PALACE FESTIVITIES. 315 



moon of the month, and prayers and the singing of one or 

 two hymns have been added to the former observances. 



On the following morning takes place the ceremony of 

 blessing the oxen of the people, and killing an ox without 

 blemish for the sovereign, as already described in the previous 

 chapter. The rump is roasted near the head of the royal 

 ancestors' tombs, and the sovereign eats, invoking a blessing ; 

 then, together with the royal family and heads of the royal 

 clans, she enters the chief palace and eats, a small portion 

 of the rice being placed on the head, with the invocation, 

 " Blessed, blessed (be) God the Creator ! thousands of us have 

 reached the year, the family unseparated ! " 



In the evening there is more feasting, the four chief palaces 

 being entered one after another by the sovereign and her 

 guests. Sunday and Thursday were the proper days for the 

 principal ceremonies of the feast. If the oxen were killed on 

 Thursday the chief feast was on Sunday, but if the killing 

 was on Sunday, the feasting, dancing, and singing was on 

 Thursday. A red-and-white ox was killed both at Ambo- 

 himanga, the old capital, and at Antananarivo, the present 

 capital, the animal at the latter place being killed by the 

 sovereign in person, and that at the former place by one of 

 the royal family. A few days after all this takes place at 

 Antananarivo, the sovereign and court go to Ambohimanga 

 to feast and eat jdha there, and offer prayer at the tombs of 

 the royal ancestors. Among the ceremonies is the placing of 

 a rush, dipped in the blood of the ox, at the door of the royal 

 tomb-houses, while the hump is deposited inside the house. 

 So much for the Fandroana ceremonies as observed by the 

 sovereign. A few words must next be said as to the obser- 

 vances of the festival amongst the people generally. 



Proclamation is made beforehand of the time of the feast, 

 and the people are forbidden under pain of death to kill any 

 animal, except poultry, five days before and after the appointed 

 day for killing oxen. The fat is ordered to be brought 

 to the royal soap factories, and the hides are asked for for 

 making the soldiers' caps and belts. A poll-tax of a minute 

 sum is ordered to be paid, and also the royal share (the 

 rump) of each ox killed ; and if any one dies during the first 



