31 
CHAP. IV. 
Description of the Natives — Dress — Population — Cha¬ 
racter in regard to foreign Relations—Conduct of the 
French—Introduction of the Slave Trade—Its Influ¬ 
ence—Domestic Character . 
The natives of Madagascar are above the com¬ 
mon stature*, strong limbed, with the most exact 
symmetry of shape and figure. Their colour in¬ 
cludes all the varieties between that of a dingy white, 
and the jet black of the negro, which is owing to the 
endless intermixture of the different tribes. By far 
the greater proportion, however, are of an olive 
complexion. The blacks have the woolly hair, thick 
lips, flat noses, and heavy features of the negroes of 
the coast of Africa, from whom they undoubtedly 
sprung: those whites who reside in Matatane, 
and who are all magicians or doctors, are excessively 
ugly; but the majority of the inhabitants are quite 
the reverse of this, having the prominent nose and 
regular features of Europeans. Their countenances 
are open and placid, bespeaking a contented, frank, 
* During a war against the Seclaves, in which Benyowsky 
found himself obliged to engage, Hiavi, the chief of Foule 
Point, sent him twelve hundred and fifty warriors, all young 
men, not one of whom were less than five feet eight inches and a 
half in height; these formed the governor’s body-guard. 
