VAZIMBA. 135 



level. These are, however, intersected by two or three chains 

 of mountains which run in a very straight line north and 

 south; and there is a good deal of land covered by forest.* 



Traces of Aboriginal Peoples he/ore the Malayan Incursion. 

 — While considering the subject of the ethnology of Mada- 

 gascar there is still one more point of considerable interest 

 in connection with it, about which a few words may here be 

 said. It is frequently asked whether there are any indica- 

 tions of the presence of an aboriginal race, an autochthonous 

 people, inhabiting the country before the arrival of the 

 Malayo-Polynesian tribes — dark and light — who have for so 

 long formed the mass of the population of the island. I be- 

 lieve there are traces of the existence of such earlier inhabi- 

 tants, although our information is scanty, and with regard to 

 some of them, mixed up with something of the marvellous, 

 so that it is rather difficult to disentangle fact from fable. 



First, with regard to the central province of Im<5rina, for 

 many hundred years inhabited by the Hovas, — there are 

 numerous indications of the previous occupation of this part 

 of the island by an earlier people called Vazimba. The 

 graves of these people (or what are believed to be such) are 

 scattered over the bare downs of many parts of Imerina ; 

 these are small shapeless heaps of stone, and are regarded 

 with superstitious fear by the people. It would be a valu- 

 able help in ascertaining something more definite about these 

 Vazimba could we open the graves, as we do the " barrows " 

 of the Wiltshire downs and the Yorkshire wolds, and 

 examine the contents ; but such a test is at present quite 

 impossible owing to the superstition of the people. 



Tradition, however, supplies some little information about 

 them, and there seems no reason to doubt that it contains a 

 considerable element of truth. There are so many minute 

 particulars preserved, together with the names of several of 

 their ancient chieftains, and details of their sayings, &c„ that 

 it seems likely we have a substantial basis of fact on many 

 points. According to the accounts handed down, the Vazimba 



* For fuller particulars of the Sakalava history, see an article by the writer 

 of the above in the Antananarivo Annual, No. iv., pp. 53-65 ; and also Guillain's 

 Documents sur . . . la Parlie Occidentals de Madagascar. 



