TANGENA ORDEAL. 283 



them of any possible suspicion, and tins notwithstanding the 

 certainty that some would fall victims to their credulity. As 

 whole villages sometimes took the tangena, the mortality 

 caused by it was very great, and it was a fearful means of 

 destruction with an appearance of fair dealing. 



I have been told by native friends who had been obliged 

 to take the ordeal during the persecution of Christianity that 

 they were not freed from suspicion even after the pieces of 

 skin had been rejected, but that for a day or two afterwards 

 they were closely watched, and dared not even spit to get rid 

 of the bitter taste caused by the poison. In that case they 

 would have been put to death all the same. Happily, this 

 absurd and cruel custom is now at an end in those parts of 

 the island to which the Hova authority extends ; for, by the 

 Anglo-Malagasy treaty of 1865, the use of the tangena ordeal 

 was abolished for ever in Madagascar. There can, however, 

 be no doubt that it is still believed in by numbers of the 

 people. This was shown unmistakably quite recently (April 

 1878), for the prevalence of a very fatal epidemic fever led 

 many of the people in a village only a few miles distant 

 from the capital to resort to the tangena, several dying from 

 its effects. The Government, however, promptly interfered, and 

 punished severely all the inhabitants of the place. 



Among the Tanala, or forest tribes, some other ordeals are 

 in use, and it is curious that two of these are called tangena, 

 with another word added, as if the word had become equi- 

 valent to " ordeal " in meaning.* 



One of these is termed Tangdn-Janahdry, i.e., " the Creator's 

 ordeal," and is administered as follows : — Water is heated in 

 a pot, and as the water begins to boil some pieces of quartz, 

 called vdto velona {i.e., " living stones"), are slung in the water, 

 so as not to touch the bottom of the pot. When this is done, 

 the accused person is ordered to take the stone out of the pot, 

 putting his hand under the stone, and bringing it out lying 

 on the palm of his hand ; he must then put the stone into 

 cold water. He is then carefully watched until the next 

 day, and should his hand not blister he is declared innocent. 

 Yet if the accused himself should be the first to declare his 



* Antananarivo Annual, No. ii. pp. 94, 95. 



