The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-04-07
EXILE HOME IN
FAR oFF ALGERIA
Frank Carpenter Has an Audience
With Ranavalona Ill, The
Grand daughter Of Cod
DOWNFALL OF AN EMPRESS
How the Queen Lives To-Day.
Madagascar and What the
Frcncil Are Doing There.
DOWNFALL OF AN EMPRESS
How the Queen Lives To-Day.
4 BY FRANK G. CARPENTER.

-05 l4la ALGlCRS. st
nee the ruler OF the third largest
island of the world, n country
& Z blgser5than France, twice as large
as Italy and three times as big as New
Eng ;nd the beloved Queen gilmore than
Tour million people with all the money
she could spend, with an army of her
own. court the most brilliant of that
! of any monarch south of the equator,
and all that she could wish for in tho
( way of luxury, pomp and power, To-day,
z deposed from her throne, a pensioncr on
the bounty of the French government, an
d exile in the hands of her conquerors.
watched always By spies and guarded by
n muscular French woman, who controls
her conversation and actions. Such is
the present condition Of Rapuvaona Ill,
the famed Queen OF Madagascar, by
5 whom ! was granted the honor OF an
Il audience to-day.
The Story Of a Queen.
Before describe my interview, or
rather my audience for her Majesty was
4 not permitted to talk, let me give you
: Il few words of her history. EIer name
lis Ranavalona, an imperial cognomen
which means THE Granddaughter of
God. She comes of the royal family
y which ruled Madagascar for many years.
She is descendant of Radama H., who
h became king OF all Madagascar In 1910
q largest and most civilized tribes OF the
Island wko. after conGuerng many of
the other tribes, formed q union with
i the Sakalavas by marrying Rosalmo, u
4 Sakalava princess
King Radama was the first to introduce
our civilization into Madagascar. He
welcomed the missionaries, and as far
back as 1920 introduced Protestant Chris
1ianity among the Iovas. During his
4 seign schools were established, churches
were built, the &ible WAS printed in Nala-
easy language and y he people were largely
converted.
After his death. one OF his wives,
Ranavalona l., assumed the throne.
She opposed the missionaries but her
son, RadaWa H. again gave the peo-
pie full liberty as regards religion,
and in 1865 Queen Fanavalona H.. the
aunt of this queen. carried on the
good work, She died in 1883, and was
u succeeded by the woman talked with
to-day, who was then just twenty -onc
5eaHs of age. She is now forty five,
although She looks ten years younger,
/ sninl. she is a widow, for according
to custom, when She took the throne
she married the prime minister, who
was then seventy Years old, and he
must have died long ago.
Ranavalona' Coronation.
When Ranavalona was crowned she
4 1haar u claise III the coronation cefe-
monies OF the country Other monarchs
had always been attended by soldiers.
i She made schools ildren her chief
~ guard Of honor She had picked out
1t wv Dogs ana fpo girls from the chief
IA schools OF TaMtnarlvo. and all the
schools, with their teachers, had eX-
39 cellent places for witnessing the cere-
mopy. The day before the school boys
drilled and went through their speal
Ea and shield exercises in her presence
Be and at the time OF the coronation sh,
was attended by regiments OF boys ii
uniform form, and troops Of girls dressed
,rT.. G,oo
'e n1,Jn t,idV $500, lies neF toroaS
3sr,r, ~ ,'i,ft. aii,, ef,. WI Nv,
embrojdercd, she had a, her 'I risr r,na'