HIERONYMUS MEGISERUS. 7 



Amsterdam in 1603, both of them giving vocabularies of 

 Malagasy words (see chapter on the language). 



As the Portuguese discovered Madagascar, probably the 

 earliest descriptions of the country are to be found in Portu- 

 guese books, notably in the Commentarios do grande Afonso 

 D' 'Alboquerque (Lisbon, 1576, fol.), but this book contains 

 little of interest beyond the mere fact of the discovery of 

 the island. 



Next in date come the two Dutch linguistic works already 

 mentioned, and then the little German work of Hieronymus 

 Megiserus, from which quotations have been made as to the 

 early names of the island. The title-page of this book pro- 

 mises to give us — 



A Genuine, Thokough, and Ample, 



as well as 



Historical and Chronographical Description 



of the 



Exceedingly Rich, Powerful, and Famous 



ISLAND OF MADAGASCAR, 



called also 

 St. LAWRENCE ; 

 Together with an Account 

 of all its Qualities, Peculiarities, Inhabitants, Animals, Fruits and Vegetables. 



Also 



A History of what has happened there 



before and since its Discovery. 



The title-page, like those of other books we shall have 

 occasion to mention, leads one therefore to expect much 

 valuable information ; but except some curious particulars 

 about the names given to the island at that period, there is 

 little of value about either country or people, while some of 

 the same mistakes are made as to the productions as are 

 found in Marco Polo's account. At the end is added " A 

 Dictionary and Dialogues of the Madagascar Language, 

 collected with special industry from the Portuguese, Italian, 

 and Latin Histories and Geographies ; " and this portion, 

 more than half of the whole book, has considerable interest, the 

 greater part of the words being easily recognisable. It has 



