In addition to this example of bad faith, the despatches
in the Blue-book give instances of the way in which French officials have attempted to put a boycott on English goods and to force French goods down the throats of the natives. The French administrators are even said to have threatened the natives with imprisonment if they bought English goods. A French local newspaper, Le Madagascar, published at Tama- tave, is responsible for the allegation that M. Comperat on one occasion thus addressed a meeting of natives :—" I will not allow any one of you to buy any goods whatever in the shops of Mr. So-and-So, So-and-So, and So-and-So. Any one caught making the smallest purchase, or carrying on the slightest business, with the houses I have mentioned will be at once imprisoned, no security being given against heavy penalties." At this what Le Madagascar calls ten incligbie mans moutonneux protested that "it may so happen that the articles which we need can be only found in the shops which are prohibited to as." To which the official replied : " Well, you must do with- out them."
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