SAKALAVA CONQUESTS. 133 



and living on the banks of a small river called Sakal^va, 

 from •which they took their name. This tribe being endued 

 with a warlike spirit, and led by chiefs of superior ability, 

 invaded the neighbouring territory, and incorporated by suc- 

 cessive conquests the different populations inhabiting the 

 whole western portion of the island. The southern kingdom 

 of Menabe was first formed, and very soon afterwards the 

 northern one of Iboina, both by members of the same family 

 of chiefs, so that the name Sakal^va came to be loosely 

 applied to all the peoples in the west of Madagascar. 



For more than 170 years these western people were the 

 most powerful in the island. Not only were the coast tribes 

 subdued, but also some of the more inland races ; the Sihanaka, 

 the Bez^nozano, and even the Hovas, who then had little 

 power beyond their own immediate territory. The Sakah\va 

 kings procured European arms and ammunition from foreign 

 traders at the north-western ports ; and there seems ground 

 for believing that the chiefs who commenced the aggressions 

 on the other tribes had European blood in their veins, a fact 

 which has always given some supremacy in Madagascar. 

 Their government was absolute, and the monarchy hereditary ; 

 and there was a class of feudal chiefs holding their land from 

 the sovereign, and forming an order of nobles. 



But towards the commencement of the present century, 

 the supreme power in both the SMcalkva kingdoms fell into 

 hands much less vigorous and capable than were those by 

 whom they were founded. Meanwhile the Hovas in the centre 

 were rising into power, led by Andrianimpoina and then by 

 his son Eadama I. The yoke of the Sakalava was soon thrown 

 off, and pretexts for the invasion of their territory were found 

 before long. Although his army met with severe loss again 

 and again, as much through disease and famine as in actual 

 fighting, Eadama never for a moment abandoned his purpose. 

 Some of the chief positions were captured, and then policy 

 came to the aid of the Hova king. By marrying the 

 daughter of the SMcalkva king of Mdnab^ he induced him to 

 acknowledge the Hova supremacy ; and as each of the two 

 western kingdoms left their neighbours to fight alone they 

 were conquered in detail; so that in 1824 the greater part 



