124 
VISITS TO MADAGASCAR. 
chap. y. 
be embarked in one day. Hay and water are provided for 
them during the passage, and if the sea is tolerably smooth, 
in a day or two they begin to eat. They are under the 
charge of native herdsmen called maromites; and unless the 
passage is very long, extending to twenty days or more, or 
the weather very tempestuous, few of them die. The fact 
of the prevailing winds being contrary during the greater 
part of the trading season seems to indicate the great advan¬ 
tage that would be secured by the employment of steam in 
the exportation of cattle from Madagascar. 
On reaching Mauritius the ships with cattle approach as 
near as possible to the shore. The bullocks are then hoisted 
up by slings swung over the ship’s side, and allowed to fall 
into the water, where the rope is taken from their heads, 
and they are left to swim between two lines of spars to the 
shore, where some tame cattle and hay are placed to attract 
them to the landing-place. By this process many cargoes, 
ranging from ninety to a hundred and fifty bullocks each, are 
brought to Mauritius every year, that island, as well as Bour¬ 
bon, being entirely dependent upon Madagascar for cattle for 
draught as well as for the market. 
Soon after I became a housekeeper in Madagascar, I visited 
the general market held daily at Tamatave. The place 
where it is kept is about fifty yards square, and extremely 
dirty, in consequence of the refuse of vegetables and meat 
lying about. The market opens early in the morning. 
Among the fruits were citrons, lemons, and oranges, pine¬ 
apples, plantains, and pistache-nuts. Amongst the roots 
manioc was most abundant. Bice was very plentiful and of 
varied quality. There were also maize, millet, and other 
grains. The chief article of manufacture was foreign cotton- 
cloth, white and printed. The native manufactures com¬ 
prised knives, hatchets, axes, hoes, spades, files, nails, scales 
and weights, native cloth, lambas, mats, baskets, and hats of 
