MANNERS AND CUSTOMS. 
77 
the generous manumission of all slaves of Mo¬ 
zambique origin, which took place a few years 
ago. A great proportion of the whole population 
of over 4,000,000 are slaves. But the slavery of 
Madagascar is not to be compared with that of 
the West Indies or America in years past. The 
domestic slaves are not torn from other lands by 
violence, and imported into the markets of the 
island. They are born on the soil, and now have 
rights and privileges secured them by legal enact¬ 
ments. The slave is treated often with the 
greatest kindness, confidence, and respect, and is 
regarded as a member of his master s family; he 
is, moreover, allowed to follow his own inclina¬ 
tions, and even to go away for long periods to 
seek employment in distant parts of the island, 
provided always that he remits a portion of his 
earnings at regular intervals to his master. A 
man may be sold into bondage by his creditors, 
with his wife and children, or he may be enslaved 
with his family for some political offences. But 
the laws and regulations with reference to this im¬ 
portant part of the community have been amended 
frequently in the direction of mercy and justice 
during the past few years, and the position and 
prospects of the slaves, as well as their general 
treatment, have considerably improved. This 
improvement will, in the natural order of things, 
continue doubtless till the whole population is 
