148 
MADAGASCAR 
This condition of things is explained by the contrast 
between the races. At the beginning of the settlement 
evidently only the belt of coast that was peopled, and 
it was this was by African tribes. The Malays came to 
Madagascar at a relatively late period and in a minority. 
The popular traditions which still exist, point to the fact 
that the newcomers were not received in the most 
friendly manner; later developments must have induced 
the Malayan population to settle in the then unpeopled 
highlands, where their industry and perseverance made 
the soil productive. The cooler air was obviously a 
favourable factor, giving them preponderance over the 
coast tribes, exposed as they were to fever. In spite 
of the barbarous judicial proceedings and the frequency 
of infanticide, the Malayan element must have greatly 
increased throughout a considerable period. At the 
commencement of this century the city of Antananarivo 
counted only 10,000 inhabitants; in the next forty years 
its population increased to 20,000, and since then it has 
multiplied itself more than five-fold. The importation of 
slaves does not suffice entirely to explain this phenomenon. 
The contrast between the races has not tended to 
become obliterated in course of time, but has become 
more and more marked. With the numerical increase of 
the Malayan element came the strengthening of its 
political influence, till finally the Hova became the ruling 
race. The Hova, however, have been quite unable to 
found colonies of any size in the coast lands. In the 
north, in the land of the Sihanaka, an amalgamation with 
the African element does seem to have taken place. 
The Sakalava of the west have kept themselves strenu¬ 
ously apart. 
The lower forest region lying next to the mountains 
and surrounding the island with a girdle of varying 
breadth, has never been favourable for a productive 
settlement, for here even the wretched forest villages 
