THE MADAGASCAR WAR. 756 some thousandsofinfantry with two guns. The suburbs had been barricaded, and in the neighbourhood of the royal palace and in the courtyard of the building a reserve of picked troops was massed.

At 7 a.m. the French guns opened from the further range of hills, and the Hova artillery* replied. Two hours later their skirmishers began to descend the slopes and advance against the nearer range. Half an hour later they clad warriors who held the observatory hill. They opened a straggling fire in reply,and then poured down towards the city a confused mass of fugitives. Metzinger'sbrigade had come into action. With a rush they were on the hilltop, a Sakalava battalion leading. The two guns left there by* the defenders were turned on the city, and the French guns came hurrying up, unlimbered, and joined in the cannonade from this the highest ground near the capital. A beganto attack the Hova position on the ridge. At first the defenders made a good stand, and the attack was seemingly held at bay* by their artillery and rifle fire. Really this frontal attack, delivered by Voyron's brigade, was not meant to be pressed home, but was intended chiefly to keep the defence occupied while General Metzinger workedround the Hova right and got into position to attack the observatory hill from the north-eastward. Towards ii, Voyron pushed closer to therange,andabout 5,000 of its defenders, thinking Hova battery near the palace, another nearthevice-consulate, and others in the suburbs replied. Meanwhile Voyron's brigade had advanced and cleared the ridge on the Hova left. Thecity was at themercy of the invaders. For a while the French bombarded theplace in a leisurely manner. Theyfiredonly at the batteries and at thepalace,taking care not to damage the other buildings, and using common shell and shrapnel. One shell brought down a tower at the corner of the palace, anotherkilled several soldiers in the courtyard. Up to 3 o'clock there was CITY GUARDS, ANTANANARIVO the bayonets were at last coming on, fled back towards the town. But just then Voyron received information that his colleague was not yet in position for the final attack, and he stopped his advance, and the men rested for a while, the fire almost entirely ceasing. The Hovas on the ridge beat their drums and shouted victory, manyof thefugitives cameback,and there was wildexcitement in the city as the report spreadamong the spectators that theFrench werebeingannihilated. But their joy did not last long. At noon Voyron began to attack once more, and then a roar of volley firing from the French repeating rifles suddenly burst out to the eastward. Shells and bullets were falling fast among the whiteno sign of surrender. Duchesne was anxious to spare the city, but he was also determined to have possession of it before dark. He at last reluctantly gave orders that someheavy melinite shells should be thrown into the palace, and that then the place should be carried by storm. At this moment a white flag appeared on the palace roof, and shortly after a Hova officer rode out carrying another, andbringing the Queen's offer to surrender. It was well the white flag was hoisted, for the melinite shells would probably have exploded an enormous quantity of gunpowder that was stored in the palace, killing hundreds of the people and wreckinga great partof the city. For anhour before the surrender the unfortunateQueen had