142 ESTIMATE BY DR. MULLENS. 



and not borne out by facts, as will be gathered from the 

 statements in the previous chapter. 



Later still another estimate has been made by the Eev. 

 Dr. Mullens, who made several journeys through the central 

 parts of the island in 1874 and 1875. 



1. Betsimisaraka, including Sihanaka, Tanala, Tankay, ) 



and Ikongo 5 



2. Sakalava, North and South. 500,000 



3. Hovas and cognate tribea, including B6tsileo ) 



(300,000) and. Bara (200,000) . . . j ' ' 



Total . . 2,500,000 



Probably the truth lies somewhere between this and the 

 three previously-given calculations ; so that until fuller in- 

 formation can be obtained perhaps we may conclude that 

 the population of Madagascar is between three and a half 

 and four millions.' 5 '" 



It is no doubt true that large districts have been almost 

 depopulated within this century by war : on the north-west 

 coast the people having in some parts retired in a body to the 

 neighbouring islands, or gone away to the Comoro group. 

 On the other hand, in some parts of the country there seems 

 a denser population than had been supposed. Thus, in a 

 journey through the south-east provinces in 1876, I found 

 that in the valleys of some of the rivers were a great 

 number of populous villages placed very closely together. 

 And in notes of a journey taken by Mr. Eichardson in the 

 following year, he says, " I am inclined to think that the 

 population of the Bara province has been considerably under- 

 estimated. The two evangelists, who have travelled much 

 in Madagascar, north, east, and west, and Eab^, repeatedly 

 asserted that what they saw gave evidence that there were as 



* Since writing the foregoing, I find my opinion confirmed in the main by an 

 estimate made by M. Grandidier (Bull, de la Soc. de Oiog., Avr. 1872, p. 378). 

 He says: — "It is impossible to obtain any exact account of the amount of 

 the population of Madagascar. At the same time, I believe that one cannot 

 reckon it at under four millions. The province of Imerina contains nearly a 

 million Hovas, and in the country of their neighbours and allies, the Betsileo, 

 there must be 600,000 inhabitants ; nearly two millions inhabit the east of the 

 island ; as for the Sakalava, Mahafaly, Tandroy, and Bara, they certainly do 

 not reach, altogether, to the number of 500,000 souls." Against this last item, 

 ace Mr. Richardson's estimate of the Bara only, as given above. 



