This historic book may have numerous typos, missing text or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1901. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER VI POPULATION Small as is the distance of the great island from the neighbouring continent, its population bears a markedly different stamp from that of Africa, and seems to be absolutely unique. In this wonderful mixture of peoples there is absolutely no unity of character. We meet with the greatest contrasts, not only in respect to the general morphological condition of the inhabitants, and the colour of their skin, but also with regard to their intellectual culture, their material well-being, their customs and their political institutions. While on the one side we are surprised by the open hospitality and amiability of many tribes, we meet in turn with rudeness and repellant behaviour among others. Here we are charmed by the cleanliness and domestic comfort in the villages, there we find brutalised forms of indescribable filth. In many districts we find the greatest sobriety and austerity, in others prevail licentious manners and moral degradation, to which it is difficult to find a parallel. These contrasts explain the contradictory and often one-sided accounts of travellers concerning the people of Madagascar. The origin and anthropological position of the several tribes have long formed the subject of lively discussion. Yet the matter is comparatively simple, so long as we do not allow ourselves to be influenced by linguistic methods, but confine ourselves to morphological facts. The geographical position of the island suggests an African immigration for the Malagasy, and the Englishman Crawfurd actually went so far as to look upon the Malayan immigration as quite subordinate, and to describe the Malagasy as genuine negroes of African kinship. In this he certainly goes too far. J. Sibree, in other respects an excellent observer, fell into the oppos...