The Negro world. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. ;) 1892-19??, 1900-06-02
MApAGAscAR's PROGRESS.
a. Are building, Maps Are Max
ing and There Are Many other
signs of Progress.


French possession France acquired
bne of the finest and most fruitful Is
auds in the world, and the fourth
n size, for ii is surpassed in area
pnly by Greenland, New Guinea and
l3orneo. All the world will watch
with interest the efforts of the French
10 make the most they can of their
yreat acquisition. In number of
says they, have done a great deal to
m prove communications and carry
but other works needful for the devel-
bpment of the island A great deal
till remains TO be done. but the work
5 being pushed with zeal and incl
ipence. and it will be interesting to
recount the progress making in some
important directions says the New
ork SUI
In the first place. the French nave
greatly improved the route between
the chief seaport, Tamatave, Oh the
aast coast. and the capital, Antana-
narivo, in the center of the island.
This is the chief trade route Of the
country. and two years ago II cost
4 bout SIS to move a ton of freight
between these two points, a distance
of $50 miles by the somewhat circuit
Gus route Many thousands OF dollars
have been expended in making good
wagon road from Tamatave to the
capital, and though this finely graded
road is not yet completed, it is far
advanced.
Another great enterprise, begun two
years ago, will be completed before
the END of this year. though the
French Madagascar company. by the
terms of it's contract with the colo
NAL office. has four years more 10
i. finish the work. The road from Tam
atave to Antananarico runs for60 mics,
or one-third of the distance, south
along the east coast. There is Sc
ries of lakes and streams between
Tamatave and Andovoranto, where the
road runs inland and between these
water features are hillocks. All that
was needed to be done was to cut
canals through these hilloeks and thus
Join the lakes. and there would be
fine waterway for 60 miles. There
are five of these hills ana the total dis
lance to be eNcavated was about $500
feet More than half of the route
was opened TO boats i'm May last year,
and up to November /. 5000 passen-
gers had been carried and 30 tons of
merchandise passed along the water
route every day. As SOC as the route
is completed TO Andovoranto this fall
that point, instead of Tamatave. will
be the starting place for the cara
vans. which viii then be only 100
miles from the capital. The enter
prise is owned by the French govern
ment. and no subsidy was given to
the company that is carrying il out.
s. II shows the faith which all who have
visited Madagascar POSSESS in the flu
ture of the country that this com
pany was willing to canalize this wa
terway without receiving a cent of
money. the entire compensation being
covered by a grant of 100000 acres of
land.
The canal win not interfere in any
way with the projected railroad from
Tamatave to Antananarivo. The pre-
liminary survey for this railroad has
been made, but some years may elapse
before il is built
Up to the time of the French oc-
cupancy there were no ways of com
munication in Madagascar except very
poor paths. which the natives them
selves often found il difficult to util-
ize. The French have now completed
wagon road between the capital and
Majunga. the largest port on the west
coast; and the wagon route building
81 lrom the capital to Tamatave win be
n royal highway in comparison with
any other highway Madagascar has
4 possessed Substantial bridges are
being thrown across the streams on
the route, great deal of leveling and
filing in is being done to reduce the
grade and the road win be a fine hard
highway where vehicles may pass one
another at any point: and il will be
fit for the heaviest freightage or the
lightest carriage
Meanwhile Gen Gallieni is making
good progress with the geographical
and photographic labors which he be-
gan in 1897 1t is the intention TO
make a fine map of the entire island.
but. of course, it will require years 10
carry out this great task. Before the
French occupancy, only the central
province of Imerina. in which the cap
and surveyed. all the rest of the conn
try being scarcely known away from
the little paths that crossed it in va
rious directions. In November. 1896
Sen. Gallieni established a Topographic
bureau at the capital. and ever since
there has been the greatest activity
in surveying and map making. Thus
far the total extent of the triangula-
work is necessary in order to Indicate
accurately the topography of the
country on the maps. In the progress
of the surveys il has been found that
many towns have been inaccurately
placed on the existing maps, and these
many errors are being corrected The
most notable publication now pro-
duced in Madagascar is the Notes.
Reconnaissance et Explorations,
which IS printed monthly at Antan-
auarivo The work in isgs made two
volumes with LEGO pages and more
than 100 maps and tables. all of which
were produced in Madagascar.
He wanted To Get Credit.
physiognomisf would ave said
after glance az the young man with |
the pink eyebrows that he was one to