90 
MADAGASCAR. 
their authority at the palace during the raging 
of an epidemic brought about their final destruc¬ 
tion. Whilst the keepers were kept at the 
palace, whither they had gone to present their 
complaints in person of the growing neglect of 
the ancient deities, the prime minister ordered 
certain officers to ride off to the villages round 
the capital, where the idols were kept, and de¬ 
stroy them by burning. This was done, and on 
the return of their keepers they found no vestige 
of either idol or house remaining. Experience 
teaches that ancient superstitions die hard, and 
there are frequent instances of this in Madagas¬ 
car, as in distant parts of the island and in 
obscure corners of it there are yet to be seen the 
lingering remains of these old systems of belief. 
But, with the progress of education and the 
influence of European example and intercourse 
with other nations, the death-blow has been 
given to idolatry in Madagascar. 
Upon the west coast, amongst the Sakalava, a 
Mohammedan propaganda has been at work for 
some years, and with a considerable amount of 
success. Numbers of the Malagasy have adopt¬ 
ed the faith of the prophet of Mecca, and there 
are several mosques in the large towns. This 
singular circumstance is worthy of note, in that 
it is almost the only instance in these days in 
which Mohammedanism comes before the world 
