57 
up with their own system. But we never hear of their 
having gone back to natural religion, the simplicity of 
which afforded no charms to their minds,—reflected 
no glare upon their senses. Whereas, in Madagascar, 
the reverse is the case; there the worshippers have 
neither temples, sabbaths, priests, nor stated religious 
services; nor have they ever fallen into idolatry,—the 
Oli, or Teraphim, which they make use of in their 
prayers, being only the medium of communication. 
Their worship is confined to one God, and to Him 
alone their prayers and sacrifices are offered. In the 
latter, they for the most part offer females; whereas 
the Jews, in their burnt offerings, were strictly for¬ 
bidden to offer any other than males.* In mourning 
for the dead, the Madegasses shave their heads; a 
practice which also was forbidden to the Jews, who 
were severely reproved for adopting it. 
There are two or three other circumstances which 
go far towards deciding the question with respect to 
the Jews, and, indeed, any other nation contemporary 
with that people. In their domestic economy the 
Madegasses make use of no animal to assist them in 
the labours of husbandry, or in carrying burthens. 
It is a very striking circumstance, that they should 
never have thought of using oxen as beasts of bur¬ 
then. If at any period of their history the use of 
them had been known, (which must have been the 
* In the Patriarchal ages there does not appear to have been 
any prohibition of the use of females in their burnt offerings.— 
See Gen. viii. 20, and xv. 9. 
