1805.) 
and fabricate their own lances, or affagays, 
which appeared to be ftrong, and well 
tempered. We -faw feveral of them, 
which were beautifully enamelled, | and 
difplayed very ingenious devices. I have 
been frequently prefent when the Mada- 
gafcans were repairing their mufkets and 
performing fimilar operations. 
The apparatus of a Madagafean forge 
is extremely fimple. A fimall anvil and a 
hammer, a piece of charcoal placed ina 
hollow of the ground, and a boy to ma- 
nage the bellows, fupply all that thefe 
people require to carry on their opera- 
tions ; fo that a Madagafcan finds no mcre 
didiculty in tranfporting his workfhop 
than our itinerant braziers and tinkers. 
. The bellows employed by the native 
vlanders is conftruéted in the following 
manner. Two wooden pipes or tubes, of 
a metre in length and fixteea centimetres 
in diameter, are placed perpendicularly 
behind, and at a certain diftance from, 
the fire. With each of thefe tubes is 
canneSied a gun-barrel, placed horizon- 
tally, and in a directidn towards the fire. 
Each of thefe tubes is furnifhed with a pif- 
ton refembling a round and fmooth cufhion, 
and fo exactly adapted in its diameter, as 
to correfpond with the calibre of the tube. 
~The blower alternately elevates and de- 
prefles the pitons, which are worked by 
handles, like the rod of a pump ; and by 
this means he blows the fire with the ne- 
ceflary degree of quicknels, prefling down 
one fide, while the air is forced from the 
other. 
Many of the natives likewife difplay. 
confiderable ingenuity in the manufaQur- 
ing of gold and filver bracelets, as well 
as in the formation of chains, and various 
other ornaments of the fame metals, worn 
by their women, and which, in point of 
workmanfhip, would not difgrace our Eu- 
ropean jewellers. I was affured, that, in 
fome of the interior cantons, they exer- 
cifed various other trades. 
The cotton produced in this ifland they 
work up into curtains and coverlets, many 
of which I have myfelf feen, as wellasa 
kind of large fhaw! or blue mantle worn 
by their chiefs. Thefe laft are beautifully 
embroidered round the edges in the form 
of lace ; but when flver is employed for 
this purpofe, they are rendered too heavy 
and cumberfome, owing io the ignorance 
of thefe people in making gold or filver 
thread, 
The drefs of the men confifts of a cloth 
wrapt round their middle, and of a large 
piece of calico or blue cotton, with which 
they envelop the whole body and shoulder, 
Defcription of the Ifland of Madagafcar. 551," 
This kind of mantle, which they term 
Junbou, ferves them alfo as a coverlet dur- 
ing the night. They cover the head with 
a leathern cap, fatouc, nicely interwoven 
with rufhes. ‘Their. arms confift of a 
lance or affagay, and a mufket, without 
one or other of which they feldom or ne. 
ver go abroad. 
Their bed is nothing more than a flight 
mat made of rufhes. 
The garb of the females is equally fim- 
ple ; they wrap round the waift a piece of 
white cotton, termed fadie, over which 
they wear a cloak or fimbou like that 
worn by the men, but of a finer texture ; 
This they double and faften round the 
wailt, in the fame manner as an under- 
petticoat. When the weather is cold or 
rainy, they likewife occafionally cover the 
body, fhoulders, and head, with.one of the 
folds of the fame garment ; like the men, 
alfo, they employ this fimbou as a cover- 
let during the night. Befides the fadie and 
the fimbou, a fhort fhift, termed caxezou, 
which {carcely defcends to the navel, and 
fezms evidently intended only to cover the 
bofom, conftitute part of the drefs of the fe- 
male iflanders. Thofe among them who cre 
more advanced in life have it made fo ag 
to defcend however. much lower. The 
more refined make their canezous of very 
beautiful cloth, richly embroidered, and 
ornamented in the front with plates of 
gold or filver: they alfo wear round the 
arm a chain of one or other of thefe me- 
tals, and bracelets on the wrifts. The 
rich have adopted the ufe of rings, ear- 
rings, and various other jewels. The 
mode of dreffing the hair among’ the fe- 
males is not very different from that em- 
ployed by the men; it. is plaited into 
braids, which are regularly difpofed on 
each fide of the head, atuftof hair being 
left at the éxtremity of each of them.— 
They befow much time and attention on 
this part of theirdrefs, and employ cocoa- 
oil in order to render the hair foft and 
pliant. A fimall piece of wood, formed 
into a breach, is employed, as a kind of 
comb, to feparate the hair, and difiribute, 
the treffes. This mode of drefS appears 
ex'remely praceful when the hair is foft 
and long; but fhort and woolly hair ar- 
ranged in this manner Bives to the head 
the appearance of that ota Medufa. 
The manners of the women of Mada- 
eafcar very much refemble thofe of Ora. 
heite. An European, on his arrival in 
the ifland, may feie&t any woman that 
fuits his fancy, without experiencing the 
fmalleft refftance on her part, or exciting 
the lealt fign of jealouly among the men, 
4B2 provided 
