Madagascar is still today an island that inspires numerous explorers, discoverers and scientists from scratch. It was no different in earlier times, because the exceptional flora and fauna on the island attracted the adventurers and explorers as much as the exciting culture of the people living there. Many of the daring adventurers and explorers are still known today for their intensive research trips and also on Madagascar some of them were allowed to make a name for themselves forever. In the following we would like to give you some information about Explorers and adventurers in Madagascar introduce. Many relics of their work and research can still be discovered today during your vacation on Madagascar - a journey into the past that is worthwhile in more ways than one. Discover the extraordinary island of Madagascar in a historical way and become an explorer and adventurer yourself on your trip. After all, there are still many things in Madagascar today that have eluded all research to date.

Count August Maurycy of Benyowski

Count of Benyowski was a Hungarian nobleman born in 1741. He came to Madagascar for the first time in 1772, after having extensively explored different areas in Russia, Kamchatka and Asia. He finally reached the island of Madagascar via the Pacific Ocean and landed in the Antongil Bay. A short time later, he was able to persuade the French King Louis XV to to establish a French settlement in the bay. After getting the green light, the mission started off quite promisingly at first: Von Benyowski got along well with the Madagascans and proved to be a kind and righteous man who was respected by many tribes. He was able to establish numerous intensive trade relations with the Betsimisaraka and in two campaigns repulsed the Sakalava who wanted to disrupt these trade relations. In 1776, von Benyowski was even attacked by the Betsimisaraka. appointed High King - an honor that was rare indeed. Unfortunately, the Hungarian count was much less fortunate on the other islands in the area: the regents and administrators on the islands of Mauritius and La Réunion were reluctant to see von Benyowski's stable progress, as they their trade monopolies in danger saw. Numerous intrigues were spun and the count had to submit to these games willy-nilly, since he was dependent on supplies and support from these camps. When the situation became more and more acute, von Benyowski left the island and went back to France. He was subsequently persuaded by Benjamin Franklin to support the Americans in their fight against the British. In 1786, von der Graf attempted to gain a foothold on Madagascar for a second and final time from Hungary and to consolidate his position there as a High King of the Betsimisaraka to recapture. Americans and Austrians alike were on his side and tried to support the count. The rulers from Mauritius and La Réunion would no longer tolerate this and sent a armed expedition to Madagascar, who murdered the count.

Jean Onésime Filet - "La Bigorne"

The French adventurer Filet actually landed rather accidentally on the coast of Madagascar, more precisely on the island of Sainte Marie. He had been washed ashore there after a shipwreck. He had previously been based on the island of La Réunion, but had to flee from there to escape the revenge of a cuckolded husband. On Sainte Marie, Filet quickly made friends with the local Malagasy people and won the heart of the daughter of the king Ratsimilaho for himself. The adventurer was by now known as La Bigorne and, as a wedding gift for his marriage to his daughter Betty, received from the king the island of Sainte Marie as a gift. Filet died only a few years later in 1750 and his wife Betty then bequeathed the island to France. Sainte Marie can accordingly be considered the earliest possession of the French. Soon after, numerous French settlers arrived on the island, but behaved anything but exemplary there. They rebelled against the traditions and laws of the natives and even desecrated their royal tombs. The Malagasy made an example of them and killed most of the French settlers.

Jean Laborde

The most important and at the same time most popular adventurer of the island of Madagascar The first to reach the island as a castaway in 1832 was probably Jean Laborde, similar to Jean Filet before him. The French adventurer succeeded after a very short time a real feat, in which he Favor of Queen Ravalona I was able to win. In fact, she was actually rather hostile to strangers, but the devious Frenchman knew how to wrap her around his finger quickly. In addition to his sly charm, Laborde's numerous talents ensured that he was able to continue to rise in the ruler's favor. Thus he possessed extensive knowledge of weapons and was familiar with the manufacture of ammunition. Furthermore he possessed architectural knowledge and built a gigantic wooden palace in Antananarivo, which served as the seat of power for a long time. Laborde also developed numerous ideas for the population. For example, he created a Ox cart with enlarged wheels. This was easier to use even in rough terrain and is still used on the island today. In addition, Laborde was for the Production of lightning rods, soap and glass in Madagascar. He had a huge industrial plant at Lac Mantasoa and became more and more powerful and influential over the years. In addition, he was able to amass an almost gigantic fortune, although he did not always act quite legally. After 25 years on the island then discovered Crown Prince Ramada II a conspiracy around Laborde and the Frenchman was expelled. Later, the adventurer returned to the island once again in the capacity of French vice-consul. His death led to the first tangible war between the Malagasy and the French, as both parties could not agree on the distribution of the wealth Laborde left behind.