26o //OVA HOUSES. 



state occasions on whicli foreigners are admitted to the palace 

 were not favourable times for minute examination; but the 

 general impression I received as to the style of ornament was 

 as already" stated. 



The only stone structure of any size erected by the Hovas 

 (apart from European design) is the large family tomb of the 

 Prime Minister. This building, in many of its details, in the 

 outline of its elegant and somewhat minaret-like columns for 

 carrying the lightning conductors, and in the curious series 

 of semicircular mouldings forming so marked a feature in 

 then' decoration, as well as of that of the corner piers, always 

 reminded me somewhat of Indian structures, and as having 

 some little resemblance to certain features of buildings seen 

 in the Punjab and North-west Provinces. (I do not for a 

 moment mean to say that any comparison can be dro.wn 

 between this Malagasy tomb and the wonderful creations 

 of the Moguls, but there are undoubtedly some points of 

 resemblance in detail.) 



As regards the timber houses of the Hovas, there is hardly 

 a trace of any ornamental carving, except the occasional use 

 of a notched zigzagged or minute semicircular edging to 

 certain pieces of timber, as the " horns " and in the windows 

 in the roof 



In interior decoration, however (apart from the palaces), 

 we occasionally meet with examples of tasteful ornamentation, 

 which show that here and there a certain amount of artistic 

 feeling is to be found. The walls of some of the village 

 churches in Imerina sometimes display considerable taste, as 

 well as ingenuity, and show that with a little guidance, and 

 a few hints and suggestions for conventionalising somewhat 

 more the natural objects employed in decoration, the native 

 talent might be trained to produce a very appropriate adorn- 

 ment for the walls of sacred and other buildings. It is true 

 that occasionally the native artist has introduced figures and 

 scenes decidedly (though not intentionally) comic in their 

 effect : soldiers, sportsmen, animals, and birds being depicted. 

 But in many cases the walls are painted with a diaper of 

 groups of leaves and flowers, giving them the appearance of 

 a well-papered surface, while the doors and windows are 



