Madagascar

The Malagasy have never had any organized religious system or forms of worship; there are no temples, images or stated sea sons of devotion, nor is there a priesthood, properly so-called. Yet they have never been without some distinct recognition of a supreme being, whom they call Andriamanitra "The Fragrant One," and Zanahary, "The Creator." Animism, with the double cult of ancestor worship and worship of the spirits of nature, pre vails. Among the Hova, there is also a firm belief in sorcery, in divination, and in trial by ordeal. The chief of these was the celebrated tangena poison ordeal, by which, until its prohibition by an article in the Anglo-Malagasy treaty of 1865, thousands of persons perished every year. Sacrifices of fowls and sheep are made, at many places, at sacred stones and altars, both in thanks giving at times of harvest, etc., and as propitiatory offerings. In some of the southern districts it is said that human sacrifices were occasionally offered. The chief festival among the Hova, and almost confined to them, was that of the New Year, at which time a kind of sacrificial killing of oxen took place, and a cere monial bathing, from which the festival took its name of Fan droana (the Bath). This festival is now merged in the French national fete of July 14. Another great festival was at circum cision times. This rite was observed by royal command at inter vals of a few years. Since 1868 circumcision has been observed by each family at any time convenient to itself. It is practised by all Malagasy. Funerals were also times of much feasting, and, at the death of people of rank and wealth, numbers of bullocks were and still are killed.

Economic Conditions.

The natives of Madagascar formerly grew only foodstuffs (rice, etc.), but introduced plants include, in the eastern coastal regions, vanilla, cocoa, coffee, spices, the cocoa-tree, rubber, etc., and in the west, sugar cane, cotton, Ka pok; the central regions grow the mulberry, fruit trees, vines, to bacco, etc. Cattle-rearing also is important, 7,294,000 cattle, 450,000 pigs, 220,000 sheep and 57,000 goats being reared; this has given rise to development of the dairy industry. Euro peans have also undertaken the rearing of ostriches. Development of the natural resources of the island, if somewhat slow, was real. Cultivation is mainly by Malagasy; the number of French settlers on the island is small. In 1924 the white colonists were cultivating 150,000 hectares ; natives hectares. Industries under taken or developed by Europeans are silk and cotton-weaving and raffia-fibre preparation. Sugar, rice and other factories have been established. Gold mining has been carried on since 1897, but experts, sent from the Transvaal, came to the conclusion that it was not one of the rich goldfields of the world. The mines afford, nevertheless, lucrative employment for some thousands of per sons, and the export of gold was 3,365,114 fr. in 1924. Although,

as the result of a protective tariff, three-fourths of the trade is with France, about one-seventh is with Great Britain, and much British capital is invested in the island. A feature of the com merce is that exports exceed imports both in quantity and value. The chief imports are cotton goods, wines, machinery, metals, cement, petrol, and flour; nine tenths from France and its de pendencies. The figures show the external trade at 646,605.197 fr. in 1924. Imports amounted to 259,033,753 fr. and exports to 387,571,444 francs. The chief exports are raw hides, salt and preserved meat, rice, dried vegetables, tapioca, coffee, etc., as well as graphite and precious stones.

The trade (in francs) of Madagascar has been as follows in five Means of communication were greatly improved by harbour works and the building of roads and railways. By 1925 there were 1,500 m. of first-class roads and 540 m. of railway. The chief railway (240 m. long), joining the port of Tamatave with Anta nanarivo, was opened in 1918. From this railway a branch line goes northward, and from Antananarivo a railway (107 m. long), opened in 1923, runs south to Antsirabe. There is a road but no railway to Majunga, the chief port on the west coast. A railway is to be built from Fianarantsaa to the east coast, and motor services run from Antananarivo and Diego-Suarez. The equip ment of the ports is still primitive. Tonnage entered and cleared (1925) was 4,293,292. Canals have been made and irrigation works carried out.

Revenue is derived mainly from customs and a poll tax; ex penditure was largely on the civil service. In 1924 the budget was balanced at 100,000,000 fr.; in effect, taxation and receipts had not increased. It was then realized that if economic progress was not to be checked, a revision of taxation was essential.

Provinces and Towns.

The island may be divided into dis tricts or provinces, which, in the main, indicate tribal divisions, among which may be distinguished, taking them in three main divisions, from north to south: (r) Eastern: Antankarana, occu pying the northern peninsula ; the country of the Betsimisaraka, who inhabit a long extent of the coast plains, about 500 m. in length ; parallel with this for about a third of it, and between the two lines of forest, is the Bezanozano country. South again are the districts of the Taimbahoaka, the Taimoro, the Taifasy and the Taisaka; and at the south-eastern corner are the Tanosy. (2) Central: the districts of Tsimihety and the Sihanaka ; Imerina, the Hova province ; the Betsileo ; the Tanala or foresters; the Baia; and the emigrant Tanosy. (3) Western: the people from almost the northern to the southern extremities of the island are known as Sakalava, but consist of a number of distinct tribes. South of these last are the Mahafaly, with the Tandroy at the extreme south. There are numerous subdivisions of most of the tribes.