26 
MADAGASCAR. 
progressive population, should be in the years to 
come, under favourable circumstances, a refuge 
for the distressed, and a leading power among 
the rising nations of that quarter of the world ? 
United with the most influential European powers, 
as she now is, by wise and liberal treaties of 
friendship and commerce, she may be called upon 
in the future to preserve the balance of power 
amongst the numerous states of the neighbouring 
continent, and in due course even to plant colonies 
of her own in the islands of the Eastern Sea. 
The history .of Madagascar commences with a 
description of the island by the great Venetian 
navigator and discoverer, Marco Polo, in the 
thirteenth century. The entire narrative of the 
travelling achievements of this famous explorer 
is full of interesting descriptions of the oriental 
world, and of kingdom after kingdom which he 
visited; and he has also faithfully recorded the 
strange traditions and history of this distant 
and at that time unknown island. He was the 
first European or Asiatic writer who had noticed 
even the existence of the country which is called 
by him Magaster. It was, however, after his 
time frequently visited by Moorish and Arab 
traders and adventurers; and an active trade 
gradually grew up along the north-west coast in 
slaves, India-rubber, gums, and spices, even at 
this early period. The Portuguese attempted to 
