“The death of king Radama, as well as the murder of my son, the apparent heir to the throne – these are events most tragical and insupportable to our minds. But bearing in mind the friendly attentions paid to me while at the Mauritius and in England, we are encouraged to solicit your Excellency’s aid and protection in our present distress and allow us to pray your Excellency to order a government ship to fetch us from Tamatave to Mauritius as we are extremely desirous of seeing you and consulting with you about the political state of this country……”
The above is the extract of a letter dated September 7, 1828 addressed to the Governor of Mauritius, Sir Charles Colville by prince Ratefy, brother-in-law of the Malagasy King Radama 1. The above letter is today preserved along with two others written in English at the Mauritius Archives in the H/B 20 collection. Ratefy’s letter betrays to some extent the sentiments of anguish, fear and panic that had begun to grip the minds of people in Madagascar.
Sir Charles Colville’s prompt intervention was sought to help dispel the chaos prevailing in Madagascar. Indeed, after the death of Radama, one of his twelve wives, Ranavalona Majanka, had seized the throne putting to death the heir apparent, Rakotobe, son of Ratefy and Robodo Sohondra, sister of Radama. Ratefy felt his turn for death was nearing. The Queen had not spared either Rafaralahy, Radama’s other brother-in-law, who was Governor of Foulpointe and who had been Madagascar’s ambassador to Mauritius in the 1820s. Was the Queen proceeding with a purge of Radama’s close relatives to consolidate her own position?
However, sign of panic was not much visible in Ratefy’s first letter dated August 28, 1828 to Colville. Nor was the ‘distressing’ situation evoked. Ratefy at that moment informed Colville of Radama’s death, without ever mentioning the murder of his son who was away in Imerina. In the first letter, Ratefy reminded Colville of his noble parentage, of his being the brother-in-law of king Radama, of the strong friendship that had existed between Radama and Farquhar, of his visits to Mauritius and England and finally expressed gratitude to Mauritius for its “most liberal and kind wishes to teach our people in knowledge and to improve our country in civilization”. By his calm disposition, was Ratefy trying to rope the Governor of Mauritius in a military intervention in Madagascar in a bid to topple the newly established ruler of the Grand Island and restore the throne back to his son? Robert Lyall, the British agent in Madagascar (1827-1830) who succeeded Hastie, confirmed such was the intention of Ratefy. (Journal by G.S. Chapus et G. Mondain): “Ici l’opinion générale et probablement juste sur Ratefy est qu’en quittant la cote, il désirait profiter des circonstances et tenter d’assurer le trône à son fils dont il ignorait la mort. Was the plot of overthrowing the Queen to be engineered from Mauritius? Ratefy concludes his first letter with: “if I and my wife should arrive at the Mauritius, I pray your Government’ protection and assistance” and proclaim: “I shall never forget your Government and people”.
Ranavalona was too shrewd and astute. Having murdered the heir apparent, she was too conscious of the fact that her own safety was insecure so long as Ratefy was alive. She resolved to strike.
In another letter dated September 7, 1828, to Charles Colville, Ratefy implored him to “pay immediate attention to this humble request” with a pressing renewal for “aid and protection in our present distress”.
The Governor of Mauritius would reply. But time was running out fast. Knowing their own doom was inevitable, Ratefy and his wife, with the help of the British residents at Tamatave, fled on board a cargo ship about to sail to Mauritius.
The second letter (September 7) of Ratefy was received in Mauritius on September 26. Sir Charles wrote on September 27 to Ratefy expressing his “feeling of deep concern on the distressing events related by you” but made it clear that “in view of the friendly relations that subsisted between the British Government and Madagascar, I should be ready to afford you a temporary asylum in the colony should circumstances induce you to leave Madagascar for a time…”
Captain Polkinghorne of Sparrowhawk was entrusted with the task of taking the Governor’s letter to Ratefy with instructions to bring back “any further communication” the prince would have liked to make.
In welcoming Ratefy with open arms, the Governor would have created a situation which could have been regarded as a casus belli by the Queen. Colville had probably realized this, hence his cautious move in affording Ratefy “temporary” hospitality in Mauritius. Interestingly, the Sparrowhawk carried no specific instructions at least on paper whether or not to uplift Ratefy and his wife. Its mission was only to act as a courier.
Meanwhile, the events in Madagascar had taken a dangerous turn. Summoned to Imerina with 1000 men from the Queen’s army escorting him, Ratefy left Tamatave on September 13, 1828.
The charge laid on the prince was one of desertion. He tried to disculpate himself by arguing that on Radama’s death, his motive was to reach Imerina and swear allegiance to the Queen.
A mock trial condemned him to be burnt alive but a Kabary- public gathering – held to confirm that sentence – decided that the prince was to be killed by a spear thrust in him.
His hands were tied behind his back and one stroke of a spear pierced the heart. According to Lyall’s Journal, his last plea « aux bourreaux fut de ne pas multiplier les coups, mais d’y aller vite ». The execution occurred on October 7, 1828.
So when the Sparrow-hawk arrived at Tamatave, on October 16, Ratefy was no more. Before being led to Imerina, the prince had scribbled a few lines to Charles Colville to bid adieu. The Sparrowhawk brought that letter to Mauritius.
ACCROCHE
“In another letter dated September 7, 1828, to Charles Colville, Ratefy implored him to “pay immediate attention to this humble request” with a pressing renewal for “aid and protection in our present distress”.
The Governor of Mauritius would reply. But time was running out fast. Knowing their own doom was inevitable, Ratefy and his wife, with the help of the British residents at Tamatave, fled on board a cargo ship about to sail to Mauritius.”
Anand MOHEEPUTH
