The sun., 1896-10-18

The Hard Task OF SuhiugutIon Before
Them Richie. Of the I-iaRd-It- F"wns
"rd Its People Peculiar Custom


and Its People Peculiar Custon n-.
Scarcely year has passed since the forces
of Gen "uschenc. nftcr march from Ma
junga TO AntananariyO. in which fever wrought
greater ravaAcs than the bullets of the enemy.
received the surrender of the liova capital. In
the prevailing exultation over this triumph,
and In the relief felt Mt the close of q cam
paign in which, though the other casualties were
not great. the hospital list was so extensive.
perhaps little thought WAS given to the real
character and stability OF the conquest which
had thus been nominelly effected. 1t was per-
haps thought enough that the Hova forces had
been dispersed. and that the Queen had carit-
ulnted. allowing the conquerors TO exact very
nearly their own terms.
But since then some French illusions on that
subject must have been dispeled, for more and
moro difficulty has been encour tered in secur.
ing real subjugaton of the island, and It is
to-day practically the prey Of dvll war. Ac-
counts have recently como NJ the condition OF
anarchy outside OF the French garrisona. OF
the waylaying and slaughter OF travellers.
and the bushwhackinG and guerrilla warfare
which allow the natives, perhaps especially OF
the tribes that never acknowledged Hova SOW
eighty. to keep I'D predatory warfare against
the French that may be con .inucd for years.
Possibly this state of things was somewhat
due to the policy Of the late Prime Minister,
by whose completely before the final rupture
which brought on war bands OF gucrillas or
brgands are said by some authorities to have
hcen allowed to form. II so. il is easy to sup.
pose that they were by. no means content to
give up their occupation after the French had
received the submission OF tho Queen. But
there are also The independent or semi-inde-
pendent tribes OF the mountains and forests.
who hate the Hovas almost as much as they
loathe the French" as Mr.. Frederick Taylor.
in the N0rh:SA Amsrirdr Rerirr, expresses 1t.
This writer says that, durinE his travels In
the interior OF Madagascar, lie found twenty
distinct tribes practically INDEPENDENT cf the
lio.as. md often al war win them, and that
i will b" years bcfors they are all subducd.
The iioNoS are tie domin"nt Malagasy race.
HIG hG II,mm4Hertignnhiy I,m4 OF Malay origlm.m They
:, me OF the South Sra diH.cct-. but the other
Mala-asy tribes. with scarcely ali exception.
back to the time wien Madagascar was part
81 q ne mainland The French apply the term
rrrriprocate with the epithet rats; which is
thgir term of utmost reproach. ON the
4 i. HcynH ,@H' the Ar.flno'si are descended: M
while tie Sakalavas Of the west coast uss
Arnh,c words dcnoting days OF tho week and
cuplcd by the Hovas. and prefer to be isolated
in small villages.
The account given by Mr., Taylor presents
at once the dincuties which bcset the French
in their present undertaking to make NADIA.
sns ar z prosperous French colo-y. and the
temptations which will undoubtedly induce
them TO carry that undertaking on 10 ultimate
success. The island Is the third largest in
tie world. II ~ u thousand miles long and
from ?1U 10 100 miles broad, in shape ar ir.
regular oval. The area IL !9s,OoO square
miles, oi which perhaps one eighth or more
r,ay he primeval forest, within II being birds,
bIants, and animals not known TO exist else
where. The Ankaratra range OF mountains.
reaching the height of 1000 teet above the sea
lovci, forms the chief watershed. and eastward
there is what appears to he al unbroken belt OF
tropical 'erdure Ior sou miles nOrthsand south,