HISTORY OF MADAGASCAR. 
3 lf> 
CHAP. XII. 
Felling of timber—Number of persons constantly employed as wood¬ 
cutters— Amount of labour required to convey the timber to the 
capital—Native coolies, or bearers of burdens—Method of splitting 
trees for planks or boards — Introduction of the use of the saw — 
Native carpenters—Character of their work—Masonry in Madagascar— 
Native potteries—Articles manufactured — Native kilns—Anecdote of 
Radama—Introduction of brick-making—Malagasy rope-making, twine¬ 
spinning, and basket-making—Introduction of the art of tanning—Im¬ 
mense quantity of hides provided by the government—Native methods of 
spinning and weaving-—Simplicity of the Malagasy loom—Excellence of 
the native cloths—Preparation of indigo—Methods of dyeing—Domestic 
occupations of a day in Madagascar—Native hawkers or pedlars—Fond¬ 
ness of the Malagasy for traffic—Native markets—Number, designation, 
order, &c.—Prices of articles—Money-changers—Table of moneys— 
Value of labour—Foreign commerce—Chief exports and imports. 
Intimately connected with the occupations described in 
the preceding chapter, and equally important to the 
Malagasy, is the felling of timber, and the working in 
wood. Forests of varied extent abound in different parts 
of the country, and an immense belt of forest, of two or 
three days’ journey in width, surrounds the interior of the 
island. These forests yield abundance of timber, of dif¬ 
ferent colour and texture, and of various degrees of hard¬ 
ness and durability. Timber is exceedingly dear at the 
capital, being brought from the extensive forest of Angavo, 
which stretches to a great distance on the north and south 
of Antananarivo, from which it is about forty miles distant. 
Multitudes of the natives are constantly employed in cutting 
wood in the forests for the government, and others in drag¬ 
ging it to the capital. 
