Madagascar

Theories of Migration.

The realization that the Malagasy people are part of the far-flung family of Oceanic speech and tra dition (now commonly divided into Polynesian, Melanesian, In donesian and Micronesian), immediately gave rise to much specu lation as to the path by which this division of the family reached its present habitat. Many theories hurriedly enunciated were soon discredited, and evidence drawn from a full consideration of the physical characteristics, language form, ritual practices and migration-stories was used as the basis for research. Even now the field of speculation is not entirely closed. There are still workers in Oceanic studies who are not satisfied with the present state of the theories concerning the true place of the Hova, Bekimitsara, Sakalave, and the thirty other dialects of Madagascar speech in the Oceanic linguistic family. The full story of the relationships existing between these varied dialects and the languages of the Malay peninsula is to be found in the contributed papers to the Antananarios Journal and in the publications of M. Ferrand, for several years Governor-General of the island. The Journal of the Polynesian Society (Wellington, N.Z. quarterly) publishes papers concerning the history and languages of the Oceanic peoples.

From the earliest accounts given of the people of Madagascar by European travellers, as well as from what may be inferred from their present condition, they seem for many centuries to have been divided into a number of tribes, often separated from one another by a wide extent of uninhabited country. Each of these was under its own chief, and was of ten at war with its neighbours. No one tribe seems to have gained any great ascen dancy over the rest until about the middle of the 17th century, when a small but warlike people called Sakalava, in the south-west of Madagascar, conquered the western half of the island, as well as some northern and central tribes, and eventually founded two kingdoms which retained their supremacy until the close of the 18th century. About that time the Hova in the central province of Imerina began to assert their own position under two warlike and energetic chieftains, Andrianimpoina and his son Radama ; they threw off the Sakalava authority, and after several wars obtained a nominal allegiance from them ; they also conquered the surrounding tribes, and so made themselves virtual kings of Madagascar. From that time until 1895 Hova authority was re tained over a large part of the central and eastern provinces, but it was only nominal over much of the western side of the island, while in the south-west the people were independent.

Arab Influence.

The connection of the Arabs with the island dates from a remote epoch; and in very early times settlements were formed both on the north-west and south-east coasts. In

the south-east the Arabs have become merged in the general mass of the people. It is different, however, in the north-west and west of the island. Here are several large Arab colonies, occupying the ports of Anorontsanga, Mojanga, Marovoay and Morondava, and retaining their distinct nationality. There is also in these districts a Hindu element in the population, for intercourse has also been maintained for some centuries between India and northern Madagascar. In the early days the Arabs had a very powerful influence upon the Malagasy. This is seen in the number of words derived from the Arabic in the native language. Among these are the names of the months and the days of the week, those used in astrology and divination, some forms of salutation, words for dress and bedding, money, musical instruments, books and writings, together with a number of miscellaneous terms.

Early European Intercourse.—Marco Polo has a chapter upon "Madeigascar," but his accounts of it are confused with those of the mainland of Africa. The first European voyager to see the island was a Portuguese named Diogo Diaz, captain of one of the ships of a fleet bound for India. Separated from his companions by a storm near the Cape, he sighted the eastern coast of the island on Aug. io, 150o. That day being the feast of St. Lawrence, Madagascar was named the "Isle of St. Lawrence," and retained that name on all maps and charts for too years. The Portuguese gave names to most of the capes, but made no persistent attempts at colonization. Portuguese missionaries between 1600 and 1619 made strenuous efforts to teach their faith to the tribes on the south-east coast, but there is no record of any converts to reward the zeal and self-denial of the priests. After the Portuguese the Dutch endeavoured, with little success, to form colonies; and in the time of Charles I. proposals were made to form an English "plantation," and for a short time there was a settlement on the south-west coast. In the latter part of the 17th and during most of the 18th century, the French attempted to establish military positions on the east coast. For some time they held the extreme south-east point of the island at Fort Dauphin ; but more than once their stations were destroyed and the French were massacred. In 1811 Tamatave had been occupied by British troops, and the Treaty of Paris of 1814 recognized as British the "French settlements in Madagascar," but, as a matter of fact, France had then no settlements on the mainland, possessing only the island of Ste. Marie on the east coast. The then governor of Mauritius, Sir Robert Farquhar, obtained a cession of Diego Suarez bay. But the British claims were not prosecuted by the home Government, and a little later the policy was adopted by Great Britain of supporting the Hova authority.