156 CURIOUS CUSTO.V. 



" point of tlie town," and recalls the time when every elevated 

 point was chosen for a village for security against an enemy. 

 And so throughout the central provinces towns may be seen 

 perched on hills several hundred feet high ; in many cases, 

 although there are no dwellings remaining, the deep fosses in 

 the hard clay, often double and treble and even more in 

 number, show where an ancient fortified town formerly stood. 



This state of society, when height meant security, is also 

 recalled in a common polite phrase always used by a Mala- 

 gasy when you are approaching his house. A native always 

 says, Miakdra, Tdmpoko4 ! meaning, " Pray, walk in," but 

 literally, " Ascend, sir," although the house or village where 

 he lives may be on level ground. But the old form of salu- 

 tation remains although the circumstances have so much 

 altered. 



Another word also points back to a more primitive state 

 of society than exists at present. A few years ago, a con- 

 siderable number of stone bridges with circular arches were 

 constructed over the chief streams in the neighbourhood of 

 Antananarivo ; these are all called tetdzana, a word mean- 

 ing literally " stepping-places " or stones, which, as in other 

 countries, was doubtless the earliest and most primitive form 

 of Malagasy bridge. 



A memorial of a by-gone custom is preserved in the phrase 

 miUla-pdladla, i.e., " to lick the sole " (of the foot). This is 

 often used as an expression of extreme humility, and is not 

 unfrequently employed in native prayers in public, especially 

 by old men, accustomed to antique forms of the language. 

 It is now only a figure of speech, but upon referring to the 

 " Adventures of Eobert Drury," wdio was a slave in Mada- 

 gascar for fifteen years (1702— 17 17), we find him continu- 

 ally having to perform this act of homage to his master, and 

 seeing it performed by others. 



The names of some of the domestic animals and the most 

 useful plants and fruits now found in Madagascar are proofs 

 of their foreign origin. Thus, the domestic cat is called 

 sdka, probably from the French chat, with the strengthening 

 suffix ka ; it is certainly quite a modern word. But the 

 wild cat, possibly indigenous, is kdry. So also the domesti- 



