354 RESULTS OF CHRISTIANITY. 



(including the members of the Friends' mission, always 

 working in thorough harmony with that of the London Mis- 

 sionary Society), nearly forty missionaries, besides their wives. 

 The churches of the capital sent out a considerable number 

 of teachers and evangelists, and collected money for their 

 support, and by grouping the vast number of country con- 

 gregations into districts, and laying down many stringent 

 rules with regard to discipline and the learning of elementary 

 truths, a good deal was done to instruct and bring into some 

 order the ignorant crowds of people who had pressed into the 

 churches. 



And now, it may be asked, what are the results of the 

 last few years' labour ? and to what extent does Christianity 

 now influence society in the central provinces ? In reply, 

 it may be confidently affirmed that there are numerous 

 undeniable facts which sufficiently testify that the gospel is 

 a mighty power in Madagascar ; facts, not only patent to the 

 Christian missionary, but also to any honest and unprejudiced 

 traveller, who knows what the country was a few years ago, 

 and what is the state of things at the present day. 



To begin with the matter of clothing, a subject always 

 closely connected with morality. In their heathen state a 

 dirty hemp or rofia Idmba suffices for the great mass of the 

 ]\Ialagasy, but as soon as a Christian congregation is gathered, 

 a great change comes over the outward aspect of the people. 

 Every woman must have her neat jacket and skirt of print or 

 other stuff, and the men their shirts and pantaloons, as well 

 as the flowing outer dress or Uhriba (common to both sexes) of 

 European calico. "Wherever Christianity comes, there imme- 

 diately springs up a demand for foreign manufactured goods, 

 and the trader follows in the wake of the missionary. It can 

 be shown from consular returns, that so much has Christianity 

 opened up trade in Polynesia, that every Protestant missionary 

 is worth ;^ 1 0,000 per annum to European and American 

 commerce. So much cannot yet be claimed for Christian 

 missions in Madagascar, but perhaps it would not be too much 

 to say that each missionary represents a value of from ^^2000 

 to ;^3000 per annum of foreign imports. In 1863 there 

 was not one English commercial house at the great city of 



