HISTORY OF MADAGASCAR. 
125 
respects the stature; in this there must be a mistake, 
nearly all the rest is credible. A few dwarfs are met with 
in Imerina, but probably not in any greater proportion to 
the population than in other countries, and certainly not 
in sufficient numbers, nor possessing any peculiarities of 
form, to justify a belief of tbeir having constituted a 
distinct race. 
It is observable, that the traditional account given in 
the present day, of the Vazimba, is, that they formed a 
race of people a little below the common stature, having 
a remarkably thin and flat configuration of the head, 
and narrowing to the forehead. Their graves correspond 
with the description given by Rochon. They resemble 
small barrows, or gentle elevations of earth, with an up¬ 
right stone placed in or near the centre, and a number of 
smaller stones rudely thrown together, like the ruins of an 
ancient grave. 
It is not easy to arrive at any distinct conclusion: possi¬ 
bly the Vazimba, said to have lived formerly in Imerina, 
and whose graves still exist, came originally from the 
same part of the country as those who are now said to 
occupy the banks of the two rivers in Menabe, and that 
these may be a part of the people described by M.M. de 
Modave, de Commerson, and de Surville, in the “ Voyage 
de Rochon.” Their accounts are, perhaps, exaggerated, 
yet not without some foundation in truth. It is, how¬ 
ever, somewhat remarkable, that many of the particu¬ 
lars stated by the above writers, exactly correspond with 
the Hovas, excepting the diminutive stature. The Hovas 
are certainly below the general stature of the Malagasy, 
and this may easily have given rise to the report of their 
“ pygmean” dimensions. But in regard to colour, intelli¬ 
gence, activity, industry, courage, manufactures, produc- 
