78 MADAGASCAR 
horn spoons, some baskets and earthen dishes, rolled up 
mats and a couple of lances complete the furniture of 
the house. Among the Hova of rank a table is added, 
which is covered with a clean tablecloth for a guest; 
though this last may display a hole here and there. 
Among the Betsileo the houses are smaller than among 
the Hova, and the narrow entrance is often fixed at a 
Sakalava House. 
considerable distance above the floor. 
The dwelling-house of the Sakalava has quite a dif¬ 
ferent appearance. The better villages on the west 
coast are frequently situated most picturesquely in the 
shadow of the palms or mango trees. Among the 
northern Sakalava an exemplary cleanliness prevails both 
inside and outside of the house. These houses, which are 
fairly large, are true lacustrine dwellings built on wooden 
