MADAGASCAR.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 649, 16 January 1864, Page 6

MADAGASCAR.

d \ t (F rom a Correspondent of the Cape Argus.) Simon'sTovvn, Nov. 18. f Bimon»iowu, s The Gorgon has once more anchored m Simon's o Bay> She arrive d this day from her visit to , Madagascar, whither she was very lmmedly c despatched on the 30th June last, to watch proe cee ding3 in that island, and to protect Bntish m- , teres ts, in consequence of the .'revolution and s agination of the King. She brings little news c to add to that already transmitted. At the time h o f her departure from Tamatave all was quiet, h The French treaty and Lambert concession had - noij oeen rGC ognised by the present Government, - whOj on the contrary, quite repudiated both, but , were u j sposc d to come to an understanding prod Arided certain c ] ai , ses we re omitted, and others r drawn up by themselves inserted. The proposals , broughtfrom the capital were of such a nature r thafc thn F re nch commodore, Dtipre, rejected them y wit h disdain; all friendly communication was d broken off by the hauling down of the French h consu ] ar fl a g ? and the commodore, after shifting his broad pennant to the Curieux, left Tamatave on the Ist October for a cruise' to some other parts of the island, while his flagship, the Her- . mione, proceeded to the Mauritus to be docked, n It was at first feared that he would make some c offensive demonstration by firing into the tort; n but, fortunately, he was guided by that good sense , which he has manifested throughout his political y mission in Madagascar, and abstained from com- , mtting any act of hostility, which might, in his , absence have been revenged on any Europeans c left behind. The Customs dues had been re- - established in a most peremptory, off hand manner, , and were proving altogether unsatisfactory to the y European traders. Twenty per cent, on all exo ports, and ten per cent, on imports, is .rather a c heavier tax than pleases.those who had expected - to find the El Dorado of their hopes. The dues d are generally levied m kind. This gives rise very r often to amusing scenes; one in particular was l racy - one-tenth was demanded oft the end of a c large German sausage landed • the owner objected - to its being cut, and ultimately satisfied he Cus-tan-house by giving them the skin. Not content - with exacting such a heavy duty on the articles themselves, ihey try to tax the money tendered as n a tithe; the British consul once or twice remont sti-ated,. and frustrated such downrigh*. imposition. t The Hovas dislike the French very much and , do not conceal their antipathy. They quaintly t remark that the English like the Malagasy, but the French like Madagascar. Had it not been c for the forbearance of the French commodore, ; Dupre they might have come to loggerhsads ref peatedly. Up to the last moment, rumors were flying about respecting the uncertainty of Rndama's death. Many assert that he is-still alive, and have actua i ly y eommunica t e d with him. Should such be the case, a counter-revolutioa may soon t be ejected. He will have many supporters,

especially among the Lakalaves, who nre not friendly to the present Government. Though himself a Hova, lie was much liked; the leniency of his reign had reconciled many opposite parties. The on dit has not affected the Queen, for she has just married the Prime Minister, who was the instigator of the revolution and massacre. He hates the French, and swears that the men, women, .ami children will fig-lit to the last rather than let the French obtain a footing in the island. The Hovas are, however, very conceited and selfsufficient. They imagine themselves greatcwirriors tlinn they really »ye, :w they will find to their co=t when next they face either the French or ourselves. The trifling event of 1845 puf.Vd thorn up with an exaggerated notion of thenprowess. Thcv nre miserably armed. At tne capital there are about 1000 nfles. The rest are all old flint Tower guns, and honey-combed cannon?—poor weapons to cope with the Enfield and Armstrong.