HISTORY OF MADAGASCAR. 
327 
In many instances, the garments used by all the members 
of a family are home-made, being spun and woven by the 
female members of the same; and when the comparatively 
rude apparatus and simple process of their spinning and 
weaving are considered, their attainments in this valuable 
art are truly astonishing. The threads of their cloth are 
even and well twisted, the weaving regular, and the pat¬ 
terns in their silk and other variegated cloths remarkably 
regular, exhibiting great attention, and often no ordinary 
measure of fancy and good taste. 
In 1822, the Missionary Society sent out two artisans 
to introduce the English wheel and loom; but though the 
king, and many of the natives, appeared delighted with 
the operation of both, the endeavour did not succeed; and 
the death of Mr. Rowlands, the weaver, and the return of 
his companion to England, left the people still dependent 
on the spindle and the simple native loom, for the manu¬ 
facture of the chief part of their ordinary apparel. 
A few native dyes are prepared in the country; but the 
chief part of those used by the people are purchased from 
European and Arab traders, and used with considerable 
skill in colouring the silks, cottons, and rofia cloth. 
There are many arts and manufactures in use amongst 
the Malagasy, which seem to belong to the more advanced 
stage of civilization than is indicated by their moral and 
intellectual condition. The following ingenious methods 
of making indigo dye are of this description. 
The plant is first gathered, then cut in pieces, and 
pounded. After which it is allowed to ferment in a damp 
place until it becomes fetid; and the moisture would con¬ 
sequently be dried up, but that they use a preparation 
of another plant, called beravina, which is first steeped 
in hot water until the liquor becomes blue. With this 
