HISTORY OF MADAGASCAR. 
205 
natives call katsaka. To the above may be added honey, 
found in the forests; milk, which is not much used by the 
natives. Very recently, butter and cheese have been made 
for use in the Mission families. 
The Malagasy methods of dressing their food are few; 
and they have not many compounds or made dishes. The 
most important part of their cookery consists in preparing 
their rice, which is generally boiled in a large round earthen 
or iron pot, with a very broad base; which is placed on 
the stones, fixed in the hearth, in the centre of the house. 
The rice, which is kept in the husk in a sort of granary, 
is made ready for use in such quantities only as the daily 
consumption of the family may require. The rice is pre¬ 
pared with great care, and involves considerable labour: 
when first brought from the granary, it is put into a large 
stone or wooden mortar, about eighteen inches or two feet 
deep, and tw r elve or eighteen inches wide. Here it is care¬ 
fully beaten in a peculiar manner, with a large wooden 
pestle, about five feet in length, so as to break and remove 
the outer husk without breaking the grain. The rice is 
then taken out, and separated from the husk by winnowing ; 
it is then beaten in the mortar a second time, for the pur¬ 
pose of taking off the inner skin, which is also removed 
without breaking the grain, after this it is again sub¬ 
mitted to the winnowing-fan, and the pieces of earth or 
small stones carefully picked out. The rice is then a 
third time submitted to the operation of the pestle, to 
remove any remaining portion of the inner covering of the 
grain; this being done, it is tossed in the winnowing-fan, 
washed in fresh clean water two or three times, and finally 
put into the earthen or iron vessel, and covered with water 
when fuel is supplied until it boils. The water is allowed to 
boil slowly until the rice, which is never disturbed, gra- 
