The last travels of Ida Pfeiffer: inclusive of a visit to Madagascar, with a biographical memoir of the author

In Short

This book serves as the final travelogue of a seasoned Austrian explorer who, having spent her life traversing the globe, turned her attention to the mysterious and often volatile island of Madagascar. Through a narrative compiled from her journals after her death, the text captures both the aesthetic beauty of distant lands and the harrowing reality of colonial intrigue and despotic rule. It remains a testament to the author’s singular courage and her unflinching, observant eye, providing a rare historical window into a world that was rapidly changing under the pressure of European influence.

The Story

The narrative begins not in the tropics, but in the familiar landscape of Europe, as the author prepares for her final venture. Driven by an insatiable curiosity that defined her middle age, she navigates through the cities of Germany and the Netherlands, offering sharp, practical observations on everything from the cleanliness of Dutch villages to the architectural quirks of historic sites. These early chapters establish her character: a woman who views the world with a mixture of pragmatic economy and genuine wonder, refusing to be deterred by the limitations typically placed on women of her era.

Her journey eventually leads her toward the Indian Ocean, with a significant stop in the Mauritius. Here, she experiences the hospitality of Creole society and the complexities of sugar-cane plantation life, all while the shadow of Madagascar looms over her plans. She arrives at the island during a period of intense political instability. The narrative shifts from a travelogue into a tense, claustrophobic account of survival. She finds herself in the capital, Tananariva, entangled in the orbit of powerful figures, including the French resident Mr. Laborde and the Malagasy Prince Rakoto.

As she settles into the capital, the book chronicles her growing realization that the island is under the iron grip of Queen Ranavola. She describes a society where the threat of violence is constant, where Christians are persecuted, and where the whims of the monarch dictate the life and death of her subjects. The author becomes a witness to a failed coup d’état intended to secure a more progressive future for the nation. As the plot collapses, she and her associates find themselves effectively under house arrest, living in fear of poisoned food or sudden imprisonment. The narrative is punctuated by her observations of the native culture—their garrulous nature, their struggles with alcoholism, and the stark contrast between the beauty of the landscape and the misery of the populace. The book concludes with the author’s departure, though the reader is left with the knowledge of her subsequent illness and death, marking this as her final, unfinished effort to document the unknown.

How It Unfolds

The Departure The author sets out from Vienna, moving through Germany and Holland with a keen eye for local customs. She treats her journey as a deliberate, economical undertaking, shunning luxury in favor of authentic experience.

The Island Sojourn After reaching the Mauritius, she describes the intricacies of sugar-cane cultivation and the social hierarchy of the islands. This phase serves as a bridge, moving the reader from the structured life of Europe to the unpredictable environment of Madagascar.

The Political Labyrinth Upon entering Tananariva, the focus shifts to the court of Queen Ranavola. The author details the complex, often dangerous interactions between European expatriates and the Malagasy nobility.

The Failed Uprising The tension peaks with a botched conspiracy to reform the government. The atmosphere grows dark, and the narrative captures the terror of being trapped in a foreign capital as the queen’s guards tighten their grip.

The Final Observations The closing chapters contrast the trivialities of court life—such as the burial of the queen’s favorite bull—with the profound suffering of the native population. The work ends abruptly, reflecting the author’s own declining health and final departure from the island.

The People

Ida Pfeiffer stands at the center of the narrative, characterized by her self-reliance and refusal to conform to the expectations of her sex or age. Her primary obstacle is the unforgiving and often dangerous political climate of the lands she visits, yet she remains a steadfast, if critical, observer.

Queen Ranavola serves as the book’s formidable antagonist, a despot whose unpredictable temperament and extreme policies define the misery of the Malagasy people. Her shadow hangs over the entire latter half of the book.

Mr. Laborde and Mr. Lambert act as the author’s primary connections to the local power structure. Laborde, a French survivor of a shipwreck, embodies the resourcefulness required to survive in Madagascar, while Lambert represents the political aspirations of foreign powers. Their interactions with the author reveal the precariousness of European life on the island.

Prince Rakoto appears as a tragic, sympathetic figure—a man caught between his mother’s tyranny and his own desire to modernize his country. His inability to act, despite his intelligence and standing, underscores the suffocating nature of the court.

In Its Own Voice

"Privation and discomfort had no terrors for me; I had endured them long enough by compulsion, and considered that they would be much easier to bear if I encountered them voluntarily with a fixed object in view."

The author reflects on the philosophy that allowed her to travel alone at age forty-five.

"In the mean time we had arrived at the city gate, before which we found a guard of soldiers drawn up with crossed muskets, who refused, in the most polite manner possible, to let us pass."

She captures the bureaucratic, unsettling nature of entering the Malagasy capital.

"The bull’s monument is in the inner town; I saw it myself, and thought, also with sorrow, not of the bull, but of the unhappy people languishing under the cruel oppression of this barbarous queen."

The author contrasts the absurdity of royal mourning rituals with the plight of the common people.

What It's Really About

At its heart, this book is an exploration of the fragility of civilization and the endurance of the human spirit in the face of arbitrary power. It grapples with the morality of European interference in non-Western states, questioning the often-hypocritical roles played by missionaries and commercial agents. Beneath the travel narrative, the author is wrestling with the question of whether a traveler can ever truly be an objective observer. She challenges the reader to consider the cost of progress and the profound disconnect between the outward display of a nation’s culture and the inner reality of the lives lived under its laws.

Why Read It Today

Readers who appreciate firsthand accounts of historical exploration will find the author’s voice both refreshing and bracing. Unlike many of her contemporaries, she does not romanticize the lands she visits; instead, she offers a raw, sometimes harsh assessment of the people, the politics, and the landscapes. It is a rewarding read for those interested in the history of Madagascar and the unique role of the nineteenth-century female traveler.

However, modern readers should be prepared for the author’s period-typical attitudes. Her descriptions of indigenous customs and her assessments of "civilized" vs. "barbarous" behaviors reflect the colonial mindset of her time. The book is not a light, breezy adventure; it is a serious, often somber document of a life spent in transit. The pacing can be uneven, shifting from mundane details of travel to high-stakes political maneuvering, which accurately reflects the disjointed reality of a woman moving through a world she does not fully control. For those who value a narrative that refuses to shield the reader from the realities of illness, fear, and human cruelty, the book offers a powerful, haunting experience that stays with you long after the final page.