304 A TONE ME NT AND EX PI A TION. 



water with which the mouth had been washed out; or it 

 w/is sometimes a piece of cut money, or a sheep. Whatever 

 it might be, the evil desired to be removed was first recited 

 over the faditra, with the wish that it might be removed by 

 its means. If ashes were employed, these were blown so to 

 be driven away by the wind; if cut money, it was thrown 

 into deep water, so that it could not be found again ; if a 

 pumpkin, it was dashed violently on the ground ; while if a 

 sheep, it was carried to a distance on a man's shoulders, 

 who ran with the utmost speed, imprecating on the victim, 

 all the evils it was intended to carry away. 



In the early part of the reign of the first Banavalona, one of 

 her favourites, foreseeing a speedy reversal of the royal favour, 

 " applied to a diviner, and inquired what would be his fate. 

 The diviner told him he would die a violent death, for his 

 blood would be shed. He asked how he might avert the 

 doom. The diviner gave him little reason to expect that 

 anything could avert it, but directed him to mount a bullock, 

 carrying on his head a vessel full of blood, and as the 

 animal moved along he was to spill the blood on his head, 

 and then send it away into the wilderness. This was done, 

 but the doom was not averted." A few days afterwards he 

 was cruelly killed in his own house. "" 



Another remarkable occurrence, but with a happier end- 

 ing, may be related as a further illustration of the belief the 

 Malagasy held, in common with many other nations, that 

 " blood maketh an atonement." In the reicrn of a former 



O 



Hova sovereign, named Andriamasinavalona, the first one 

 who united the whole central province of ImeVina under his 

 authority, he was told by the diviners that a human sacrifice 

 would be the best to make when setting up the first corner- 

 post of his new palace. Upon his announcing this to the 

 people assembled to witness the ceremony, the whole multi- 

 tude fled precipitately from the palace-yard, and many even 

 from the city. But a man named Eatrimofoloalina, living at 

 a village a mile or two to the west of the capital, when he 

 heard of the King's wish, went up to the palace, and offered 

 to the King to give his life for his sovereign's benefit, and 



* Narrative of the Persecution, p. 21. 



