VOYAGE TO MADAGASCAR, 45 



that of beauty, mildnefs, and the graces i 

 for, colour excepted, the Malegache women 

 are handfome. Their perfons are flender 

 and genteel ; they have pleafing and deli- 

 cate features ; a foft fmooth fkin ; teeth re- 

 markably white I and fine blue eyes, the 

 pupils of which are brown and fparkHng, 



A plurality of wives is not uncommon 

 here among the chiefs, and thofe who are 

 rich J but they never efpoufe more than one 

 legally: the reft are confidcred as concu- 

 bines. This pradice is not attended with 

 difagreeable confequences in Madagafcar; 

 for all thefe %vomen live in harmony toge- 

 ther* Befides, a divorce may take place as 

 ^often as the conjugal union difpledfes either 

 the hufband or the wife. Whtn they part, 

 however, by mutual confent, ihey reftore to 

 each other the property they poffeffed be- 

 fore marriage. In Madagafcar adultery is 

 looked upon as a robbery, and as fuch is 



punifhed. 



