Chapter VI: The Land and the People of Madagascar

The East Coast of the Island—The West Coast—Travels of M.
Grandidier—Maps of Madagascar—Mr. Cameron’s Survey—Additions made by
us—Size of Madagascar—The Mountain-mass along its centre—Terraces on
all sides—The Malagasy people a single race—Their Three Tribes and
their Sub-divisions—The Malagasy not an African race—Their Malay
origin—Evidence supplied by their Language—New Words from Arabic,
French and English—Reference to Madagascar by Marco Paolo—Early
Navigation of the Eastern Seas very extensive—Phœnician, Hindu,
Chinese and Malay—Madagascar colonised by Malays—Three independent
Movements—Traditions of the Hovas—Their Arrival in Imerina—Conquest
of the Vazimba—Increase in Imerina—Their recent History—Ralambo and
his Descendants—Impóin and his consolidation of the
Kingdom—Radáma—State of the Country, of Social Life and of the
Sakalava Tribes in his day—The people still a federation of
tribes—Their Institutions—Their steady growth in Civilisation, as
well as in Religious Character.

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