The children of Madagascar / by Herbert F. Standing.

  • Herbert Standing
Date:
1887
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The children of Madagascar / by Herbert F. Standing. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    which Hova boys and girls pass their time when they are at home. If the good woman of the house knows beforehand of our coming, she will have everything neat and clean by the time we arrive ; but if we take her by surprise, we shall very likely have to wait a short time outside, while the house is being tidied up. Clouds of dust issue from the door and window, and a vigorous noise of sweeping is heard within ; and in a minute or two a slave comes running from a neigh- bouring house with a chair (likely enough the only one in the village), for the Vazaha to sit on. At last a clean mat has been spread, and the dust has somewhat subsided, the chair has been put in the place of honour at the north end of the house opposite to the window, and we are politely invited to come in. On entering we are immediately struck with the scantiness of the furniture. In most Malagasy houses chairs and tables are unknown luxuries ; for the people sit, eat, and generally sleep too, on the floor. Directly opposite the door stand the pestle, mortar, and winnowing tray, for husking and cleaning the rice ; and beyond these again is the corner where the fowls, sheep, and calves are kept at night-time; if the house happen to have a second storey, a ladder or flight of earthen steps leads up from this corner, to the loft above. As we make our way to the chair placed for us we pass the hearth, which consists of several large stones arranged in the middle of the mud floor on which to support the earthen cooking pots. But where is the chimney ? That is a thing sought for in vain ; for in the great majority of Malagasy houses the smoke is allowed to make its escape wherever it can,—by the window or door, if they happen to be open, otherwise through the thatched roof! You may imagine that the house soon gets very grimy and black with the accumulation of soot on the walls and roof. Long cobwebs depend from the rafters or hang in festoons between the roof timbers ; and if there happens to be a high wind, showers of soot will fall all over the house. The part of the house north of the hearth is the place of honour, to which guests are always invited, and where, on ordinary occasions, the members of