MR. ELLIS'S MADAGASCAR.*

Mn. ELLIS is favourably known, not in the Missionary world only, but to an even larger public. His Polynesian Researches have long been a standard book, partly owing to their intrinsic merit, partly owing to the comparative novelty of the subject when first they appeared. He is also the author of Three Visits to Madagascar, a book probably less familiar to the general reader than the Polynesian Researches, and so far less important, that however little we may know of Madagascar, we know— at all events, we then knew —more about it, than about the Polynesian Islands. The present volume brings our knowledge down to the present time, and consisting, as it does, of five hundred and two pages of not very large print, its contents are oonsiderable, and in justice we can add, so is the information. Mr. Ellis originally visited Madagascar in an official capacity. His late visit had a different object and gave him a larger scope. In the former instance, the Government of that day sent Mr. Ellis out on visits of observation and inquiry, restricting his duties within the narrowest limits—limits which prevented him from holding intercourse with the Christians, except with danger to them and inconvenience to himself. On this occasion, however, the mission of Mr. Ellis was to "explain to the Sovereign and the heads of the people the object of the London Missionary Society in sending out missionaries to resume the work which had been so long interrupted, and to make the requisite prepara- tions for the expectant teachers." The prosecution of this task naturally gave Mr. Ellis a wider field of intercourse and observa- tion, and it mast be confessed that the result is one of no small interest and instruction, we may even say amuse- ment. For Mr. Ellis notes everything down, the grave and the gay, with seemingly impartial pen, and his grave and courtly style rather heighten the ludicrous incidents which he relates with so much amiable decorum. Indeed, hardly a page passes without something or other which causes an irrepressible smile. For instance, there is the account of the microscopic -dance. "A Protestant gentleman in Paris had sent the King a very excellent solar microscope, with a number of slides, which, at his request, when I presented it, I promised to exhibit to him on the first favourable day. When I did so, the King and the whole Malagasy then present were astonished and gratified. The greatest wonder appeared to be excited by the beautiful struc- ture of an insect's wing, the gigantic proportions of the common flea, and specimens of differently coloured human hair. A kind of reverence and silent admiration seemed to be produced by the first. About the flea they were incredulous, until I actually showed them the insect between the glasses in the slides ; and for the third specimen they were obliged to take my word. They said the hair was hollow like a bamboo, and some added as large as a spear handle. I promised on a future opportunity to insert some of their own hair in the slide, which would remove their scepti- cism; and I took advantage of the occasion to tell them that there was a world of creative wisdom and skill concealed within all natural objects Mond us, even in a drop of water, as varied and wonderful as those which we every day behold, and with which by means of the microscope we might become acquainted,"—a suggestive passage in more respects than one. But in these days of Royal visits is it not worth while to invite the King and Queen of Madagascar to visit us with a numerous suite ? They will have -no objection to go to Claridge's Hotel, and Mr. Ellis would intro- duce them to Northern civilization. To he sure, they might :display rather ferocious propensities now and then, but we can imagine nothing which would implant such a leaven of progress in the Royal savage's mind as a visit to Europe, and any little .outrage they might commit would be amply repaid by a step in the civilization of Madagascar. Two or three Englishmen might not object to be eaten for the purpose. Madagascar teems with natural wealth.

Mr. Ellis was invited to Madagascar by the young King Madams II. under the new reign in 1861, and accepted the invi- tation under the auspices of the London Missionary Society. He landed in Madagascar on the 22nd of May, 1862, and left for England again on the 15th of July, 1865, since which date Mr. Ellis has been engaged in the compilation• of the portly volume now before us. Two Quarterly articles would hardly suffice to do justice to its contents. But our readers will be glad to know Mr.

• Madagascar Rerisited. By the Rev. William Ellis. Lseden: Murray.

Ellis's general views of the state of Madagascar and of its progress. His first summary will be thought rather interesting by free-traders. Mr Pas thinks Madagascar has improved by the abolition of free trade. But we had better quote his own words :—" Notwithstand-

ing some appearances to the contrary," he says, "the position of the people is, in my opinion, on the whole in advance of that which they occupied at the time of my last arrival among them. I then found entrance to the country, acquisition of land, and exploration unimpeded. Trade was exempt from all imposts. The whole question of foreign relations was subject only to such rules and

limitations as the new comers imposed on themselves. And this was what the King's instructors and advisers had most erroneously ".11

inculcated as Free Trade, the source of individual prosperity and the bond of brotherhood among nations. Such a state of things could not last. The abolition of all duties deprived the Government of its revenue and the officers of their pay, encouraged a larger importation of goods than the community could receive or pay for, and by inundating the country with rum was forcing on the utter demoralization and ruin of all classes. This made the heavy duties imposed on the latter article after the revolution a great blessing to the people." We understand how, without any duties, the Government might have an insufficient revenue ; we do not understand how a surfeit of foreign goods, say from England, could injure the pocket of Madagascar, however it might injure the pocket of the English merchant.

The question of the duty on rum of course stands on a some- what different footing. Passing to other particulars, "The pre- sent law in respect to the holding of land operates against the settlement of foreigners in the country, and it is a retrograde movement." Nevertheless, Mr. Ellis believes that intercourse is now as free as, under existing circumstances, is perhaps compatible with the security of the present Government and the peace of the country. The recent treaty with England guarantees the pro-

tection and the encouragement of " legitimate " commerce. But the exports from Mauritius have decreased since 1862. So have the exports from Reunion. The use of European clothing is dis- couraged by the present Government. Slavery is a great impedi-

ment to free labour and commerce. So is the large amount of unproductive attendance of the officers. The members of Govern- ment tamper with the trade and are guilty of jobbery. Mr., Ellis is too urbane and charitable to say gross jobbery, or even jobbery. Incipient signs of public opinion are appearing among the people. Mr. Ellis means of course " civilized " public opinion, for of heathen public opinion in Madagascar there seems to be plenty.

If they are mad, they are mad with considerable method and very respectable arguments. Mr. Ellis says, significantly, "Education is co-extensive with Christianity, but is excluded from heathenism; to be able to read is regarded as a mark of sincerity in the Christian, but of incipient apostacy in the heathen." Mutatis mutandis, this dictum tolerably describes the state of our agricultural districts as between the landowner and farmer on one side, and the labourer on the other. Mr. Ellis's remarks concerning the freedom of heathenism are conceived in a spirit so noble that we venture to repeat them for the instruction of people at home. After saying that idolatry, though no longer permitted to use the secular arm, is allowed full publicity of action, he adds :— .

It appears to me better for both Christian and heathen that heathen- ism should have perfect freedom of action, and continue to be recog- nized as the religious system of a portion of the people, so long as it was able to maintain its hold on their minds, than that it should have been suppressed by Royal edict, or even suppressed by public kabary. . . . . I never desired for the Malagasy Church conversions that did not spring from conviction, nor professions of Christianity that were not based on experience of its truth. Among a people circumstanced as the Malagasy are, where all have equal liberty and protection, I do not fear any injury which heathenism can inflict on Christianity so long as no other means are employed than the zeal and devotedness which its own principles inspire and sustain in the hearts of its votaries.

The prospects of Christianity in Madagascar appear to be good. It is true that few of those in whose hands the ruling power actually rests are Christians, but Christians are included in the families of all the members of the Government ; and although the Christians generally are in a very small minority, that minority is able, active, and intelligent, comprising, in fact, according at least to Mr. Ellis's account, the elite, of the Malagasy intelligence. In 1862 there were about 7,000 Christians in the capital, of whom 400 were communicants, whereas the latest statistics show about 18,000 of the former, with 4,374 of the latter. Of these more than half are connected with churches in the capital. They are distributed over seventy-nine churches, within a radius of about twenty miles from the capital, and under the care of seven English missionaries and ninety-five native pastors and teachers. In four years, therefore, the number of Christians has been more than doubled. The population of Madagascar is estimated at 5,000,000. But how the statistics are taken in any case seems tolerably doubtful.

On the whole,' the book is much more interesting from the pic- ture it gives us of the manners and customs of the Court and the temper of the people, than from any philosophical, or economic, or political grasp of the real state of Madagascar, and, perhaps, on that account it is more valuable also. Very amusing is the per- plexity of the King between the rival offers of the English General and the French Commodore to crown him. "What am I to do," he said to Mr. Ellis, "General Johnstone has been sent to crown me, and the French say Commodore Dupre' is to put the crown on my head ? I have not two heads." Mr. Ellis shrewdly suggested that he should put his own crown on his own head, which solved the difficulty. This King, who was presently

murdered, seems to have been a very merry and impulsive fellow, peculiarly alive to the exhilarating effects of conversation. One day, in the middle of an animated conversation, the King was so transported that he got up, and said "be must dance for joy,"—

And calling to one of the company, said, "R—, will you dance with me ? I mast dance !" The officer [something of a prig apparently] replied that he had almost forgotten how, it was so long since they had had any dancing.; but the King's light shoes and dress-coat were brought, -and he soon after led the way to a larger room, where, on a space being -cleared, he called to his friend, named a tune, then sprang forward, and danced an English country dance, to the delight of his companions, and, -especially of the young nobles, my pupils.

Mr. Ellis dwells on the passionate love of the Malagasy for music. Complimenting them once on their band, he said that if they played their best they need not be ashamed in Europe. The answer of the accomplished heathen to the polite missionary was rather a slap in the face. "Those," he said, "who do their best ought not to be ashamed." Clearly, with an ear for music and such sentiments as thole, the Malagasy are not far from the king- dom of Civilization. They are, moreover, poor blacks! extremely handsome, which will do them no harm in our estimate of their other virtues.