440 
HISTORY OF MADAGASCAR. 
Table II. 
Toetry—--Ground-work. The condition or basis of the 
sikidy. 
Voliitra. 
| Fahatelo. 
Harena. 
[ Tale. 
1 - 1 
> 
2 
] 
1 
2 1 
! Fianahana. 
2 
2 
1 
2 j 
I Marina. 
1 
1 
1 
2 j 
; Vehivavy. 
2 
2 
1 
2 
Fahavalo. 
The above sixteen squares are blank spaces when the 
mpisikidy, the diviners, commence the process, and are 
filled by them in the following manner:— 
A quantity of beans are placed in a heap, and from 
these is taken, at a guess, say a handful, from which the 
diviner withdraws first two, then two more, and so on, 
successively, until two only are left, or, it may be, the 
odd number, one; in either case, he takes this residue, 
and places it in the highest (blank) space on the right 
side of the toetry, the ground of sixteen spaces just named. 
He next returns the beans, which had been withdrawn, 
two at a time, to the general heap, and again takes a 
handful from the said heap, and then withdraws two at 
a time, as before, till he comes to the residue, either of 
one or two, and places this immediately under the space 
already filled; and the same process is then repeated, to fill 
the third and fourth spaces. The second line is next 
filled, observing the same order, and then the third and 
