A narrative of the persecution of the Christians in Madagascar...

Front matter

A NARRATIVE

OF THE

PERSECUTION OF THE CHRISTIANS

Preface

Few events in the history of modern mission have created so intense an interest in the hearts of British Christians of all denominations, as the persecution to which the little flock of native converts in Madagascar has been subjected during the last five years. That interest must be contemplated as so much gain, on the broad scale, to the cause of Christian Missions. It has awakened prayer and sympathy. It has confirmed many holy feelings and called forth many benevolent efforts. The "things which have happened " in Madagascar, and which for the moment obstruct the " free course" of the word of the Lord, must ultimately be overruled for the furtherance of the Gospel." :i X i weapon that is formed against Zion can prosper."

The following narrative has been drawn up in compliance with the suggestions of many valued friends, who have wished to be in possession of a succinct and authentic account of the circumstances connected with the Christian church in Madagascar, and especially with the escape of the six refugees who have been now nearly a year in England.

The History of Madagascar by the Rev. W. Ellis, lately published* under the sanction of the London Mis-

* By Jackson and Co., Newgate Street.

A 2

IV PREFACE.

sionary Society, contains a narrative of the principal events which relate to the suppression of Christianity in that country in February, 1835, and of various subsequent events during the succeeding two years. The present volume might, therefore, seem almost superfluous ; or at any rate a brief appendix to that work might be thought to supersede the necessity of this.. There are, however, many persons in the religious community, to whom the larger work is not easily accessible ; yet, having their best sympathies identified with the cause of missions, may be gratified, and, it is hoped, profited by the perusal of a small and cheap volume, such as is now prepared for their use.

Mr. Ellis's work is the only existing complete view of the history and state of Madagascar. The narrative contained in this volume relates almost exclusively to the persecution. Readers who may wish for a more ample elucidation of the character of the country and its inhabitants and manners are referred to the copious details in Mr. Ellis's two volumes.

In placing the history of the persecution contained in this volume in the hands of the Christian public, it is the earnest wish of the writers to create only such feelings as primitive Christians would have wished to create by a recital of the sufferings of their persecuted and afflicted brethren. They would neither indulge an acrimonious spirit, nor employ "wrathful" terms in describing the conduct of the unhappy and unrelenting persecutors.

The religion of the Saviour inculcates on all, the spirit of meekness and love, the heartfelt forgiveness of in-

PREFACE.

juries, with prayer for them that persecute and revile the disciples of the Son of God, himself the bright example of all the charities which his religion teaches.

The history of the " faith and patience" of any portion of the suffering church, enduring, as in days of old, a " great fight of affliction," may not be without utility to those who under circumstances far less appalling, are striving for the faith of the Gospel. They will find in the meekness and constancy of modern martyrs new illustrations of the life and power of the Gospel. They will see that its principles, embraced by faith and operating by love, produce the same holy results as in apostolic times, and that they have lost none of their vital energy by the lapse of centuries. Truth is immortal ; and its Divine Author attests its divinity, as revealed in the Gospel, by the purity it creates, the elevation of character it sustains, and the holy consolations it yields, even amidst the terrors of martyrdom itself. The results of modern missions furnish important links in the chain, the unbroken chain of evidence, by which the truth of Christianity is attested to the world from age to age.

It is hoped this narrative may deepen the interest already cherished in the bosoms of British Christians on behalf of Madagascar, and may excite them to more importunate prayer in its favour, so that its wounds may be healed, and its captivity turned.

Xames, dates, and places have been specified with considerable caution ; occasionally they have been concealed or stated ambiguously, in order to avoid the changer of the narrative ever being made a clue in the hands of the native government, where it may perchance fall, to assist in the apprehension and condemnation of any

VI PREFACE.

parties in the island, yet exposed to the malice and fury of their rulers ; and hence, should some circumstances mentioned seem to require further elucidation, the reader will candidly excuse the seemingly incomplete or obscure passage, by regarding it as one of those cases where it might have been cruelly hazardous to have been more explicit.

If any profits arise from the sale of this volume they will be applied to the relief of Madagascar Christians^ who are still suffering there for Christ's sake, and in part to those who have effected their escape and found an asylum either in Mauritius, or in England, a land where liberty and charity love to dwell.

The first and second chapters of the narrative contain a brief account of the island, of the state of the country, of the late King Radama, and of the accession and government of the Queen. The third chapter is devoted to an exhibition of the native religion, and the fourth to an outline of the operations of the mission established there by the London Missionary Society. These chapters have been introduced in order to render the whole narrative the more complete, and especially for the sake of such readers as may not be in possession of the more ample sources of information already adverted to.

J. J. F.

D.J.

Walthamstow,

near London.

CONTENTS,

Chapter I. Introductory

Page.

Commercial value of Madagascar — Population, extent, productions, trade— Origin of inhabitants — Independent provinces — Semi-civilization — Capacities —The Capital — Radama — British connexion with Radama — His illness and death — Accession of the Queen — Her origin and claims- Murder of Rakotobe, of Ratefy, and others— Starving to death — Treachery — Ramanetaka's ecape — Andriamihaja, his melancholy fate — Queen's dreams about him — His successors in office— Despotism 1

Chapter II

GENERAL STATE OF THE COUNTRY SINCE THE ACCESSION OF RAN AVAL ON A.

Proportion of the country under the Queen's government — Standing army — Bourgeois — Extermination of the male population — Expeditions— Hova troops self-destroyed at Ikongona — Crucifixion — Carnage — Near escape of two boys — Sale of captive children — Native letter describing a campaign—American whalers — Embassy to England— Barbarous cruelty— Civil service to the government — Practice of district betting — Villages deserted — Modes of capital punishment — Queen's amusements — Power abused — Provisions scarce — Service to the government by the women . . . 24

Chapter III

Native religion of the Malagasy ; ideas of God — Their idolatry — Charms — Places at which they offer worship — The soul — Death — Curious anecdote in the a Manao afana" — Divination — Witchcraft— Ordeal of Tangena — Votive offerings — Moral character 51

V1U CONTENTS.

Chapter XI

From the Embarkation of th Refugees at Tamatave to their arrival in England — Reception there, and residence to the present time — Condition of the Christians remaining in Madagascar—Letter from the Refugees in England to their suffering Brethren in Madagascar — Conclusion ... • 275

NARRATIVE,

Chapter I. Introductory

Commercial value of Madagascar — Population, extent, productions, trade — Origin of inhabitants — Independent provinces — Semi-civilization — Capacities — the Capital — Radama — British connexion with Radama — His illness and death — Accession of the Queen — Her origin and claims — Murder of Rakotobe, of Ratefy, and others— Starving to death — Treachery — Remanetaka's escape — Andriamihaja, his melancholy fate — Queen's dreams about him — His successors in office— Despotism.

It is one of the most singular circumstances connected with the modern history of European enterprise, that Madagascar has never been subdued, and colonized, by any European state. The French have had the earliest and largest connexions with that island, but have scarcely ever exercised the sovereignty over any extensive portion of its territory. Its value has been unaccountably overlooked, and its insalubrity greatly overrated. It was justly regarded by a French writer at the close of the last century, as capable of indemnifying France for the loss of St. Domingo ; and, with equal propriety, it has been represented by an English gentleman, intimately acquainted with this subject, as having capabilities to

B

2 VALUE OF MADAGASCAR.

render it of more worth to Great Britain than all her possessions in the West Indies.

The island is somewhat larger than Great Britain and Ireland, containing an industrious, intelligent, and semicivilized population, amounting, there is reason to believe, to between four and five millions.

The extent of its natural resources has not yet been adequately ascertained. There are vast forests, rich savannahs, numerous lakes, and many valuable rivers. The land is everywhere low in the neighbourhood of the coast, and the interior is mountainous. The highest elevation in the country probably does not exceed 8,000 feet. Iron, slate, and lime-stone are abundant. Coal, it is said, exists ; and silver, it has also been affirmed, has been discovered near the capital, but of which the natives are forbidden by the government to speak, lest the fact of its existence becoming known, should excite the usual cupidity of Europeans, and terminate in the subjection of the country to a foreign yoke : — not at all an improbable supposition, with the history of Mexico and India in view. Many valuable articles suited for commerce are already produced ; some on a large scale, and all capable of an indefinite increase, whenever intelligence, liberty, and capital can obtain fair play in the country. Among these articles may be specified sugar, cotton, hemp, silk, indigo, tobacco, gum-elastic, gum-copal, ebony, wax, &c. The only articles at present largely exported are cattle and rice, to Mauritius and Bourbon, besides hides, horns, prepared beef, ebony, and gum-copal, and a manufactured cloth called Rofia, from the beautiful palm-tree of that name.

INHABITANTS. .3

Madagascar possesses many remarkably fine ports, harbours, and roadsteads. Most of these are on the eastern coast, such as Diego Suarez, Vohimaro, Foul Point, Tamatave, Mananzary, Mahela, and Fort Dauphine. On the western side, the Bay of St. Augustine has been long known to all European countries having intercourse with India, and Bembatoka on the northwest. The principal trade on the east side of the island is carried on with Mauritius and Bourbon, and on the west, with the Arabs from Muscat, and the Americans. The Malagasy have no shipping whatever of their own. In marine architecture they have not advanced a step beyond the rudest and simplest canoe. They have nothing in boat-building to compete with the New Zealander or South Sea Islander.

The inhabitants are all of a dark complexion, some races being much more swarthy than others. They are evidently of a varied origin, and to a large extent are now so intermingled with one another, as to have lost the distinctive traces of their original condition. The language, which is the same throughout the island, with a few dialectical varieties, identifies the inhabitants with the Malayan races. Some of the natives possess Malay features, others resemble Arabs, and a few approximate to the negro race, but without the woolly hair.

Madagascar does not appear ever to have formed one kingdom, or to have been held under the sovereignty of one chieftain. During the whole period that it has been intimately known to Europeans, which is about 200 years, it has been occupied by independent tribes, holding possession of their respective districts, and amount-

b 2

4 SEMI-CIVILIZATION.

ing to about twenty or thirty, but among which, some few were always more powerful and extensive than the rest. There is no one generic name by which tribes recognise one another as inhabitants of the same country, nor have they any common name for the whole island itself. They distinguish themselves by the respective territories to which they belong, as Sakalavas, Betanimenas, Hovas, &c. " Madagascar" is a name given to the country, as it appears, by foreigners, either Arabs or Europeans ; and " Malagasy," which is an adjective for the inhabitants and language of the country, is but very partially used by the people themselves, and principally on the eastern coast.

The natives of Madagascar are not in a state of barbarism. They appear to have acquired, from time immemorial, by their intercourse with Arabs and Malays, and subsequently with Europeans, many of the arts and habits of civilized life. They possess large flocks of cattle, cultivate and artificially irrigate extensive tracts of soil, are familiar with the value of property, and live in large communities, with considerable regularity of municipal government. They have no native coin. In those parts of the island where they have had little or no intercourse with foreigners, purchases are made by exchange ; in the rest the Spanish dollar is used, and for amounts smaller than the dollar it is cut into pieces, and payment made by weight. The only native metal worked is iron ; the people have long known the manufacture of various articles in that metal, as well as in horn, wood, silk, and cotton. They excel also in the manufacture of silver chain from dollars imported in the

PROTESTANT MISSION. O

sale of their produce. Many of their houses are large and substantially built of wood, and their towns, which usually occupy the summits of hills, are well defended by large moats. The people are industrious in their habits and peaceable in their dispositions : they are hospitable to strangers, and respectful and courteous in their demeanour to each other. Under a government less oppressive and rapacious, the country would soon assume an appearance of great fertility and comfort, and by the fostering care of liberal and enlightened rulers, the people would rapidly rise in the scale of intelligence, wealth, and power. There are materials to render the Malagasy a noble and powerful nation, whose friendship and resources would be well worthy of commercial relations with Europe and India, and whose mind and energy would qualify them to act as benefactors on the eastern coast of Africa.

Madagascar has attracted more of the notice of Great Britain during the last twenty-five years than in any former period. This has arisen, in part, from the circumstance of the island of Mauritius having been finally ceded (after conquest) to the Crown of Great Britain, and from the commercial relations between that beautiful island and Madagascar, — and in part from the labours of the Protestant Mission, established there in 1818 by the London Missionary Society.

At the period just mentioned, Radama was a powerful and enterprising, though youthful, chieftain in that part of the island called the Hova country, situated in about the most central part of Madagascar, 200 miles from the eastern coast. He had succeeded to his father.

6 RADAMA.

Andrianimpoinimerina, who, from a very limited possession of influence and power, had risen to extensive authority, and had formed the ambitious project of subjugating the whole country to his own individual control. Radama inherited the ambition of his father, adopted his policy, and succeeded in enlarging the boundaries of his kingdom. In all this he was much favoured by the friendship and countenance of Sir Robert Farquhar, at that time governor of Mauritius. Sir Robert had the sagacity to discern the enterprising qualities of Radama, and formed an alliance with him on behalf of the British Government. The terms of that alliance involved some points of questionable policy, for while Radama engaged to suppress the slave traffic in Madagascar, the British government engaged to supply him annually with an equivalent, consisting, besides money, of arms, military clothing, and ammunition, for the loss of revenue occasioned by the suppression of the slave trade. Radama was sagacious enough to see his own interest in the offer of the governor of Mauritius, and found in the " equivalent " of arms, clothing, and ammunition, the means of equipping a large native army, by which he might effectually destroy the independence of the tribes around him, and so become, de facto, what he always claimed to be, but never actually was, king of Madagascar. And thus Great Britain, having supplied a handful of men with the weapons of destruction, and taught them how to wield them most effectually by sending a few soldiers to drill the natives, lent herself ungraciously to the task of abetting the ruin of the independence, liberty, property, homes, and lives of

DEATH OF RADAMA. 7

thousands and many tens of thousands of the peaceful inhabitants of the island, who had never raised a finger against the British throne, nor ag-ainst the Hovas over whom Radama reigned, but who now, furnished with British weapons, could desolate whole regions of inoffensive agriculturists, and glory in schemes of conquest, rapine, and blood, that have literally filled the w T hole of Madagascar with groans, and anguish, and death.

It was in the spring of 1827, that Radama left the capital to visit the eastern coast of the island. He remained several months at Tamatave, where courting Europeans and colonial visitors, and courted by them in return, he indulged habits of intemperance and irregularity that would have wasted even stronger constitutions than his own. On his return home, at the close of the year, he was far from being well. An affection of the throat had seized him, his constitution was undermined, and he found a premature grave in July of 1828, at the age of thirty-six. The reports which were circulated as to his having been poisoned, were perfectly groundless. No other poison than the habitual and copious use of ardent spirits was needed to destroy the vigour of his constitution. Vices usually attendant on intoxication were superinduced ; diseases followed, and Radama perished by their natural effects.

Rakotobe, the eldest son of Radama' s eldest sister, was the recognised heir apparent up to the time of Radama' s death. Had Radama lived loii£ enough to have a son grown up to maturity, his ambition would, in all probability, have appointed him successor to the crown in preference to a sisters child, whatever other claims

8 ACCESSION OF THE QUEEN.

the latter might, by usual custom, be supposed to sustain. The only son Radama had, died while an infant, not without strong suspicions of unfair means having been employed for his destruction, by interested parties and near relations.

The death of Radama was concealed from the public for a few days. Two favourite officers had been in constant attendance on him, and these, it is believed, were adopting secret measures to secure the succession of Rakotobe, the legitimate claimant. They were probably aware that they would have to encounter considerable difficulty, from the state of parties, in effecting the object, and therefore, acting with extreme caution and policy, hesitated to adopt the prompt measures the case demanded. One of these had, a few months previously, accused to the king some of Radama s nearest relations of some offences that incurred his severe displeasure, and he was now alarmed for his own safety lest, on the death of his sovereign, these parties should find means of resentment* It was during this delay that the measures were formed to secure the accession of Ranavalona, the present queen. A young man who had been promoted a short time before by Radama to the rank of the sixth honour, as a reward for his courage on being willing to fight a duel at the king's desire, was in attendance on the two officers already mentioned, and hence had the opportunity of becoming acquainted with the fact of Radama' s decease. He seized the moment to convey the information to Ranavalona, who had been one of the wives of Radama.

The father of Ranavalona had saved the life of Andrianimpoinimerina, the father of Radama 2 when his

RANAVALONA. 9

uncle, Andrianjafy, had formed the design of destroying him, by pushing him over the brow of the hill at Am - bohimanofa. When Radama's father came to the crown he took Ranavalona as an adopted daughter, and betrothed her to his son Radama, arranging also, before he died, that Radama should succeed him in the government, and that he should be succeeded by the issue he might have by Ranavalona, in preference to that by any other wife. Radama had no family by her, and certainly entertained not the remotest idea that she was to succeed him. The party, however, which formed itself in her favour at his death, affirmed that it was the will of Andrianimpoinimerina that, on the decease of Radama, Ranavalona should inherit the kingdom ; and on the basis of this unwarranted, improbable, and false assertion, the measure was carried, and the present queen was placed upon the throne.

Radama always treated her as his espoused wife, in virtue of his fathers arrangement, and she was recognised as holding the high rank of one of the "roambinifolovavy," — twelve wives of the sovereign ; but she was not the wife of his choice, nor the mother of his children. Some of her relations had been destroyed on the accession of Radama,. and this may have occasioned no small portion of that deadly resentment which, on her accession, proved so fatal to various members of Radama's family.

Immediately Ranavalona was informed of the death of the king, she sent for two military officers of the rank of colonels, who came originally from her own native village, acquainted them with the death of Radama, and promised, if they would devote themselves to her interest, so that she could obtain the throne, to advance them to

b 5

10 RANAVALONA.

the highest rank in the army, to reward them with wealth, and to secure to them the privilege of " Tsy maty manota," i. e. exemption from capital punishment for any offence they might hereafter commit. Heartily entering into this arrangement, they took Ranavalona and one of her attached female friends, another of the twelve wives of the sovereign, and concealed them in a private residence. They then proceeded to the judges and the keepers of the idols ; and having succeeded in attaching them to their interest, collected without delay the soldiers under their command. All this was effected so promptly and so secretly, that even Rafozehana, the principal officer of the army and resident at the capital, was not aware of the movements till it was too late to arrest them. Being called in to assist in making arrangements to proclaim the queen, he solicited a day's delay, that he might collect the division of troops under his more immediate direction. This was prevented ; he was summoned within the courtyard, and was forced at once to declare on whose side he was, nor was he permitted to leave the place till the whole business was completed. His aim was unquestionably to secure the crown to Rakotobe, the legitimate successor, but on finding it impossible to secure the object, he saved himself by becoming a zealous and eloquent partisan of the queen.

Ranavalona' s party was now in the possession of the courtyard. Several of the officers, judges, and idolkeepers were there, and two important divisions of the army ( Avaradrano and Yoromahery) on their side. To all these it was then announced, that the idols had named Ranavalona as successor to Radama, and their consent

DEATH OF RAKOTOBE. 1 1

was demanded. Four officers of the Tsindranolahy replied, that they could not, whatever might be the consequence, conceal the fact that the late king had named Rakotobe and Raketaka (Radama's own daughter,) as the party to succeed him. They had scarcely given this proof of their fidelity to their late sovereign, than twenty or thirty spears were plunged into them by the bystanders, and they perished on the spot. This decided the whole question. Whatever might be the wishes or designs of others, they now regarded their case as lost, and were silent, The cannons were fired, and the queen was proclaimed.

Soon after these transactions a message, both verbal and written, was transmitted to the missionary families and all the Europeans resident at the capital, Tananarivo, announcing the accession of the queen, promising protection to their persons and property, and encouragement in their labours.

Rakotobe, the young prince already mentioned, and who was the first scholar placed under the care of the Society's mission in 1820, was apprehended and conveyed to a village not far from the capital, from whence, after being detained a few days, he was removed to another about twenty miles distant. He was conscious of his fate, and pleaded for his life, but in vain. His guards were his executioners ; they yielded to his request of allowing him time to pray before he was put to death ; his grave was then dug and he was speared by the soldiers and buried on the spot. He died, not without having, for sonic time previously, given encouraging evidence that he had sincerely embraced the religion of the Saviour, and placed his hopes on Him who had suffered, the just for the 1111-

1 2 RATEFY,

just, to bring sinners unto God. His only sister survives, and resides at the capital, and was the wife of one of the members of the embassy that visited England from the court of Madagascar in 1837-

At this time Ratefy, father of Rakotobe, was commanding officer at Tamatave. This prince, of mild and amiable deportment, visited England in 18*21, and attended the annual meeting of the London Missionary Society that year.

Deeply anxious as to the probable course of events, on hearing of the death of his brother-in-law, the king, and naturally solicitous as to the safety and welfare of his only son, he imprudently quitted his post, made arrangements for the management of business, and with his wife proceeded on their journey towards the capital. They had not gone far when they were met by some troops, who were on their way to him with a message from the queen. They were ordered to return to the coast, and accordingly went back to Tamatave. From George Bennet, Esq. and the Rev. D. Griffiths, then on their way from the capital to the same place, they obtained additional intelligence as to the state of affairs in general, and learnt for the first time the afflictive information of the death of their beloved child. Filled with the keenest anguish, and alarmed for their own safety, they attempted to effect their escape to Mauritius, but the only captain at that time in the harbour refused to allow them a passage in his vessel. The detention proved fatal. The governor of Mauritius, as soon as he heard the circumstances, despatched a ship to the port to afford the means of escape ; but in the meantime Ratefy had been summoned to the capital to take his trial, on the charge of having abandoned his station, and pro-

HIS DEATH. 13

ceeded towards the capital without permission from the sovereign. The offence was declared in a public assembly of the people called together on the occasion. He himself was detained a prisoner at Ambatomanga, and having been declared guilty was immediately speared to death. The trial was held merely to save appearances. The resolution had been previously taken to put him to death, and, as if aware of his fate, he told the executioners, on their entering the house where he had been kept a few days as prisoner, that since Radama was dead, it was impossible he could be regarded otherwise than as a guilty person. His connexion with Radama, and his just expectations as to the succession of his son to the throne, were sufficient circumstances to seal his doom on the death of the king. The queen could not have commenced her career by any two more unrighteous acts, than the murder of Rakotobe and that of his father Ratefy. Radama's eldest sister, the wife of Ratefy, was detained some months on the coast, where she was again expecting shortly to become a mother. Before this event could occur, she was starved to death at Ambohibohazo, by order of the queen. Her mother shared a fate equally cruel soon after the king's death. She was sent to reside in a part of the country where fever prevails ; a mere pittance only of food was allowed her occasionally, as if to prolong her sufferings, but not sufficient to sustain nature, and the soldiers who guarded her were instructed to terrify her, from time to time, by pretending that her executioners were just at hand, and asking her where she preferred being killed, whether in the house or outside of it ; and thus, by cruel alarms. fever, neglect, and insufficient provisions, she was de-

STARVING TO DEATH.

stroyed. Her remains were interred in the family grave at Antanjondroa, in the district of Marovatana. Her brother, Andrianilana, who lived in Imamo, was put to death at the same time. Her only surviving son, Rataflkia, own brother to Radama, who was living at Mananjary, on the eastern coast, was also destroyed by the inhuman method of starvation. One of his guards, since dead, has related, that for a period of four or five days his cries were most distressing, but that he survived upwards of eight days. Some hours after he had ceased to groan, the captain of the guard opened a window to ascertain if he was dead, when the wretched and exhausted sufferer, unable to speak, pathetically expressed his wants by an earnest motion of his hands towards his lips. His guard was touched with pity, but durst not afford relief. He was buried in the same grave with his mother and sister — all three being cut off by the queen by the inhuman plan of starvation.