THE ROVAS AS THEY SEE THEMSELVES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 10037, 25 January 1896, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE ROVAS AS THEY SEE THEMSELVES.

The Hovas in the capital are rapidly reconciling themselves to tho French occupation, and are distrusting their former admirers by proving in a variety of ways that their " Methodist" religion, as tho French incorrectly term it, is but one of the many features of the gigantic Hove sham, as hollow as thoir vaunted civilisation, patriotism and warlike character. In consequence of the efforts of the Nonconformist missions Antananarivo on a Sunday used to bear a strong outward resemblance to some sober suburb of London, and the wealthy Hovas apparently set themselves to ape the manners of our respectablo lower middle class, donning black coats and trousers, assuming a serious air, and attending numerous prayer meetings in their chapels. They were pointed out as admirable observers of the Sabbath, as they undoubtedly were. Our Act of Charles 11. is very lenient when compared with tho stern law of the Hovas, which makes Sunday labour of any description, even tho drawing of water from a well, a serious offence punishable with fine and imprisonment. It was curious to observe how, on the arrival of the French, this rigid Sabbatarianism at once vanished. On the first Sunday aftor tho occupation the citizens promptly adapted themselves to tho laxcr ways of their conquerors, It was a day of busy buying and selling of commodities in the streets, and the sanctimonious Hova neglected his chapol to fleece the poor French soldier of his pay. Most of our missionaries who have toiled in Madagascar for years confess that they are beginning to despair of this false race, which, in the hour of national peril, has provod itself so contemptible; the seed has indeed fallen among thorns in this land. Theso intensely conceited people appear to feel no shame for the utter fiutco ot thoir dofenco which succeeded to so loud bragging; and a Hova of rank actually asked the Times correspondent whether so magnificent a battle as that of Antananarivo had ever been fought in Europe. They will not allow that they aro capable of cowardice, and now attempt to lay all tho blame for their defeat on the Almighty, One said to me:—"We Hovas aro by nature bo ferocious and so brave that even if the French had outnumbered us by tiyi to one they could never defeat us. It is, therefore, certain that tho Lord, for some good purpose, has turned «aside our bullets in this war, and made the arms of our spearmen weak for a time, so that the vamhdi should be able to reach Antananarivo,"