CONTENTS. 
XI 
CHAP. VII. 
The rite of circumcision—Appointment of the time for its observance— 
Consecration of the vessel for the holy water—Procession for bringing 
the holy water and other requisites for the ceremony—Bull-baiting and 
other amusements at the festival—Platting of baskets—Slaughter of a 
sheep—Measuring the children—Planting the banana stem—Benedictions 
pronounced on the children—Public addresses delivered to them—The 
faditra, or offering to bear away evil—The strong water—Slaughter of 
the red bullock—The father’s address to the son while the rite is per¬ 
forming—Conduct of the mothers on the occasion—Feasting at the close 
of the ceremonies—The custom of forming brotherhoods by drinking of 
blood—Parties who thus enter into solemn covenant—Symbols used— 
Form of oath or engagement—The mouth of the heart—The drinking of 
each other’s blood—Extent to which the engagement is binding—Exist¬ 
ence of a similar custom in Borneo—Nature and operations of slavery— 
Hard lot of the slave-mother—Mode of redemption from slavery—Bonds¬ 
men of the government—Hospitality of Madagascar.176 
CHAP. VIII. 
Facility with which the means of subsistence are obtained in Madagascar— 
Different kinds of food—Flesh of the ox, sheep, and goat, monkeys, and 
hedgehogs—Poultry—Fish—Eggs of the crocodile—Locusts and grass¬ 
hoppers—Silkworms in their chrysalis state—Vegetables and grain— 
Rice, maize, manioc, arrow-root, yams, sweet potatoes, &c.—Additions 
to the above by the introduction of European vegetables—Increasing use 
of the Irish potato—Fruits—Pineapples, grapes, oranges, peaches, citrons, 
lemons, &c.—Manufacture of bread—Methods of dressing their food— 
Rice-boiling—Cooking of meat—Limitation of the number of meals in a 
day—Custom of washing the hands before meals—Manner of taking food 
—Beverage of the people—Distillation by foreigners—By natives—Uses 
of tobacco—Expedients used in preparing Malagasy snuff—General mode 
of taking snuff by the mouth —Intoxicating quality of the native hemp— 
Longevity of the natives—Number and nature of diseases—The Malagasy 
fever: its symptoms, progress, European and native remedies—State of 
the healing art among the natives—Supposed origin of diseases—Cures 
attempted only by divination—Native medicines—Use of the vapour bath 
—Of cold bathing—Superstitious observances—The Malagasy god of 
medicine.200 
CHAP IX. 
Practice of surgery among the natives—Method of treating wounds and 
fractures—Tooth-drawing—Native mode of cupping—Bleeding—Anec¬ 
dote of Radama—Feast on occasion of his recovery—Treatment of the 
sick in general—Influence of divination in the selection of means of reco¬ 
very—The faditra, or offering to remove pollution—The sorona, or sup¬ 
plicatory offering—Usages in reference to death—Mourning—Addresses 
to the deceased—Watching the corpse—Presents of money to the chief 
mourner—Method of disposing of the body—Manner of interment—Cus- 
