CHAI-. V. DAILY MAKKET AT TAMATAVE. 125 



plaited straw, &c. Most of the articles were spread upon the 

 ground, some on a little sort of raised platform of earth or 

 sand, the sides of which were edged in a remarkable manner 

 with the shoulder-bones of oxen stuck in the ground, the 

 broad part upwards. The venders sometimes sat in the 

 centre of the platform and sometimes by the side. The 

 butchers were busy cutting up the meat, which was spread 

 upon the ground on broad plantain or other leaves. It was 

 sold in pieces, not by weight. 



Mixed up with these articles were all kinds of poultry, 

 including guinea-fowls which are native, and turkeys which 

 have been introduced. In one place there were different 

 kinds of black or brown parrots ; and in another a man was 

 very anxious to persuade me to buy three young tenrecs, 

 apparently the spiny tenrec, which he had in a cage. A 

 large black and white lemur, the ruffed lemur, a splendid 

 animal, quite tame, was very attractively exhibited. I 

 observed various kinds of salt, also tobacco in leaf and 

 manufactured, as well as snuff in abundance ; snuff-boxes or 

 tobacco-boxes made of small pieces of polished cane, and 

 a sort of perfume resembling ointment. I went into several 

 of the houses, where numbers of lambas, or native scarfs, of 

 varied pattern and quality were for sale. The patterns of 

 some of the native fabrics were both tasteful and attractive. 



The money changers were busy cutting up dollars, and 

 half and quarter dollars, and smaller pieces, cut silver, valued 

 by weight, being the universal currency. They cut the dollar 

 lip by laying it on a block, placing a large knife upon it, and 

 striking the knife with a hammer. This process was carried 

 on at the threshold of the doors in the market. 



The greatest drawback to the interest which the novel 

 spectacle of a market in Madagascar presented, was the 

 great number of huts in which a barrel of arrak, a fiery 

 kind of rum made in the island, was placed for sale. There 



