286 BARA SUSPICION. 



after waking in the morning has medicinal virtue in healing 

 a sore ear or eye. It is then called rbra mafaitra, " bitter or 

 disagreeable saliva." And when a Malagasy passes anything 

 with an offensive smell, as, for instance, a dead dog on the 

 roadside, he always spits, as a kind of antidote. (Perhaps, 

 however, this should not be regarded as a superstition, but as 

 a sensible sanitary precaution.) 



On entering a house, especially a royal house, it is improper 

 to use the left foot on first stepping into it ; one must " put 

 one's best (or right) foot foremost." Then again, it is improper 

 to lean against a chief's house, and it is highly indecorous 

 to sit upon any royal property, such as cases of goods, &c. 



In many parts of Madagascar it is common when giving 

 a present of food for the donor to taste part of it himself, as 

 an assurance that it is given in good faith and may confidently 

 be eaten without any suspicion of its being poisoned. Much 

 the same feeling is expressed in old forms of salutation, as 

 Sarasara tsy ambaka, the two latter words meaning " not 

 deceived, overreached, or beguiled." This is no superfluous 

 assurance in some portions of the island, for the Bara are 

 said to live in such constant suspicion and dread of an 

 enemy that they never wash in their houses, but only in the 

 open air. And even then they only wash one side of the 

 face at the time, leaving one eye open, and one hand grasp- 

 ing gun and spear. 



Mention has been already made (Chapter X.) of the arrange- 

 ments of a Hova house, and the sacred portion of it at the 

 north-east corner, where, in time of war, the women sing the 

 retry, a chant or invocation imploring victory for their husbands 

 and friends. The following is one of these chants : — 



" Although they have many guns, 

 Although they have many spears, 

 Protect Thou them, God." 



The r&ry is also made use of at other times, as when there 

 has been injury caused by hail, lightning, or waterspouts. 



In this north-east corner the fixed bedstead always has its 

 head towards the north, for the Hovas invariably sleep with 

 their heads towards the north or east. Even in their tombs 



