The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1892-03-24

Roman Catholic faith, as well as several Sisters
of Mercy.
The London Mission has about $50 native
pastors and about 100 evangeists or native
missionaries stationed in various parts of the
country, and many of them in heather dis
tricts. There are about 100000 Protestants,
and $4,000 Roman Catholics. Five-sixths of
the Malagasy are still pagans.
Schools have been established, and education
is compulsory where the influence of the Gov
eminent is effective.
All the missionary societies have colleges
and high schools both for boys and girls, and
in all education is given freely, with but
nominal charges for books, etc. Almost every
congregation, except the smallest has its school.
The London Missionary Society has an indus
trial school, and hospital and medical schools
are connected with the Friends, the Lutheran,
and Anglican Missions. There are now quite a
number of native doctors and surgeons
1t is estimated that there are $500 schools,
and about 10000 children under instruction.
1t is difficult TO get the statistics of the Roman
Catholic Mission.
The production of books is confined to the
missionary societies Of the island. Each of
these has press, and chiefly educational and
religious works are issued. Excluding pam
phlets and lesser issues, about 400 distinct
works have been issued from the various
books. Half of these are from the London
Missionary Society. and fourth are pubica-
tions of the Friends. Six monthly magazines,
a quarterly, two weekly newspapers, and a
Government gazette at irregular intervals,
comprise the periodical literature of Madagas-
car. The yearly issue Of the London Mission
airy Society press from 1870 to 1880 averaged
10000 copies Of various publications, and those
Of the Friends press were $1,000 copies.
Judges are appointed by the Sovereign, and a
code of laws was printed in 1881. Justice is
dispensed in simple form by local authorities,
but there are no statistics Of crime available.
The INCREASED pressure Of forced Government
service and the levies of soldiers has caused
an alarming increase Of crimes Of violence, and
numbers of banditti in large and armed bands
have desolated some parts of the country.
The chief source Of revenue is from the Gus
toms, and small poll is paid but the per-
sOnal service every Malagasy has to render is
the manstay OF the Government. The only
fixed payments are those that are made to the
Queen, the Prime Minister, and to the army.
In 1856 the Malagasy Government borrowed
from the Comtoir d'Escompte Of Paris sum Of
10 100000 francs, of which 100000 went to
pay the indemnity Of France. No statistics Of
public revenue are obtainable,
The local expenditure and revenue of the
French colony Of Diego Suarez, at the north Of
the island, were estimated in 1890 at 1913 40
francs for revenue, and ,Sl7 o92 francs for ex-
penditureS.
The standing army consists of 10000 men,
mostly armed with modern rifles Two Eng
lish officers are employed to train cadets. One
Of these is an artillery officer. Armstrong
cannon of small caliber have been purchased.
There is no cavalry force. During l591 two
gunboats were purchased from the French Gov
eminent. During the French invasion the
number Of men modified exceeded 5000 and
thev were trained by English officers
Mountains Of great hight traverse the island
from north o south. Rich deposits ofdiamonds,
silver copper, iron, gold lead. coal. graphite.
sulphur. salt, aud petroleum have been found.
Tie yield OF gold increases year V. and great
discoveries have lately taken place. Cattle
breeding and agriculture are the chief 6ccupa-
tians Of The people.
Rice. sugar, coffee. cotton, and sweet potatoes
are cultivated. Wheat is grown the i!ipn.
lands near the Capital. The forests abound
with valuable woods, aud tropical and subtrop-
ical products are plentiful. Concessions of for
est land on the northeast coast have been made
to European companies. who are telling the
timber and planting the ground. Silk and
cotton weaving are carried on. and the manu-
faciurc OF textures from the rOfia palm fiber,
and also of metal work. No machinery is used
for the making Of textile fabrics. All are car
ried on by the simple spindle aud Torso in use
from a remote age.
Ancient methods are used for the working of
iron and other metals. OF the forest conces-
sons, one is Italian, one French, and four Eng
lish. OF the gold concessions, two are French
and two English, The cattle are mostly of the
bumped species and are abundant, and free
from infectious diseases while the soil is fertile,
with good pasturage. There are several va
nila and sugar plantations on the east sea-
board, and the cultivation of tea has lately been
started in the interior.
The chief exports are cattle, india rub bier.
hides, horns, coffee lard, sugar, VANILLA wax,
gum, rice, copal, orchila weed, seeds, straw hats
mats for sugar bags, silk shawls called LAMBDA
and LAMBDA woven of the rofa fber which is
colored with native dyes. Roia fiber is largely
exported TO France, where il is used for tying up
vines, for which purpose it is found more use
fui than any other article The total value of
exports In 1888 was STA ITO.
Amongst the chief imports are unbleached
American sheeting, English limitations of the
same, prints, cslicOes, muslins, fannels cheap
silks, beads plate tin, rum, crockery, hardware,
and parailin oil. The total imports for 1888
were fl6207l. Returns for 1889 not yet
known; but the exports to England in that
year were fS3G18. and the imports e62 96l.
The Capital city is situated 2G0 miles from
Tamatave, the principal seaport, and travel is by
palanquin, there being no roads. The Govern
nent has hitherto resisted ali overtures for the
construction of trans and railroads. The dis.
lance Is over mountainous country, at times