192 
HISTORY OF MADAGASCAR. 
Among the Malagasy few classes derive more benefit 
from the covenant of brotherhood than the slaves, who very 
generally avail themselves of the advantages its provisions 
afford, and thus, in some degree, mitigate the severity of 
their lot. Its influence is also acknowledged by the highest 
ranks: the late Radama, when pursuing his career of con¬ 
quest on the western shore, confirmed his treaty of friend¬ 
ship with a shrewd and powerful chieftain near Tamatave, by 
the covenant of brotherhood; in ratifying which, the high- 
contracting parties drank each other’s blood. 
From the notices already given of the social institutions and 
usages of the inhabitants of Madagascar, it has been shewn 
that it is a country in which slavery has accumulated its 
guilt, entailed its degradation, and inflicted its misery. Of 
the nature and extent of the slave-trade formerly carried 
on in this country, and the means which led to its abolition, 
an account will be given in a subsequent part of this work, 
but a brief notice of domestic slavery in the island may not 
be inappropriately introduced in connexion with the fore¬ 
going account of native society. 
Slavery appears to have existed in Madagascar from a 
very early period of its history. Whether this greatest 
curse of human soiciety is of indigenous growth, or whe¬ 
ther it was imported by any of the early emigrants from 
Africa or other countries, is uncertain; but from the date 
of the earliest correct accounts that have been given of 
the people, it appears to have been general throughout the 
island. Captives taken in war, and the wives and chil¬ 
dren of those vanquished in battle, were retained in slavery, 
and sold by their conquerors, being regarded as the most 
valuable part of the spoils of victory. 
Free persons sometimes become slaves by their own act, 
viz., by selling themselves, when reduced to a state of abso- 
