i83 SLAVERY. 



speared, while the women and children became the slaves of 

 the conquerors, and were brought up to Imc^-rina. They are, 

 as a rule, rather darker in colour than the Hovas, and have a 

 considerable variety of feature, as might be expected from 

 their mixed origin. 



The third division are the Mozambiques or African slaves, 

 who have been brought into the country from time imme- 

 morial by the Arab slave-trading dhows. These have now 

 been formally set free (in 1877), and the majority of them 

 are actually so, although many of the female slaves remain 

 with their former owners. 



Slavery in IMadagascar cannot be said to produce much 

 of that feeling that accompanies it in some countries which 

 makes all labour to be considered degrading, although there are 

 traces of it to be seen now and then. Thus, it appears strange 

 to the Malagasy to see us Europeans walking out for short 

 distances luiaccompanied by a servant or some attendant ; for 

 no free Malagasy, male or female, would think of going abroad 

 without at least one follower at his or her heels. And so, 

 if any of our native friends meet us alone, they will imme- 

 diately offer and indeed insist upon escorting us on our way, 

 thinking we do not keep up our dignity sufficiently by going- 

 alone. So again, no respectable Malagasy would carry with 

 him any small article, such as a Bible or hymn-book ; that 

 must be taken by a slave boy or girl following them : and 

 they wonder to see us carrying a map or a roll of drawings 

 as we go to our schools or Bible-classes. There is great 

 respect paid to seniority among the Malagasy ; so that if two 

 slaves who are brothers are going a journey, any burden must 

 be carried by the younger one, so far at least as his strength 

 will allow. 



Ranks of Society. — The second of the three great classes 

 into which society in the central provinces of Madagascar is 

 divided is the Hovas or commoners, the mass of the free 

 people. These are subdivided into a great many tribes and 

 clans, who very seldom intermarry, but keep mostly to their 

 own clan, and, as a rule, to their own family, cousins who 

 are children of brothers very frequently marrying together, 

 so as to keep property from being dispersed. 



