a 
550 
On leaving Yaran, I returned to Foul- 
Pointe, by a road, which, for the extent 
of a league, is bounded on the right by a 
wo.d, and on the left by an extenfive 
‘plain, rendered very wet by the maithes 
of which we have already fpoken. I pafled 
fome favannas over{pread with trees and 
underwood ; and almoft- every where the 
Jand appeared well adapted for cultiva- 
tion. 
I made another excurfion to Finfare, a 
village the property of the chief Rama- 
Efa, lying ina northern dire€tion from 
Foul-Pointe, and diftant from it about 
three leagues. I purfued my courfe, in a 
pirogue, for more than a league, on the 
interior canal formed by the junétion of 
the rivers Ouibi and Tartas. Upon leav- 
_ing this canal, I proceeded along an exten- 
five traét of land bordering on the fea.— 
Here the coaft is fkirted with trees ona 
gentle declivity ; among which, befides a 
variety of others, we particularly ob- 
ferved one refembling very much in its 
foliage the American pine. ts 
"  Afcer travelling another league along 
the fea-fhore, I estered a very beautiful 
wood ; on emerging from which, the 
road lay acrofs a favanna fcattered over 
with trees, un‘il it terminated on the 
banks of the river Finfare, very near its 
mouth. The village of this name is fitu- 
ated onthe oppofte fide, or left bank, of 
-that-river. . Here, as in other parts of the 
ifland, the inhabitants appear to -poffeis 
numerous herds of cat:le. 
Rama-Efa received me at his refidence 
jn this village with much cordiality. He 
was furrounded by a great number of 
“people, who had flocked thither influenc- 
ed by motives of curiofity to witnefs my 
reception. 
The Madagafcans are in general mild 
and affable. They repefe great confi- 
dence in the French, . 
however, have abufed that confidence with 
impunity. 
Among the different inhabitants of Ma- 
dagafcar, many are entirely black, with 
curled hair ; in others, the hair is long ; 
while, in another clafs, the fkin is of a 
copper colour, ard almoft as gloffy ‘as that 
of the mulatto. 
In the diftri& of Foul-Pointe they are 
alrogether ignorant of the art of writing ; 
but in other parts of the ifland, as I was 
affured, they employ Ardbic chara€iers. 
In ancient times it appears that'rhe 
Moors or Aras planted colonies on the 
north and. wet fides of Madagalcar, 
nearly oppofite to the Comora Ifles.— 
Through thefe iflands the fame pecple, 
Defeription of the Ifland of Madagafcar. 
many of whom, - 
_ into balls. 
with macerating the fibres of the rafia 
[July 1, 
from different points of the eaftern coaft of 
Africa, ftill continue to emigrate to Ma- 
dagafcar, and to trade with its inhabi- 
tants. Hence it is, that many words from 
the Moorifh or Arabic tongue have been 
introduced into the Madagafcan lan-* 
guage, between which -and the former 
there appears to be fome affinity. 
The greateft part. of the French wha 
come here in queft of wealth, are ac- 
cuftomed to confider thefe people as very 
idle and fluggifh, merely becaufe that 
having few wants, and being abundantly 
fupplied with all the neceffaries of life, 
they difplay no eagernefs to fatisfy the 
~ cupidity of Europeans, and their exclufive 
defire of fuddenly amaffing riches. 
The Madagafcans are not, however, 
deftitute of indufiry ; they rear numerous 
herds of cattle, and a greatdeal of poul- 
tiy; they raife more rice than they them- 
felves confume, by which means they not 
only fecure their own fubfiltence, but fre- 
quently fupply fhips coming from the Iile 
of France with this important article. 
Befides manufaéturing mats, facks, 
caps (which they term fatoucs), bafkets, 
and ftuffs called rabanes, they likewife 
fabricate, frm the fibres of a kind of 
palin called raffa, very fine ftuffs named 
pagues, ingenioufly civerfified with ftripes 
of different colours. Thefe ftuffs are 
nearly of the fame breadth as our frlken 
camlets ; each piece is eight ells in length 
(nine metres and a half). 
pagnes are not inferior to filk in brilliancys 
delicacy, and beauty of colour, but they 
are not equally foft asd pliant. Thefle 
{tuffs readily cut on wearing. All thefe 
operations are performed by the females, 
and in a manner very. analogous to thofe 
of our weavers. 
employ are, however, much more flight, 
but are fo formed that they may be occa- 
fionally folded up, and put afide in the 
corner cf an apariment, when net wanted. 
I am unacquainted with the ingredients 
they ufe indyirg; but of fuch material 
nature prefents an abundant variety in this 
climate. Neither do 1 know the procefles 
they employ, excepting with refpeét to 
to indigo, which they ule for dying blue 
and black colours. 
They do not, like us, form the indigo 
They _content -themfelves 
with the recent indigo, for a longer or 
fhorter time, in order to obtain different 
fhades of blue. By mixing it with certain 
earths, they produce a dye perfectly 
black. 
The -Madagafcans manufacture iron, 
and 
The looms which they - 
Some of thefe- » 
