The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1893-02-24
IN MADAGASCAR.
MRS. LEA WITT TELLS OF
HER TRIP TO THAT
ISLAND.
An Audience With the ReieuiaS
Queen at That P1ace-A
City Built of Brick.


The lecture on Madagascar" by
Mrs. NJ. c. Leavitt, honorary life
president of the w. G. T. T., at the Y.
NJ. c. A. Hall last evening, was fairly
attended by ladies and gentlemen.
Mrs. DR.. Whitney introduced Mrs.
Leavitt to the audience, who received
her with applause.
Mrs. Leavitt commenced her ad-
dress by giving an outline of her jour-
ney by steamer from Colombo, island
of Ceylon, to Tamative, port on the
Eastern coast of Madagascar, an ISL
and about 1880 miles long, lying be-
tween IL! and % degrees south latitude
and between A and 81 degrees east
longitude. Mrs. Leavitt landed OH
the island alone and knowing no one.
When she landed at Tamative the
acting American Consul kindly re-
ceived her and supplied her with in
formation concerning her intended
| Journey inland. Prior to her arrival
at that island she had heard stories to
| the effect that the natives were unre-
| liable, and that strangers were not
safe travelling with them. This idea
was entirely contradicted by the Con-
sui.
| Mrs. Leavitt wished to reach Tana-
narivo, the capital, which was stu
| ated about 234 miles inland. And in
order to reach her destination, her
kind host secured sixteen ahle-bodied
and trustworthy natives. There were
no roads from that seaport to the cap
| ital, and the traveller had to reach Ia
nanarivo the best ways he could. Mrs.
Leavitt was borne by the natives on a
stretcher-like apparatus, there being
no wheeled vehicle of any kind on
the island. The men travelled at the
rate of twenty-five to thirty miles a
| day. The capital was reached on the
sixteenth day. Mrs. Leavitt des-
cribed the journey in humorous
vein, which frequently brought forth
bursts of laughter from the audience.
The temperature during the day was
SO deg. in the shade. At night the
party rested at villages, ready to start
at early morn. She spoke of the men
in highly complimentary terms, and
added that they were as reliable set
of men as could be found anywhere.
After passing through these many
miles of rough country-sO rough and
rugged that she did not hope to meet
with anything better inland. On the
morning of the last day of her jour-
ney, q feeling of admiration ran
through her veins when before her lay
in the elevated distance the beautiful
city of Tananarivo, city not built of
marble like Rome, but built of brick.
Little did she dream of ever seeing
such sight in such place, evidently
far away from civilization. There
were no roads to the capital, the paths
being for the most part worse than
mountain trails, and only fit for beasts
of burden to travel on. The idea of
such bad condition of roads Mrs.
Leavitt soon found out was not to
shut out civilization, but to keep out
armies of foreign invaders, and thus
the reigning sovereigns feel them
selves secure from the horrors of war.
Tananarivo is city entirely built of
burned bricks, and contained many
large churches, most Of which would
safely accommodate over 1000 persons.
At the four corners of the city We're
built churches of the different reli-
gious sects, such as the Roman Catho-
lies, Congregationalists, Episcopa-
lians, etc. There were also meeting
houses. The Queens palace was q
splendid edifice. During Mrs. Lea
Wits stay of about three weeks, she
delivered many lectures. On one oc-
casion she was honored with a special
invitatian from the reigning Queen tC
| pay that dignitary visit, for the
Queen undouE4 idly feltit an honor or
her part to receive distinguished
lady who had travelled around the
world in the cause of temperance, 8
work in which the Queen was greatly
interested. The invitation came wher
Mrs. Leavitt was about to address 6
large audience, but the invitation
was such rare thing that Mrs. Leav.
lit gave up the lecture and hurried tc
the Palace, where Her Majesty the
Queen received her right royalty. The
Queens husband, who was also Prem
Ter according to custom, also attended
Mrs. Leavitt's views were explained
to the Queen through an interpreter
The subject of the audience was OF
the subject of strong drink. The
Queen informed the lecturer that SHIT
was eager to Danish it from her borders
The Queen was described as being
very Intelligent, and good rule
over her four and half millions o
subjects. The government is despotic
the voice of the Queen being almos
the law, and the people are very sub
servient.
The education of the kingdom i
mainly by the Christian churches
The chief resources of the island bein!
cattle, sugar, rice, etc. The country
was united in 1910, when the mis-
sionaries were first permitted to go
Previous to that, former kings hat
prosecuted the Christian natives, ant
that abuse ended with the presen
reign.