HISTORY OF MADAGASCAR. 
367 
punishment of rebellion; but in some cases, during the 
reign of Radama, a show of humanity was deemed a prefer¬ 
able line of policy, the consequence is the exercise of a 
real humanity towards the objects of it. 
The oath of allegiance is two-fold. It may be considered 
either as two distinct oaths, or as separate parts of one 
ceremony. The names by which the two ceremonies are 
distinguished, are mively rano and milefon omby,—“ to 
strike the water,” and “ to spear the calf.” 
In the mively rano, the judges, and sometimes a party of 
military officers, accompany the persons to be sworn to the 
place appropriated to this purpose at the capital. This, 
however, is no splendid mansion, but simply a shallow 
stream, gurgling down the hill on the west side of Tana¬ 
narive, where an artificial pond is formed for the purpose, 
called Ranoritra—“water soon to be dried up.” Around 
this the parties stand, holding in their hands branches of 
the Ambiaty, and a spear procured for the occasion. 
The farantsa, civil police, and their assistants, bring to 
the appointed place the following articles—the dung of 
a bullock, the efflorescence of a particular kind of grass, a 
ball, light rice or chaff, the wadding of a musket, branches 
of the Ambiaty, a long grass, a water flower, a spear, and a 
musket loaded with one shot. All, except the last two, 
are thrown into the water, as symbols of the worthless 
condition to which perjurers will be reduced, or of the 
means by which they will be destroyed. 
A senior judge usually administers the oath, and gene¬ 
rally addresses the party in the following words: “ If any of 
you acknowledge, or shall assist in making, any other king 
than-, (here the name of the reigning sovereign 
is specified,) who alone is sacred to be the monarch, and 
who alone is appointed to be the monarch even to the 
