40a VISITS TO MADAGASCAR chap. xiv. 



the savage; and had any caterer for public amusement in 

 Europe been present, the Sakalava waltz might perhaps have 

 been transferred to more civilised assemblies. 



After the Sakalava dance, about a hundred females, con- 

 nected, as I inferred, from their air, their apparel, and the 

 careful and elaborate dressing of their hair, with the officers 

 and other resjDectable families of the capital, entered the open 

 space. They ranged themselves three abreast and facing the 

 queen, in a sort of open column. The line or column con- 

 sisted of thirty-four successive threes. As soon as they were 

 in position they slipped the lambas or scarfs from their 

 shoulders down to their waists, and thus exhibited their rich 

 velvet, satin, silk, and muslin dresses, many of them trimmed 

 about the body and sleeves with gold. The queen's band 

 commenced a slow soft native tune. A dancing-master at the 

 head of the column, and facing the queen, signalled the 

 movements, and the dancing commenced — if dancing it could 

 be called in which the feet covered by the flowing lamba 

 appeared scarcely to move, for each dancer remained on the 

 same spot, and the arms chiefly answered in easy and grace- 

 ful motion to the measure of the music. There was not a 

 really fair face among them, though none were very dark. The 

 figure and the countenance of many were more finely formed 

 than those of lower grade, and numbers of them might have 

 been termed handsome. The music consisted entirely of 

 original native tunes remarkably soft and simple. After two 

 or three dances they bowed to the sovereign and retired. 

 Such were the native dances of the day. 



Five very juvenile couples, dressed in silk and muslin, now 

 came forward. They were the children of the high officers of 

 the government, and danced exceedingly well in the European 

 style, to European tunes. They also made their bow to the 

 queen, and then retired. 



Eight couples of young men and women then rose from the 



