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| 0472 |
The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.2 |
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olibanum, myrrh, and *ambergris* ; and among animals elephants, camels, rhinoceroses,
spotted animals like asses, etc.*
It is, however, true that there are traces of a considerable amount of ancient Arab
colonisation on the shores of Madagascar. Arab descent is ascribed to a class of the
people of the province of Matitánana on the east coast, in lat. 21°-23° south, and the
Arabic writing is in use there. The people of the St. Mary's Isle of our maps off the
east coast, in lat. 17°, also call themselves the children of Ibrahim, and the island
*Nusi-Ibrahim.* And on the north-west coast, at Bambeluka Bay, Captain Owen found
a large Arab population, whose forefathers had been settled there from time im-
memorial. The number of tombs here and in Magambo Bay showed that the Arab
population had once been much greater. The government of this settlement, till con-
quered by Radama, was vested in three persons: one a Malagash, the second an
Arab, the third as guardian of strangers; a fact also suggestive of Polo's four sheikhs
(*Ellis*, I. 131; *Owen*, II. 102, 132. See also *Sonnerat*, II. 56.) Though the Arabs
were in the habit of navigating to Sofala, in about lat. 20° south, in the time of Mas'udi
(beginning of 10th century), and must have then known Madagascar, there is no in-
telligible indication of it in any of their geographies that have been translated.†
[M. Alfred Grandidier, in his *Hist. de la Géog. de Madagascar*, p. 31, comes to the
conclusion that Marco Polo has given a very exact description of Magadoxo, but that
he did not know the island of Madagascar. He adds in a note that Yule has shown
that the description of Madeigascar refers partly to Magadoxo, but that notwithstanding
he (Yule) believed that Polo spoke of Madagascar when the Venetian traveller does not.
I must say that I do not see any reason why Yule's theory should not be accepted.
M. G. Ferrand, formerly French Agent at Fort Dauphin, has devoted ch. ix.
(pp. 83-90) of the second part of his valuable work *Les Musulmans à Madagascar*
(Paris, 1893), to the "Etymology of Madagascar." He believes that M. Polo really
means the great African Island. I mention from his book that M. Guet (*Origines de
l'île Bourbon*, 1888) brings the Carthaginians to Madagascar, and derives the name of
this island from *Madax-Aschtoret* or *Madax-Astarté*, which signifies *Isle of Astarté*
and *Isle of Tanit*! Mr. I. Taylor (*The origin of the name* '*Madagascar*,' in *Anta-
nanarivo Annual*, 1891) gives also some fancy etymologies; it is needless to mention
them. M. Ferrand himself thinks that very likely Madagascar simply means *Country
of the Malagash* (Malgaches), and is only a bad transcription of the Arabic *Madagashar*.
—H. C.]
Note 2.—There is, or used to be, a trade in sandal-wood from Madagascar. (See
*Owen*, II. 99.) In the map of S. Lorenzo (or Madagascar) in the *Isole* of Porcacchi
(1576), a map evidently founded on fact, I observe near the middle of the Island:
*quivi sono boschi di sandari rossi.*
Note 3.—"The coast of this province" (Ivongo, the N.E. of the Island)
"abounds with whales, and during a certain period of the year Antongil Bay is a
favourite resort for whalers of all nations. The inhabitants of Titingue are remarkably
expert in spearing the whales from their slight canoes." (*Lloyd* in *J. R. G. S.* XX.
56.) A description of the whale-catching process practised by the Islanders of St.
Mary's, or Nusi Ibrahim, is given in the *Quinta Pars Indiæ Orientalis* of *De Bry*,
p. 9. Owen gives a similar account (I. 170).
The word which I have rendered *Oil-heads* is *Capdoilles* or *Capdols*, representing
*Capidoglio*, the appropriate name still applied in Italy to the Spermaceti whale. The
*Vocab. Ital. Univ.* quotes Ariosto (VII. 36):—
—"*I Capidogli co' vecchi marini
Vengon turbati dal lor pigro sonno.*"
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731
732
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