THE TAKING OF TAMATIVE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XX, Issue 6817, 22 September 1883, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE TAKING OF TAMATIVE.

The correspondent of the London Times at Tamatave gives the following description of the bombardment:—Oα Slay 31 the Flore cast anchor here, and oa the evening of June 1 the French Consul intimated to all the Consuls here that an ultimatum had been handed by him to the Govi-rnor of Tamatave, in which (as follows below) certain conditions Were imposed, failing the acceptance of which by the Hpvg Government hostilities would commence five minutes after midnight on Juno 9-10. The conditions were as follows:—1. The recognition by the Hovas of all right accruing to France by virtue of former treaties and which the Hovn Government had repudiated. 2. The right of ac- . quiringland. 3. Art indemnity of 1,00D,000.f. for claims made by French for breach of agreement by the Hovas. When these iniquitous demands wore made known, all the Kuropean residents here thought they would nevfer be. accepted by the Hovas, and at once . preparations were made by many of them for the outbreak of hostilities. On the 2nd instant the Governor of the fort was informed that should any preparations for. defence be

made, by jiim breyipns to *:r<)ply.being given, the vessels then in harboar/woold oSS C from the Admiral caused a panic amoricf the native population, and the wives of the Hova officers left the town immediately for the* interior. The excitement in : the town, being so great Captain Johnetone, of. the Dryad, thought it advisable to send.a guard p) nineteennjarines for the British Consulate These came on shore on June 7, and a steant eutter and pinnace were placed it the disposal of any one oiring to embark, which stayed moore.l near the landing place niebt and day in case of any outbreak pf th* populace. At seven p.m. on Saturday, the 9tn, the reply to the ultimatum was received by the J?r. nch Consul, who immediately infbfraed his co leagues that a negative answer had been given, and in consequence he waa about to proceed on board the Flore. At nine p.m. he, with the other French official* aud a few remaining citizens, embarked on. board. The few of U3 now remaining on shore expee'ed to hear very shortly the booming of the French artillery. We were, . howe7er, disappointed that night, and had to '''". be content with watching the electric light on lioard the Flor-' illuaiiuating the coast from PointTardotoflastiePbint Thiselectriclight '.. was regarded by the natives with awe. I heard one of them say that the white men had caught the comet and had brought it with them to the Hovas with another replied that he thought that the. French ; I were attempting to fire the town with it. ". . At ha;f-past sis a,m. a warning shot waa ''' fired by the Boursaini; aDd immediately huge '" tricolour fhgs were hoisted os. all the masts " - aud spanker booms of all the French menof- '": war m harbour. After an interval of two '" minutes the Fiofe Bred the first shell at the ." battery, apparently doing no mischief. ' Immediately all th.K other vessels opened fire, ':, which was carried op vuth great rapidity for ' ne.rly tiyo hours. The Creuse, transport, , ' with French refugees on board,, was throwing shell into Tanio Point aud the village of '' Ampanaiana, some fuiir mile? distant from i.am..tave. A bout five minutes after the firing ot the first shot an .explosion took place in the Custom House, where were stored 200 ' casks of rum. Fortunately only two casks exploded. These, however, helped to spread the tire, and but for tae energetic action of iome employed of Roux de Fraissinet & Co', the premises of that firm, as well as other large premises belonging to other Europeans, would soon have reduced to ashes. The Hovas had evidently prepared for setting fire and doing as much injury as possible, as a b«g containrnor powder, car- • tridges anil spar heads was found very near the place wliere the torch was applied. ' This was followed in a few minutes by two more attempts in different parts of the Euro, psap. town, and I thought then, as I was on the roof of a high house and had a good view < of toe to us, that the whole of Tamatave wonld soon be env4->pe.d in flames, Happily the rain that had fallen during the night and the direction of the wind helped to keep the fire under, and in a short time our anxiety "> was over for a while. The fifth or sixth shell from the Forfait fired the Market, and great destruction would have been caused * it some Europeans, assisted by one or two Malabars and three Or four of the English guard, had not extinguished sufficient of the burning timber and by pulling down fences arrested the furth-r progress of the flames. While we were occupied at this a shell from "" one of the French vessels eutered a house only fifteen yards ahead of. us, upon which " we thought it prudent to retire. Our exertions had prevented any further spread, we were pleased to see when we returned there shortly afterward. From half*past eight to. midday the firing from the ships waa irregular, and evidently not directed at the battery. The Hovas were seen to clear oat of the fort at about half-past seven in good order, deploying in two columns and going ' westward to a fort about five miles inland The Hovas did not fire one shot in reply to the French guns. After twelve and until evening une shot p?r half houp was fired by the ship 3 in tbe direction of Maujakadrianahxva, tne Fort the Eovss wore supposed to have retired to, The shells, as far as could could be seen, failed to reach the place. During t:ie day Admiral Pierre informed all the Consuls that a fife had broken out in the Market- tbeactof an incendiary—and that as Captain Jobiistone, of the Dryad* had landed troopa to guard the British Consulate and property be assumed the responsibility of any injury done. All of us on 3hore were arix'only expecing the French troops %a land after the Hovas had oleared out, and take p issession of the town and fort in order that pillaging and firing in the town would bs put a stop to, but n<>, the French Admiral sent word to the French house clerks on shore that if they would guarantee that the Hovas had entirely evaotuated the battery he would immediately land 800 men. The un e:isonabtt! r- quest of the Admiral's to ask civilian;) to risk their lives to see if any -. Hovas were in the fort was, c£ course, cot complied with, so that for another night we were at the mercy of any ruthless marauders that might under cover of the night plunder aud fire the town. From observations: made the ota barking onboard the boats commenced a 5 2 a.m. au-i at 0 a.m. the boats, about forty in number, tiled in line, and in passing the Bonrsaint, the vessel opened iire on the Hastie Point, in caso the Hovas had congregated there, and intended making a rush on the troops landing, or have openei fire on them from the battery ; fortunately for the i. French, the Hovas did not make any resistance. Th.B landing Was slow—9oo men landed, and it occupied thirty-five minutes before they were formed in line. The landing Tvas effected on the beach between the British Consulate and the regular landing place. Three field pieces were brought oa shore, and half-a-dozen NordenfeUs were in the bows of as many boats. After forming a line. 150 men went round the south beach. -.'■- with one gun., the remaing 750 np the main street to the battery. No opposition was encountered, and at ha'f-past seven signalling on the Hovas Fort flagstaff aunouced to us * the entry in there of the French troop 3. To our astonishment the French flag was not hoisted. After some days the flag was hoisted in the battery,, and the Consuls informe i that they had no longer any jurisdiction in Tsmatave. Tamatave is said to beta a state of seige, and military law has been promulgated. All Africans and Asiatics are . to be guaranteed by Europeans or they will be I expelled from the European town. <