THE ARAB IMMIGRATION INTO SOUTH-EAST MADAGASCAR. 359 
manufacturers they have now become.” It seems to be but 
another illustration of the fact of the essential depravity of human 
nature—a depravity which nothing but a new birth, through 
faith in Christ, has power to cure. 
IT am sure those of us who have seen the photographs of these 
people must admit that they by no means lack the appearance of 
natural intelligence. 
The CuHAtrMAN.—Before Mr, Shaw answers the questions put to 
him there are one or two other points which I think we should 
like to get information on. 
I presume the Taimoro were kept in subjection by the Hova; 
but I do not know how it is now that the Hova supremacy has 
been, so to speak, knocked on the head, and I believe local 
disturbances have been created. 
Then again with regard to the chant of hired mourners as 
recorded in Scripture, we know that is a very monotonous thing, 
and it is the same sharp thin cry emitted by the women 
simultaneously with slapping their faces and then their breasts 
and hips, and a stamping sound in rapid succession and the 
monotony of this magic chant which seem to be very similar. 
This chant appears to be delivered by the attendants as they 
deposit the corpse in its appointed resting place. 
Rey. G. A. SuHaw.—In two or three words I will try to reply to 
the questions that have been brought forward. I certainly did not 
mean that the Mpanombily amongst the Taimoro were in exactly 
the same position as the kosher butchers amongst the Jews. I 
simply referred to that as indicating a separation—that they 
were the only ones that could kill the animals in such a way 
as that the tribe would accept, as food, the animals so killed. 
As I said in the beginning of the paper the highest class, or 
chiefs, or lords, were called the Mpanombily, which translated 
into English means those who killed for the rest of the tribe, 
and inasmuch as the king was very frequently in old times, the 
priest, it is not at all unlikely that these Mpanombily were also 
the priests. 
Then with regard to the rice, I think it is a matter of notoriety 
that the redder it is the harder it is. It is a much smaller grain. 
It is not so pleasant looking, and certainly is not pleasant looking 
when it is cooked, and in proportion to its hardness, it is so much 
the more indigestible. When the natives eat a certain portion of 
