72 
MADAGASCAR 
The total population of Madagascar can be only ap¬ 
proximately estimated, as no accurate census has been 
undertaken, even in the best known province, that of the 
Hova; Grandidier puts it at five millions. This may be 
too high an estimate, for wide districts are very sparsely 
peopled. The population is densest in the province of 
Imerina, and next to that in the highly cultivated Betsileo- 
land. The natural resources of the island are so great 
that the number of inhabitants might easily be multiplied 
tenfold without incommoding the existing tribes in any 
way. The small fecundity of so many Malagasy women, 
joined to the custom of infanticide, formerly very com¬ 
mon, has hindered the increase of the population. 
Any description of the collective life of the Malagasy 
must necessarily remain imperfect through our scanty 
knowledge of many tribes. From the various descent 
of the Malagasy peoples it is absurd to talk of a 
uniform stamp. This diversity is least apparent in the 
case of language, for though, as we have seen, markedly 
different dialects occur, yet the Malayan speech of 
the Hova, the most talented tribe of the island, is in 
use everywhere. In this language the vowels are mul¬ 
tiplied to such a degree that it is a real pleasure to 
hear a Malagasy speak. Owing to the oratorical gifts 
of the people the opportunity of listening to the '' Italian 
of the Southern Hemisphere” and of admiring its musical 
charm presents itself often enough. This euphony, together 
with the simplicity of the grammar and the absence of 
inflexions, has obviously facilitated its general extension 
over the island. Originally there was no special writing 
in use, but the Latin alphabet has been introduced by the 
English missionaries, and printed matter in Antananarivo 
always appears in Roman characters. 
The Hova language, as we conclude from the num¬ 
ber of obsolete words, seems to have altered a good 
deal in the course of centuries; if it is poorer in 
