To the extent possible under law, the Text Creation Partnership has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above, according to the terms of the CC0 1.0 Public Domain Dedication ( http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/). This waiver does not extend to any page images or other supplementary files associated with this work, which may be protected by copyright or other license restrictions. Please go to http://www.textcreationpartnership.org/ for more information.
This text has been selected for inclusion in the EEBO-TCP: Navigations collection, funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
ON the outmost Point of the South-East side, close by the Shore, about the year Sixteen hundred forty four, the French began to strengthen themselves with a Fort, which (in Honor of their Kings Eldest Son) they entituled Dauphin; and to settle a Plantation of People, which brought
almost the whole Territory under their Subjection by force of Arms.
In the year Sixteen hundred forty two, a French Sea-Captain, nam'd Ricault, got leave and priviledge for himself and his Participants, of the Cardinal Richelieu, then Chief Supervisor of the French Affairs, That he might alone send Ships and People to this Island of Madagascar, and the adjacent Isles, to erect a Colony for Merchandizing there, for the benefit of Trade, and to take Pos∣session of the whole in the Name of the King of France. This being granted him for ten Years, with exclusion of all others, a Company was erected by the Undertakers, under the name of the East-India French Company; and shortly af∣ter the King augmented their Term unto the year Sixteen hundred sixty one.
In that Year, in the Moneth of March, the Company first sent out one Ship, under the Command of Captain Coquet, to fetch Ebony-wood: With him there were also sent two Commissioners, call'd Pronis and Foukenburgh, with twelve others, to remain there, and expect the coming of a Ship which should set out of France in November. Coquet landed about September; and in his Sailing by, he put in for the Islands of Maskarrigne and Diego de Rois, of which Pronis took pos∣session in the King's Name; then Sail'd over to St. Maries, and the Bay of Antongill, in the Countrey-Language call'd Manghabe, where they did the same: But Foukenburgh and Pronis remained in the Haven of St. Lucie, or Manghafia. The first of April the Ship St. Laurence arriv'd, being sent thither by the Compa∣ny, under the Command of Captain Giles Rozimont, whilst Captain Coquet was gone to seek a Lading in the Territory of Anossi and Matatane. Rozimont brought along with him seventy fresh Men from Pronis, which all fell sick, and so conti∣nued about a Moneth at Manghafia, a third part of which quickly died; where∣upon the Black Inhabitants made an Attempt upon the new-arriv'd French, but were bought off, with Presents given by Pronis to the Dian Ramach: Afterward Pronis sent twelve French to take their abode in the Territory of Mantane, at a Place call'd Mananzari, partly to Trade for Rice and other Provisions, and part∣ly to discover the Countrey: But in their going over a River, six of them were kill'd by Zare Ramehina, a near Relation to Dian Ramach: In like manner, in Bohitsmene six Sea-men of Captain Rozimont's, with his Son, were slain as they were loading of Ebony-wood.
Rozimont at last laded so much Ebony-wood as he could, and brought over the six other French to Anossi, to Pronis; for Pronis had in the mean while chang'd his Habitation, and was gone from St. Lucies, or Maghafia, to Anossi to take his Residence with all his People in Tholonghare Bay, near the before-mention'd Fort Dauphin; this place being by them judg'd the fittest and convenientest, partly for the commodiousness of the Haven, defended from the worst Winds, and partly for the easiness in coming to it, not only for Sloops, but also for Ships.
The Fort Dauphin lieth next the Bay of Tholangre, in five and twenty Degrees and six Minutes South Latitude, over against the Cape of Itapere, situate four Degrees higher.
Behind the Fort stand several Habitations, among which the House of the French Governor, with a great Garden, planted with all sorts of Pot-herbs and Fruits: But in the year Sixteen hundred fifty six, this Fort was burn'd down by accident; yet immediately rebuilt, and a good Garrison plac'd therein.
The French maintain great Wars against the Inhabitants of the neighboring Territories, marching into the Mountains, burning down their Huts and Vil∣lages, and taking away their Cattel.
In the year Sixteen hundred fifty one, Flacourd being then Commander in Chief for the French King, with forty French, and as many Negroes, arm'd with Shields and Lances, destroy'd the Countrey of Franhere, and laid all the Huts and Houses in Ashes, carrying away many Cows and Oxen, and both Men and Women; so that by this means all the Glory of the Roandrians came to nothing.
This cruel Usage rais'd in the Inhabitants a mortal hatred against the French; * 1.1 increased afterwards by the selling of some Men and Women Slaves, by their Governor Pronis, to the Netherland Governor of the Island Mauritius.
Hatred of the Inhabi∣tants against the French.