148 
HISTORY OF MADAGASCAR. 
tempting bait; and being once lured within the power of 
the deceiver, he securely guarded his prey until it was con¬ 
veyed to some place of rendezvous, and then sold into the 
hands of traders. It is an affecting circumstance, but well 
worthy of attention, that, to the present day, the people of 
Madagascar are extremely jealous of Europeans who give 
money, under any circumstances, to the natives, even for 
the purest charity. 
It is well known, that many slaves were also obtained 
for sale, by means of a cruelly treacherous pretence of 
hospitality. Persons passing near a house would be invited 
to enter, agreeably to the customs of the country, and, on 
accepting the invitation, would find that they had sealed 
their own ruin. At the moment of entering the house, 
they would fall into a large pit or rice-hole prepared for 
that purpose near the door, but carefully concealed from 
observation by means of a mat or other covering placed 
over its mouth, and this mat strewed with earth or other 
materials to resemble the rest of the floor, and so prevent 
any suspicious appearances. Thus taken in the pit which 
the wicked had digged, they were handcuffed, and sold into - 
slavery. 
It is related, that on one occasion, a party of Europeans, 
landing from a slave-ship, pitched their tent upon the 
shore, and, inviting a number of the unsuspecting natives 
to partake of their hospitality beneath its shelter, the 
whole floor of the tent fell in, and about thirty individuals 
were secured by being plunged into a pit previously pre¬ 
pared for the purpose. 
In many cases persons were obtained for sale under 
shadow of law. A man who had borrowed money, and 
was unable to refund it when payment became due, was 
reduced to slavery, and made the property of his creditor. 
