122 VISITS TO MADAGASCAR, chap, v 



instruct me in Malagasy in return, an agreement into which 

 I very readily entered. Like many other of the native youths, 

 they were fond of writing ; and con.sidering that they were 

 almost entirely self-taught, they wrote remarkably well. 

 They were types of a class very numerous in the island at 

 the present time, and very important — youths eager after 

 instruction, thirsting for information, and glad to avail them- 

 selves of every means within reach to increase their laiow- 

 ledge. I could not but deeply regret that no means existed 

 for opening to them access to the fountains of knowledge and 

 the sources of improvement which schools and books would 

 supply. 



Soon after my arrival, I paid one or two visits to the cattle- 

 market, which is on the outside of the village. The stock 

 was not numerous, and the kinds such as with us would be 

 considered neither desirable nor profitable, being large-boned, 

 large-headed, and not very well covered with flesh. In the 

 market there were neither sheep nor goats, though both may 

 be seen in the interior of the country. The cattle are all of 

 the buffalo species, having the hump between the shoulders ; 

 and so highly is this part of the animal esteemed, and so 

 averse are the people to all innovation, that on one occasion, 

 when some animals of a superior breed were introduced from 

 the Cape, the inhabitants of Tamatave, where they were 

 landed, would not allow them to be turned loose, lest their 

 own cattle should be deteriorated by breeding with them. 



In the market these animals stood generally in small groups 

 of three or four together, occasionally a cow and her calf, or 

 even a single cow. The traffic amongst the natives them- 

 selves did not appear to be very brisk. The cattle supplied 

 to the traders for exportation are sold at the same place, or 

 at the other end of the village nearer the shipping. The price 

 is fixed by the government at fifteen dollars a head, besides 

 other charges. A captain of a vessel states how many he re- 



