The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1896-01-17
Description of the French Victory by
an Eyewitness.
CORRESPONDENCE Pail Mall Gazette.

correspondence iii MILL SdZSIlS.
After months of somewhat unnecessary
procraStination and WeariSome delay, the
F'ranco-Malagasy so-called campaign was
brought to a welcome, if not timely, finish
this afternoon september 800.
AT daybreak heavy mist, as usual, lay
thick upon the valleys that surround An
tananarivo. Away to the east, upon the
submits of the distant ridge overlooking
Ambatombe, one could discern officers Of
the French intelligence department taking
ranges and other observations of the Hova
lines. The French force appeared to have
been drawn up in four columns on the side
OF the aforementioned hill, each body of
troops 500 to 1000 strong. The artillery
was drawn up in front, their mules and
transport service in the rear 1t was quite
in accordance with all previous strategy
emanatlng from MalagaSy intellect that
the Hovas should have chosen for their
last stand position directly commanded
by the higher and strategically superior
heights which the French had been al
lowed to occupy the previous day without
the slightest opposition. 1t was, if posi-
BILE, still more characteristic of the native
authorities to postpone any and all at
tempts at fortifying their position until it
was too late. The whole of the ridge from
Tsoavinandriana and Andrainarivo to the
Observatory was lined with Malagasy
troops and guns. An undulating valley,
5000 to 1900 yards across, separated the
French from the Malagasy position; Sec
ond sleeper and half it's width, interviewed
between the latter and the capital While
the French staff were taking their OBJ
servations the Malagasy, like Balbus of
old, were intently busy building a wall to
the north, for what object it would be
hard for any European to say AS soon
as the mist lifted the French artillery
posted on the heights opened fire on the
Malagasy batteries. The latter replied all
down their line, and a pretty duel between
guns OF heavier caliber ensued, the din Of
battle being intensified by the mountain
echoes that carried on the deafening roar.
The French gunnery appeared fairly ac-
curate, while that of the Malagasy, taking
into consideration the inferior shells and
ammunition used, was not far behind that
of their opponents. Still, I am glad
to say, not much damage to life was
done to either party. Shells burst
ing in their neighborhood soon had
the effect of clearing off the majority of
the Malagasy troops, which consisted of
a vast rabble mixture of soldiers, carriers
schoolboys and onlookers, all in their con-
spcuous white lambas, covering the hill
side, without leaders, object or apparent
ly the slightest organization. The Euro
pean trained cadets alone seemed To
make any attempt at resisting the attack
They served their guns steadily, and many
OF them in soldier-like manner worthy of
the highest praise. At a. M, the artil-
lery lire having slackened off a little, the
French infantry deployed and the line of
skirmishers descended the hillside into
the valley, and advanced on Andrainarivo.
the central portion of the Hova position
Thls firing line was followed at due inter-
walls by the supports, and later on reserves.
and so the attack proper had at last be-
gun The intervening ridge of hills occu-
pied by the Malagasy now concealed the
French from view from Antananarivo.
but after short suspense clear report
| OF well regulated volleys, with the whist
| ling of bullets overhead, informed spec
tators who had gathered in crowds
throughout the city, that the French in
fantry, with their Lebel rifles, had come
Into play. The Malagasy rifemen again
returned their fire, regardless of all aim
and OF the fact that the French were a
long way out Of range of Remington and
| Snlder. Hordes of spearsmen rushed aim
lessly about waving defiance, but always
| out of danger. The irregular, INDEPENDENT
| firing of the Malagasy, and the steadv
| controlled volleys of the French were kept
up necessarily for several hours At one
time, about IL o'clock, the defending force
hac thinned very much indeed by fight. nor
| by casualties, and the majority of the SOL
olers hitherto left now ran awav bl1t
| their pluckier comrades ENCOURAGED NV q
shght check the French received in try
| ing to scale the steep Observatory hill.
| cheered and shouted and called them back.
Oie Attle cadet braVely stuck to his gun
on the hill behind the hospita1 when oil
else mad left him, and fired away round
! after round at the French, notwithstand-
| ing that he had attracted the fire of sew
| eral hostile batteries, and shells were fall
ing all around him. The French force
nndlng the Observatory hill sleeper than
| they expected on the eastern front ceased
! fire for a few minutes, while chanpinr
the direction to make flank attack. This
| cessation of fire was nlisconstrued nv tho
| Malagasy as signal that the French had
been defeated, and so loud cries of fri
! umph filled the air.
| These shouts of exultat.on ,,aro +o,
| up throughout the city, causing vast
raoble of previous deserters to return 70
| tnelr Drawer comrades on the ridge Tho
| latter. hard1er soldiers, were creeping about
among the rocks and tombstones on An
orainarlvo hill and south of it, firing awav
at, to spectators at Faravonitra. an m
seen enemy. Soon, however. the voIlevs
OF the disciplined troops could be heorS
again sharp and clear and about 1890 ~
m. BODY of French sharpshooters reached
the summit of the hill behind the hosnita1
anu LOOK the Malagasy in flank; another
BODY OF skirmishers appeared almost sim
ultaneously at the foot Of the disman+1nd
observatory, and the Malagasy rout from,
their position was soon complete A feu,
minutes and the whole ridge was cleared
the Hovas scattering in all directions and
| - AZ .iio CITY. One Shell burst
IN the rice helds close to Tsoavinandriana.
a second just north of it, third in the var5
and fourth on the roof of the hosnita1
| itself. p'oi
Fortunately, by what seemed a. miracle
none of the European refugees collected
there was injured, and, stranger still 70
| say, despite the rahble horde thai fro,
tune to time had been exposed to tho fra
of the French, wonderfully few casuaIties
and but little damage to life had occurrad
throughout the day. Infantry fire was st;11
being carried on from both extremit;es 90
lne french line, but at 1:SO a gun from the
palace yard opened fire ON tho
observatory HILL where the French
artillery had now drawn IN
battery; other guns on Farayoni+ra
ana throughout the city followed sn;t
while the French Showed no less alacri-v