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HISTORY OF MADAGASCAR. 
mountain in the south, called Ambondrombe, but that they 
come out occasionally to walk amongst the tombs, or gol- 
gothas, where criminals are executed. 
After the death of Radama, it was reported and believed 
that he was seen one night in the garden before his 
country-seat, called Mahazoarivo. He was dressed in one 
of the uniforms buried with him in his silver coffin, and 
riding on one of the best horses, killed opposite his tomb. 
The keepers of the royal country palace, seeing him 
thus mounted, were so terrified, that they ran away, as 
if for their lives, and informed the queen of it. Her 
majesty consequently sent old Andriamamba, one of her 
principal ministers, and some of the priests, with the idols 
and sikidy, to sacrifice a bullock, and to ask Radama why 
he came there to disturb them. Had they not buried 
property enough with him in his tomb ?—was it not that 
he of his own accord turned his back upon them, and not 
they who drove him away ? After the sacrifice, the ghost 
of the deceased monarch never came back to disturb the 
peace of his realm. 
This story was related to Mr. Jones by one who wit¬ 
nessed the ceremony, and also by others who firmly believed 
in the appearance of the ghost of Radama on horseback, in 
the garden-grounds already mentioned. 
Such then are the obscure notions entertained by the 
Malagasy in reference to a future state. Such are the 
strong prejudices that must be combated, and gross super¬ 
stitions, that, with but a few slight exceptions, remain to 
be overthrown by the introduction of more enlightened 
views, and the substitution of higher objects of belief. 
From what has already been said of the mythology of 
Madagascar, and of the importance attached by the natives 
to the customs and traditions of their ancestors, an imagin- 
