BLOOD COVENANT. 223 



Brotherhood hy Blood Covenant. — Another peculiar custom 

 of the Malagasy may be here noted, viz., the practice of 

 making brotherhood by persons partaking of each other's 

 blood. This is termed fato-dra, i.e., " bound by blood," and is 

 found with certain variations in almost every tribe ; and is 

 intended to make those who enter into the covenant to 

 become as brothers, devoted to each other's welfare, and 

 ready to make any sacrifice for the other's benefit, since they 

 thus become of one blood. The ceremony consists in taking 

 a small portion of blood from the breast or side ; this is 

 mixed with other ingredients, stirred up with a spear-point, 

 and then a small portion swallowed by each of the con- 

 tracting parties. Imprecations are uttered against those who 

 shall be guilty of violating the solemn engagement thus entered 

 into. Now and then Europeans who are not over-scrupulous, 

 and to whom it has been a matter of great importance to 

 keep in good terms with some of the powerful chiefs, have 

 consented to make this covenant. The French traveller, M. 

 Grandidier, became a brother by blood with Zomena, a chief 

 of the Tandsy in the south-west of Madagascar, in order 

 to gain his good-will and help in proceeding farther into the 

 interior from the Onilahy, or St. Augustine Eiver. But in 

 this case the blood was not taken from the contracting 

 parties, but from an ox sacrificed for the purpose. He 

 thus describes the ceremony, which he terms the famald. 

 The diviners having previously fixed upon a favourable day, 

 at the appointed time the people assembled together on the 

 east side of the King's house. " Zomena and I were seated 

 together on a new mat. An ox was brought and thrown on 

 the ground, where its four feet were tied together. A prince 

 of the family of Zafiraminia cut the throat of the victim, 

 reciting at the same time some prayers, and received the first 

 blood drawn in a calabash filled with water. After adding a 

 pinch of salt, a small quantity of soot, a leaden ball, 'une 

 grosse manille d'or,' he placed it before us." [In some cases 

 the blood is mingled with brine, pimento, pulverised flint, earth, 

 and gunpowder, and rum instead of water.] " I took the ramrod 

 of my gun, and Zomena seized his spear, and we then dipped 

 the points into the consecrated liquid. The principal chief 



