400 
HISTORY OF MADAGASCAR. 
for the honour of the divinity. The sovereign also makes 
an occasional present of bullocks to the keepers, or of 
money, to enable them to purchase cattle. The pecuniary 
advantages received by the keeper, however, are not great. 
His reward is the honour of his office. 
When the idol-keeper purposes to sanctify the idol in 
order to offer prayer to it, or prepare it for the prayers 
of worshippers, he closes the doors, observes strictly that 
no one is watching, and then, opening the case, takes out 
the idol, and pours castor oil upon it, after which he 
restores it to its proper place. 
So difficult is the distinction between real and interested 
zeal, that it is impossible to ascertain whether these men 
are themselves the dupes of superstition, or merely the 
deceivers of others. They are extremely violent in their 
defence of the idols, and universally profess their own 
belief in them. The emoluments falling to the share of 
the idol-keepers are unfixed and fluctuating. In many 
cases, a dollar is given for advice, promises, or charms. 
A sheep is often presented, and smaller sums of money, 
or presents of smaller value, are gladly accepted by the 
idol-keepers, who are not often affluent, and are sometimes 
in circumstances of extreme poverty. 
In reference to the dii penates, or household gods of 
Madagascar, there is no known traditional account of 
their origin or history. Most of these idols are lite¬ 
rally blocks, without pretension to a human shape: in fact, 
anything which accident points out, or fancy dictates, or 
the idol-keepers or diviners fix upon, will make an idol 
if the owner set it apart or consecrate it as such. 
On one occasion, a man was seen with a rough imitation 
of a bullock wrought in silver, about the size of a walnut, 
hanging suspended from his wrist. On being asked what 
