20O 



ARRANGEMENT OF A HOVA HOUSE. 



with mats or coarse cloth. West of this, close to the north 

 roof-post, is the place of honour, avara-patana, " north of the 

 hearth," where guests are invited to sit down, a clean mat 

 heing spread as a seat, just as a chair is handed in European 

 houses. The accompanying diagram will show at a glance 

 the arrangement of an ordinary house in Imerina. There is 

 little furniture in a native house : a few rolls of mats, half-a- 

 dozen spoons in a long basket fixed to the wall, some round 

 baskets, and perhaps a box containing Rmbas for Sundays 

 and extra occasions ; a few common dishes of native pottery, 

 and perhaps two or three of European make ; a horn or a tin 

 zmga, for drinking water, very likely a spear or two, — these, 

 with the rice mortar and pounder and winnower already 

 mentioned, and the implements for weaving and spinning, 



Bed 



Ooo 



VVaterpols 



Oi 

 6 



Window 



!• 



iHEapUJ 



W 



Door 



III Eoof Tosts. 



2 " Place of Tying the Calf." 



3 Fowls' Corner. 



Diagram of Hova House. 



4 "Place of Pounding Eice." 



5 Sacred Corner. 



6 Place of Honour for Guests. 



constitute about the whole household goods in the dwellings 

 of the poorer classes. The smooth earthen floor is covered 

 with coarse mats, and sometimes the walls are also lined 

 with finer mats ; in the roof an attic is often formed for a 

 part or the whole length of the house, and is reached by a 

 rude ladder. This upper chamber is frequently covered over 

 with a layer of earth and use-d as a cooking-place, with much 

 advantage to the cleanliness of the lower part of the house, 

 which is thus kept free from smoke and dirt. 



This arrangement of house is much varied among the 

 other tribes. These latter do not need to keep to the north 

 and south direction, although the Hovas retain it in most 



