176 
THE MASCARENES 
of his contract he becomes cook, errand-boy, shop¬ 
keeper, or takes a holding and turns farmer. The Mala¬ 
bar native is industrious and accustomed to save. The 
women, often of remarkably fine stature and picturesque 
bearing, assist busily in the shops; the provision market 
is almost entirely in their hands. 
The Malagasy element has played a great part in the 
Mascarenes from the first. Formerly the Malagasy 
worked as a slave on the plantations. His desire for 
freedom was, often enough, too powerful to allow him 
to endure the fetters, he would run away and roam about 
the mountains, living by robbery, as a negre inarrony 
Their skill in wickerwork made the Malagasy always 
very useful; they worked up the aloe fibres into cords, 
and from the leaves of the screw-palm they plaited 
durable bags in which sugar and coffee were packed 
for exportation. 
Negroes from the East Coast of Africa have immi¬ 
grated into the country at different times; their ugliness 
is often quite repulsive. They are called Kaffirs in 
current speech, without regard to their original home. 
The Arab settlers are few in number; but, on the other 
hand, the Chinese immigration has made itself very per¬ 
ceptible of late, although it is not looked upon with 
favour. The Chinaman generally settles down as a 
suburban publican. 
The numerous half-castes of all shades who are lumped 
together under the name Mulatto, require a separate 
discussion. As being the result of crossing two different 
races among whom the moral qualities do not always 
stand high, the Mulatto is nowhere looked upon by the 
Creoles as an equal, and the European holds himself as 
distant from him as possible. A French Creole who 
marries a Mulatto woman from pecuniary considerations 
is excluded from good European Creole society. 
The Mulatto is darker or fairer according to the 
