4 
HISTORY OF MADAGASCAR. 
degree of antiquity seems to belong, than to any of those 
now peopling the island. All our knowledge respecting 
the Vazimba is comprised in the simple statements, that 
they dwelt in the interior of the island, were conquered by 
strangers, and as a race have become extinct, having been 
amalgamated with others, or exterminated by their con¬ 
querors. 
The period at which the several races at present in¬ 
habiting Madagascar first came to the island, the circum¬ 
stances attending their settlement, and the movements by 
which they attained their present localities and relative 
position, are enveloped in the impenetrable obscurity which 
conceals the origin and early history of all uncivilized 
nations. In prosecuting inquiry on these subjects, we are 
left to uncertain and unsatisfactory conjecture, aided only 
by the few analogies to existing nations in other parts of 
the world, which language, or customs, or physical resem¬ 
blance may supply. 
It has been already stated, that the present inhabitants 
of Madagascar derive their origin from more than one 
source. Part of them are unquestionably of African 
descent; other portions have evidently one common origin 
with the inhabitants of the Malayan peninsula, most of 
the maritime parts of south-eastern Asia, and the chief 
islands of the Pacific ocean. It is the opinion of some 
that the island has been in part peopled by colonies of 
Moors, Persians, or Arabs. If so, this must have taken 
place before Islamism had become the creed of those 
nations, as the introduction of several observances strongly 
resembling some of the rites of Mohammedanism, is 
according to the traditionary accounts of the people—of 
comparatively recent occurrence. 
The Arabs, Persians, and natives of India, particularly 
