LUCKY AND UNLUCKY NUMBERS. 287 



the dead are also laid in this direction, never with the head 

 towards west or south. The entrance to the tomb is always 

 on the western side. Other tribes, however, are not so 

 particular as the Hovas about the position of their tombs. 



In building a house the first corner-post set up is always 

 at this sacred part of it. Several kinds of plants are attached 

 to its base, and on the top is fixed a piece of silver chain, a 

 sort of assurance that the owner will always have money in 

 his dwelling. In the case of a royal house the post is 

 sprinkled by the sovereign with sacred water brought from a 

 special spring, and an invocation is pronounced imploring a 

 blessing on the building. 



Lucky and Unlucky Numbers, Actions, &c. — In the building 

 of a house for the late sovereign all the measurements were 

 regulated by the Queen's own rejy, or fathom, that is, the 

 space between the tips of her fingers when the arms were 

 extended ; and the smaller dimensions were according to her 

 span, a most awkward and troublesome fettering of the 

 European architect in making his drawings. Besides this, 

 no dimension was, if possible, of the unlucky numbers six and 

 eight. These are considered as of bad omen, because inina, 

 six, is the same in sound as the root of the word mane'nina, 

 to regret, or feel remorse; while valo, eight, is similar in 

 sound to mivalo, to abjectly beg pardon, and also to fahavalo, 

 an enemy. The word fahaUlo, third, is also used for enemy, 

 possibly on the principle that " three are no company," so that 

 it also has some disfavour attaching to it, as has also the 

 word fahasivy, ninth, in some tribes, at least, amongst whom 

 it is used to denote a malignant kind of spirit or ghost. It 

 is probable that some, if not all, of these ill-omened numbers 

 derive much of their discredit from their position in the 

 columns of arrangements of numbers in working the divination 

 or sikidy (see next chapter). 



Mr. Richardson says that the B&ra have a strong dislike to 

 the singular number. " They will take nothing singly. You 

 must offer two, and sometimes they will spend an hour or 

 two in matching two beads. They call two 'one person' 

 (iraika amin' old). If you offer one they always ask, 'Ala 

 ny valiny ? ' (Wiere is its partner ?) " Perhaps, however, 



