HISTORY OF MADAGASCAR. 
149 
Instances of this kind were by no means of rare occur¬ 
rence. There was no want of persons willing to lend . Money 
was always at hand, and would frequently be offered to those 
who appeared good subjects for sale , with the full hope and 
intention of immediately securing payment by the seizure 
and sale of the borrower. For the low sum of half a dollar 
as the original loan, with an addition of an exorbitant 
interest of 100 or 150 percent., many have been deprived 
for ever of their freedom. The principle of the law remains 
in operation to the present time, the only difference being 
that the slavery is domestic instead of foreign. Whoever 
is found unable to pay his debt, and the heavy interest, it 
soon accumulates, (that being even now from 30 to 100 
per cent.) must be sold for the benefit of his creditors, and 
his bondsman, if he have one, must share the same fate, if 
this be necessary to make up the deficiency. 
The slave market was also supplied by means of daring 
and powerful gangs of robbers who infested the country. 
These concealed themselves usually amongst rocks and 
caves, and from these retreats made occasional sallies on 
small villages, or on individuals passing by, and, having 
seized their unfortunate prey, they guarded them safely 
until means were found for disposing of them advantageously 
to the traders or their agents. These gangs frequently as¬ 
sumed a most formidable character, overawing the neigh¬ 
bouring population, and requiring all the power of the 
chieftains for their suppression. 
While such was the state of the country, it will not excite 
surprise that persons were usually afraid of travelling alone, 
or of sending messages by their servants, unless two or 
three went in company, or that by night none dared to ven¬ 
ture out of their houses, lest in an unexpected moment they 
should be seized, carried off, and sold: and it is needless 
