STONE ELEPHANT. 107 



tribes, living many miles inland, in the heart of the dense 

 woods of the eastern side of the island, are said to derive 

 their origin from the Arab settlers. In the Antananarivo 

 Annual for 1877 Q^^- ^0 there is some information derived 

 from the Tankla people of Ivohitrosa, a village situated at 

 the edge of the high table-land of south-eastern Betsik'o. In 

 this paper it is said that the chiefs of Ivohitrosa, together with 

 those of other places in this same forest region north and 

 south of them, are descended from those who "came from 

 across the ocean, they were not natives of Madagascar." Then 

 follow the names of the ancestors of the different tribes, 

 Firambo being the father of the chiefs called Zafirambo, &c. 

 {Zafy, be it remembered, is the native word for "descen- 

 dant," and also for " grandchild.") 



This account is confirmed by a short paper in the same 

 publication for 1878 (p. 115), in which the Eev. W. D. 

 Cowan describes a stone elephant which still exists at a 

 village called Ambohisary on the east coast. This figure is 

 made of soap-stone, and is in a good state of preservation ; it is 

 about seven feet long and four feet high. It is hoUow, and 

 evidently formed a receptacle for gifts and offerings. Accord- 

 ing to tradition this stone elephant was brought from Imaka 

 (Mecca ?) by Eamania, the ancestor of the tribe called Zafira- 

 mania, who inhabit the district about Mananjara. This man 

 is said to have been an uncle of Mohammed, and there are 

 numerous details of his history preserved in Arabic books 

 kept by his descendants, some of which were translated by 

 order of Flacourt, the French Commandant at Fort Dauphin 

 (1648-165 5), and others by order of Benyowski (1774- 

 1786). From other Arabs who arrived at about the same 

 time as Eamania are said to be descended other ruling 

 clans (or andrians) along the east coast of Madagascar. And 

 of these clans Mr. Cowan says : " Having now met witli 

 representative chiefs of several of these divisions, I speak 

 with confidence of their remarkable resemblance and distinc- 

 tive character, which separates them widely from the people 

 over whom they rule, and goes far to verify their traditions." 

 I must, however, remark here that my own knowledge of 

 these people, derived from a journey through the southern 



