150 
HISTORY OF MADAGASCAR. 
should be present in “ the hour of nature’s sorrow.” Un¬ 
qualified as these may be to render efficient aid in any 
critical exigency, the season is fatal to but few of the Mala¬ 
gasy mothers. The instances in which there is any devia¬ 
tion from the ordinary course of nature, or in which the 
life of the infant has become extinct before its entrance into 
the world, are but rare; and though on these occasions 
enlightened scientific aid might very frequently avert any 
serious results, the death of the mother generally ensues. 
The birth of a child is in general considered as an 
occasion of rejoicing to the parents and relations; and 
the feeling is extended in proportion to the rank or station 
of the parties. Among the pretended demonstrations of 
joy on the birth of a child, a custom established by long 
usage formerly prevailed, so characteristic of a barbarous 
and licentious people, so repugnant to every feeling of 
decency, that anything beyond the most brief allusion 
would be disgusting, yet a slight reference to it seems 
essential to fidelity. An occasion for its manifestation 
occurred on the birth of the late king’s daughter. 
The town, by reason of the scenes which the streets and 
lanes almost everywhere exhibited, appeared like one vast 
brothel, and the period was called, Andro-tsy-maty, i. e. 
a time in which the law could not condemn, or in which 
death could not be inflicted. The death of three chief 
nobles of high rank occurring at the time, Mr. Hastie, 
the British agent at the capital, in remonstrating with the 
king against the grossness of these proceedings, alluded, 
apparently with good effect, to the death of the chiefs, as 
perhaps designed to shew the displeasure of the Almighty 
against such wickedness. Mr. Hastie also expressed his 
utter detestation of the scenes of abomination then exhi¬ 
bited, and stated, that if it was ever permitted again, 
