1892-05-21
! TERRA INCOGNITA.
A Country But Little Known to the
Outside World.
THE ISLAND OF MADAGASCAR.
characteristics OF the Island az Described
by Trsveler--Its Great Mineral Re-
souroes-A Remarkable Lake-Cheap
Living.

In the Island of Madagascar, hitherto .
terra incognita to the great majority of
Englishmen and the civilized world, Q
virgin gold field hos been brought to
light, which has through the many GEN.
turies passed been conserved to its own
people. Over the area Of the island, which
is about go, 900 square miles, there are no
old workings, and nothing to indicate
that gold has ever been sought for.
The surface remains undisturbed since
the great upheaval of Nature. The law
that has been In force upon the island for
finding or picking up gold, Is death to a
native and expulsion to Q white man. The
Malagasy laws prohibit any native leav-
ing the island, or any other black race
settling there. It Is an island that has
kept to itself, and has had little inter-
course with outside nations, and through
this course scarcely anything has been
known OF its interior until late years, and
this exclusiveness has no doubt kept 1t
intact through successive generations.
Madagascar is stated to be the third
largest island in the world. 1t is 975 miles
in length and $50 miles In its greatest
breadth.
The island was first discovered by the
Portuguese In or about 1905, and was
probably known to the Indians some hun
dreds of years before. There is, however,
no indication that they ever permanently
settled upon the island. Agents Of the
London Missionary Society have been liv-
ing upon the island since 1920, and in 1925
they introduced the art OF printing
Their influence in propagating Christian
ity has enabled the islanders to make
rapid advances in civilization.
Through the previously mentioned
laws in force regarding the discovery of
gold the natives have such fear that they
never attempt to collect 1t, and hundreds
are now in chains who have been sus-
pected of infringing this edict. 1t is only
within the last twenty years that the ma
tives have learned the value Of this min
eral.
In 1912 q French company, called the
Societe de L Orient, attempted to colonize
the country, but this and their endeavors
at conquest have proved unsuccessful.
OF late years few privileged Europeans
have been allowed to visit and prospect
the island for precious metals, who report
as the result of their research the discov-
cry Of enormous auriferous deposits Of
easily-worked alluvial, and great num-
Der OF quartz reefs impregnated with
gold. The value of the gold was E3, los.
Diamonds were found in the possession
of the natives, who claim to have found
them on the island. This statement is
evidently correct, since no Malagasy dares
to leave the island, and no blacks are al
lowed to land or stay in the country, so
that regarding diamonds they could not
have been brought there by any natives
xrorly;,,rv in frscon d;ov,npA vVSspaa
Large beds of coal were discovered by
the prospectors in the northern portion Of
the island, also six distinct petroleum
springs within an area of fifty miles,
lying on the outside of the coal measures.
Iron, copper, silver, and lead were also
met with.
Extinct craters are found in the basins
lying northwest of the 5000 to 1900 feet
peaks of Ankarata, and overspread in large
areas in their vicinity are auriferous
drifts, collecting their deposits on lower
lying terraces, with drifted masses piled
dp against the intrusive ridges, filling
their cutters and chasms.
To the northwest a remarkable lake
has been discovered, which has been dry
ing up for years. 1t is called Lake Itasy,
and has been formed in an immense basin,
with high mountains on all sides. Orig
inally tx lake must have contained q
large vo ume of water, now 1t is only
twelve m les long by five or six broad.
On all sides of the present water, the
uncovered ground lying toward the
mountains consists of millions of tons of
auriferous wash, the accumulation of
ages.
The opinion of those who have visited
this wierd valley-lake, Is that the bottom
must hold untold wealth of gold, since all
the surrounding mountains have rich
lodes running through them, and the de-
posits in the valley are positively pep
pered with gold.
Living is very cheap on the island, and
the cost of plain diet need not exceed
three pence per day. Oxen can be bought
for four shillings, and sheep for one shill-
ing. Rice and mealies, casava or mana
oke is the staple food of the natives, while
chickens, turkeys, geese, and ducks are in
great abundance. Tobacco, tea, coffee,
and sugar are grown. The climate Is
magnificent, and sickness amongst horses
and cattle Is unknown. Luxuriant pas
| turage abounds all the year round, and
native labor ranges upward from two
pence per day. Wood suitable for min
ing and building purposes can be had
| within easy distances.-T. b. Harrison, in
National Tribune.