COMMERCE AND MODES OF COMMUNICATION 145 
Beer, wine, and preserves find customers in the Europ¬ 
ean residents. 
There has been for many years past a strong demand 
for clothing materials. Chief among these is the white 
calico used for overalls (lamba). This is generally of 
American origin, and is manufactured in Boston. Cot¬ 
ton prints are also largely brought in, as they are worn 
by the women and are consequently exposed for sale 
in all the shops of the coast villages. The colours 
are different for the different tribes,—the Hova, for ex¬ 
ample, prefer small designs in rose colour; the Sakalava 
women, on the other hand, like large-flowered gay 
patterns, while other tribes take only blue stuffs. In the 
cooler highland regions flannels are somewhat eagerly 
sought after, while silks find but a limited sale. Glass, 
boots and shoes, clocks and bijouterie only find sale 
among the Hova, and even with them the price must 
be kept as low as possible. 
European tools are in small request, while cast-iron cook¬ 
ing-pots are to be met with in almost every house. Among 
musical instruments the accordion is largely imported, the 
Hova liking the hexagonal shape, while the coast tribes, 
especially the Sakalava, prefer the rectangular accordion. 
Houses of trade of considerable size have been estab¬ 
lished in Tamatave and x\ntananarivo—English, American 
and French firms; in Nossi-Be a Hamburg firm has 
obtained great influence and rules the trade with the 
Sakalava coast. There is also a Swiss house of business 
in Fort Dauphin. 
Retail trade is carried on among the coast towns by 
natives or by Creoles from Reunion; the latter, however, 
are a very untrustworthy lot. On the other hand, Hindoo 
traders, on account of their thrift, are often trusted by the 
wholesale merchants with goods on credit, which they 
dispose of even in the interior. The Arab traders have 
only been able to maintain a footing on the west coast. 
10 
