152 
VISITS TO MADAGASCAR, 
CHAP. VI. 
tainly not her thimble. I believe these delicate articles are 
manufactured only by the women of the Hovas, or other 
tribes occupying the centre of the island. 
Besides the mats and baskets, many persons are employed 
in the manufacture of hats, for use amongst the natives, for 
sale to the ships’ crews, or for exportation. One kind is made 
of grass, resembling in appearance our fine English straw, 
though less durable; others are made of different species of 
rushes, sometimes as fine, and very much resembling Leghorn. 
They are well shaped and durable, and exceedingly valuable 
for the comfortable shade they afford. 
All these articles, though sometimes brought for sale by the 
men, were manufactured by the women; the rofia cloth and 
the coarser kinds of mats by the slaves. A man and his wife 
resided in the same compound or enclosure with me, though 
they did not belong to the owner of the house, but to different 
masters. I observed that the woman was chiefly employed 
in the gathering and drying of rushes, and in the manufac¬ 
turing of large mats or bags for rice, both of which were sold 
for the benefit of her master. 
I was sometimes amused with the perseverance manifested 
by the venders of different kinds of goods, who continued to 
come time after time, notwithstanding the most explicit de¬ 
claration that none of their articles were needed. One man, 
who had brought poultry and fish, and then matting and 
baskets, but without success, most importunately demanded 
what I did want. I told him that, if during his journeys in 
the forests, he should meet with any plants or flowers such as 
I showed him drawings of, I would buy them of him, provided 
they were of the right sorts. He seemed quite delighted, and 
said he would bring some, offering at the same time to be¬ 
come my aide-de-camp, and to carry out my wishes in regard 
to anything I might desire to obtain. I begged to decline 
his proposal for this permanent appointment, but assured 
