Relation 
Arabs in 
Madagas¬ 
car. 
36 
[1670 
their large spars, & that even they come from the Indies 
to obtain them. 
Gigault reported that whilst searching for the River of 
Masts , they had stopp’d at one place of the Island nam’d 
the Old Macellage, in which anciently the Arabs dwelt; that 
he had there remark’d many Mosques, Tombs, Cisterns & 
Houses, the whole built of stone. That from these they 
pass’d to the New Macellage , also in the same Island, where 
the Arabs dwelt, that they have a King whose Court is 
fairly magnificent, & that he had a good number of 
Soldiers as his guard ; that they said they had dwelt in 
the Island 200 years, and that they made notable traffic, 
having seen there numbers of small Vessels, that it nearly 
came to pass that they had been massacr’d by these Arabs, 
having been mistaken for Portuguese, with whom they wag’d 
eternal war ; & that having been recogniz’d as French by 
these Arabs, who knew that there had been Frenchmen 
resident in the Island more than 30 years, they were well 
receiv’d by them, & that they desir’d to make friends with 
them. That these Arabs have a fine City, Towns & 
Villages, where there were Mosques & superb Tombs, 
Cisterns & Houses, the whole built of stone. That these 
people are white like the Europeans & that they are 
dress’d like Turks. That returning from the said River of 
Masts , they met the Hooker S'. Luc , commanded by the 
Sieur Louvel, who had left for the Indies in the month of 
August last, who had told them that having lost, off Cape 
St. Augustin, the Ships, S'. Paul & S', facques , with which 
he had departed, he had not been able to make much way 
because of the bad weather, & that he had been oblig’d to 
go to Mozambique, where he learnt on his arrival that the 
Arabs and Moors had landed at this place, that they had 
massacr’d many Portuguese who had not had time to take 
refuge in the fortress, they had burnt & destroy’d the 
Churches & Houses, & that at this time there arriv’d five 
