CHURCHES. 363 



to help themselves, to give for the erection of their own 

 churches, and for the support of their own teachers and 

 pastors, and to let all help from foreign sources be only 

 supplementary and temporary, until they become self-sup- 

 porting. This policy has led to a liberality which is yearly 

 increasing on the part of the Imerina churches, so that during 

 the past year no less a sum than $20,000 was contributed. 

 This amount, though by no means so large in proportion as 

 that given by some of the native churches in Polynesia, is 

 yet one of the strongest possible proofs that Christianity has 

 a growing power over the Malagasy. 



During the last eight or ten years large sums have been 

 expended in improved places of worship. Besides the four 

 Memorial Churches and the Chapel Eoyal — which are hand- 

 some and solidly-built stone structures, with spires or towers, 

 — erected under European superintendence — many very sub- 

 stantial and excellent churches have been built in Antana- 

 narivo and in the chief towns of Imc^rina, of sun-dried 

 brick, a material which is also in extensive use for dwelling- 

 houses, and makes, with proper precautions, very durable and 

 substantial buildings. Indeed many of the village churches, 

 with their neatly-plastered and whitewashed walls, glazed 

 windows, matted floors, and appropriate fittings, may be 

 considered as models of what such buildings should be. Their 

 lofty tiled or thatched roofs now make quite a prominent 

 feature in the landscape as they stand up above the villages 

 all over Imerina. 



And while the luildings for divine worship have been 

 greatly improved during the last few years, the conduct and 

 arrangements of religious services have greatly advanced during 

 the same period. In all the more intelligent congregations, 

 the Sunday services are conducted with much outward order 

 and decorum. Some few of them have adopted the European 

 fashion of standing during singing, but there has been little 

 attempt — perhaps too little — to introduce in religious worship 

 any of those becoming and seemly acts of outward reverence 

 which are common to most European churches ; and con- 

 sequently the native habit of squatting lazily on the floor 



