Mission Work Disrupted in Imerina
By W. N. G.
particular in drawing the lines between Protestant and Catholic. And the French Government, in giving the opportunity to these raiders to harass opponents of French conquest, has often found it a sword with two edges, cutting both ways. So it is not surprising when we hear such accounts as the following, told by Rev. F. A. Gregory:— “We are in about as topsy-turvy a condition as it is possible to be. For a time mission work in Imerina, except in two or three places, is at an end. Speaking, however, for my own part, and leaving others to tell about themselves, this is how we stand: We broke up at Ambatoharanana for our holidays nearly three weeks ago, just in time to escape having to dismiss the students. The last few days were very disturbed, but we just managed to stay until the proper time. For some months there had been large bands of cattle stealers, sometimes styled rebels, to the north of us. They, however, stayed at a respectable distance, and did not give us very much concern, as we scarcely thought they would come very near. Rather more than a month ago they began to shift southwards and to frighten the more peaceful folk, stealing their cattle and burning the churches. Soldiers were sent out in various directions, but failed to stop the insurrection, which naturally grew and became more mischievous. “The first we actually saw of it was one evening about a month ago, when a church two and a half miles north of us was fired. This was followed by others, but not to any great extent at first, and, as I said, we were able to end the term without any very serious alarm. “We stayed at Ambatoharanana for a few days after every one had left, and then came to town for a change. The same evening ten churches were burnt within a few miles of our house, and had we been there we could have seen six or seven burning at the same time. It was evidently a concerted affair. On hearing this I went to General Vozron and asked him to put a guard of soldiers at the college. He very kindly consented, and sent out fifty the same evening, forty of these being stationed at a neighboring village, and the rest actually in our buildings. So long as these stay we have no fear for the safety of the place, and I do not expect they will be withdrawn until the district is moderately quiet. The Saturday following I went to Ambatoharanana for the Sunday, and whilst at dinner in the evening, fires were signaled. We bolted out—I had the sergeant dining with me—and took up a position. Six churches were burning within a couple of miles of the college. It seemed possible that an attack might be made upon us; but I did not expect it, for if the Malagasy are anything, they are cowardly. “Since then the insurrection has been spreading, and at a guess I should think about 200 churches and chapels in the neighborhood and to the north have been burnt or destroyed. The R. C. Mission in that part has lost 32 out of 34. So far only eight of ours have been damaged—those with thatch roofs burnt, those with tiled roofs broken and generally injured. In two or three cases I have had the thatch taken off in order to save the rafters, and I think this is the best thing to do. In one case the thatch on the ground was burnt. “It is impossible to say when this will stop. For the moment we can do absolutely nothing, nor indeed live at our places except under military protection. Our normal holidays end on Saturday week, but I very much doubt whether it will be possible to begin work again then, and probably I shall extend the time. The decent folk are between two fires; if they stay in their villages, they are persecuted by the insurgent party; if they leave, they are considered as accomplices by the French.”