Madagascar

The capital, Antananarivo (pop. 68,459), in the highlands of Imerina, and Tamatave (pop. 13,21o) on the east coast and the chief seaport, are separately described. Majunga (properly Mo janga, pop. Ii,000) on the north-west coast, just north of 16° S., and Diego-Suarez, are important ports for foreign trade, the lat ter being also a fortified naval and military station. Other ports and towns are Mahanoro, Mananja,ry (south-east coast, pop. 5,000), Tullear (south-west coast), and Fianarantsoa (pop. 7,000), the chief towns of the Betsileo. There are very few places besides these with as many as 2,000 people.

Government.

The colony is not represented in the French Chambers, nor has it self-government. At the head of the admin istration is a governor-general, who is assisted by three councils and by the financial delegations, composed of 24 Europeans and 24 natives, who are consulted in the matter of the budget and of public works (Decree of May 7, 1924). In several towns there are chambres consultatives, composed of local merchants and planters. The French Government associates itself closely with the natives in the administration of their country. The island is divided into circles, placed under military officers, and provinces, presided over by a civilian. As far as possible, in local affairs, each of the native races is granted autonomy, the dominion of the Hova over the other tribes being abolished. Each province has its native governor and minor officials, the governor being generally selected by popular vote. Each village has an organization (the Fokon olona) resembling that of a commune; at its head is a chief or mpiaclicly, who serves for three years.

For Europeans, and in suits between Europeans and natives, the French judicial code is applicable; suits between natives are tried by native tribunals (established 1898) presided over by a Euro pean, assisted by two native assessors. These tribunals judge ac cording to native law and usages, except when such customs (e.g., polygamy and slavery) have been expressly abolished. Arbitration councils are available everywhere for the settlement of disputes between native workmen and their employers. Besides teaching establishments based on the French system, there is a well developed system in three stages for natives; nearly 90o schools are attended by ioo,000 pupils.

BIBLIOGRAPHY.

The standard work on the island is the Histoire physique, naturelle et politique de Madagascar (1875, etc.), in many

vols., by Alfred Grandidier (i836-1921), founded on his exploration of Madagascar in 1865-70 and subsequent researches. Besides this great work, Grandidier edited a Collection des ouvrages anciens con cernant Madagascar (1903, etc.), of which vol. ix. was published in 1920. See also James Sibree, A Naturalist in Madagascar (1915) and Fifty Years in Madagascar (1924) ; Dandouau, Geographie de Mada gascar (1922) ; Julien, Madagascar et ses dependances (1926) ; Gautier, Madagascar-Essai de geographie physique; Perier de la Bathie, La vegetation malgache; G. Grandidier, Le Myre de Vilers, Duchesne, Gallieni, Quarante annees de l'histoire de Madagascar, 188o-192o (1923) ; Jean Lefranc, "La Prosperite et les Besoins de Madagascar," in Renseignements Coloniaux (Dec. 1925) ; Guide-Annuaire de Mada gascar et Dependances. (J. SIB.; M. M. B.) Native Traditions.—The Malagasy people have contributed not a little to the solution of various ethnographical problems of Oceania. They have preserved from very remote times the forms of important rituals and semi-historical legends in the minds of the priests who have continued through unbroken lines to expound the mum mysteries and to impose the tabus. It is, of course, natural that the pure stream of Oceanic tradition should have be come somewhat tainted from its close association with the con flicting traditions of the South African mainland and there are traces of Hottentot stories in some Malagasy folklore.

There is one way, however, in which the Malagasy class have been enabled to keep a more rigid record of their traditions. than their Oceanic brothers. They have, or at least certain of them have, for some time used the Arabic script in a peculiarly modified form. In this script but in pure Malagasy speech form, they have preserved their history, many legends and a certain number of ritual songs. This far-flung area of Arabic influence has felt, too, the shaping hand of Arabian civilization, for the written traditions, preserved in Arabic script in the Antaimoro language, are more polished and more neatly turned than those which have come down by purely oral record. A strange paradox, therefore, exists ; the purest versions of the common Oceanic records are found side by side with legends bearing a decided African tinge and intermingled with folklore from Bushman and Hottentot sources.