FLORA, FAUNA, AND LANGUAGE. 
327 
in a fierce quarrel. There are differences of opin¬ 
ion as to the elasticity and expressiveness of the 
Malagasy tongue. My own experience was that 
it was well adapted for public speaking, and for 
conveying impressions to large assemblies. 
It was my good fortune to witness the remark¬ 
able spectacle of the prime minister addressing 
the assembled states and tribes on the occasion 
of a great reform in the army. The persuasive¬ 
ness, the courage, the argumentative power, and 
even the mild jocularity of each point of his 
speech, appeared to me inimitable and perfect, 
and the result justified my appreciation of the 
effort, for the whole assembly, consisting of tens 
of thousands of the youth and flower of Imerina 
and the central provinces, reaffirmed their loyalty 
to their great leader, and accepted his decree 
with ready and joyful acquiescence. Oratory 
and rhetoric are natural accomplishments of these 
people, and the beauty and effectiveness of the 
vernacular when well spoken is very striking. 
Like all Eastern tongues, the address is rather 
oblique than direct. The subject for discussion 
is gradually introduced after a long preamble, 
which is generally sufficiently full of compliments 
on both sides. The Malagasy have abundance 
of time on their hands, and they never press as 
we do for immediate decisions or opinions. They 
wait patiently, and prefer the subtle excitement 
