NEW GROUND. 
199 
are only navigable for canoes or small boats for twenty 
or thirty miles inland. They generally flow into the 
lakes, with outlets to the sea full of sand, and only 
suitable for lighters. 5 ’—(Eev. W. Deans Cowan, F.R.G-.S.) 
The Bara people are closely connected with 
the Tanala both by situation and origin. They 
are the occupants of the southern portion of the 
central plateau, and are still in a very unlettered 
and somewhat degraded condition, much given to 
cattle-raising and to “ borrowing ” the possessions 
of their neighbours for an indefinite period of 
time. The slaves, also, appear to regard their 
situation with a somewhat “ liberal ” view as to 
relationship between master and man, and they 
absent themselves for long periods, and even for 
many years, during which they go away into 
distant parts of the island, and hire themselves 
out for employment in the fields, and so enjoy 
the fruit of their own exertions in a sense in 
which they could not be said to do at home. 
The ready wit of the slave is very often refreshing, 
and it is pleasing to find by one’s experience of 
them that bondage of body does not always mean 
intellectual inferiority. 
The following story was told me by a master 
on one occasion, who came to me for counsel as 
to the best way to deal with a slave who had 
been absent for a very long time from his service, 
and had sent no tidings of his whereabouts, or 
