The universal geography : earth and its inhabitants

APPENDIX. 495the coast dialects, cast and west, than between any one of them and the Hova. While the dialecticdifferences are considerable in various parts of the island, there seems no trace of another langaiago froma distinctly different stock. Even in Sakalava, which is somewhat strongly marked off from the centraland eastern dialects, there does not appear to be a radical difference from the speech of the rest of theisland. All round the coast they give a nasal sound to ii, which is not given by the Hovas, and also abroader sound to the vowels. Thus, c, which in Hova is invariably pronounced as oo, has nearly theopen sound of our Knglish o in most of the coast dialects.Sakalava is a word now used to denote generally all the tribes inhabiting the western side of theisland. It is, however, rather a political than a tribal name, as now applied at least. The Sakalavasproper were a small tribe from the south-west coast, who made themselves dominant over the whole ofthe western peoples. Sakalava therefore now includes, going southwards from the northern point ofthe island : Antankaia, Tsimihetz, Tiboina, Timilanja, Tsimafana, Antimena, Tifiherenana, Vezo,Mahafaly, Tandroy, extreme south. Besides these there are the Mainty or " black people," conqueredby the Hovas and settled by them in a district nortli of Imerina. The Mainty are divided into theMauendy, Manisotra, and Tsiarondaly.Then in the centre are the Hovas. Strange to say, we know less about their tribal diWsions than ofcome other tribes, probably because the political divisions have acquired more importance of late years.They have si.x political dinsions, but there are probably three main tribal diWsions, viz., the people ofImerina proper, of Vonigongo, and of Imamo. These first have the following divisions : Voromahery,Tsimiamboholahy, Tsinahafoty, Mandiavato, Marovatana, and probably others.South of these are the Betsileo, sometimes called the southern Hovas, but I fancy more nearly alliedto the eastern coast tribes. There are three main divisions of these, the Isandra, Ilalangina, andlarindrano.Farther south still are the Bara, di\-ided into numerous tribes. It is difficult to say whether theyought to be classed with the eastern or western races; possibly they are a link between the two.Then on the east coast are numerous tribes commonly called Betsimisaraka. This, however, ishardly correct : the Betsimisaraka do not stretch all along the east coast, and they have never conqueredthe rest, as did the Sakalava those on the west. Their name seems to have acquired a prominence onlybecause they live in the neighboiirhood of Tamatave and other ports frequented by Europeans.Going from the north to the south we have the Sihanaka between the two lines of eastern forest,and to the west and north of them the Zana-tsihanaka, south of them the Tanhay or Beganozano, andthen south for several hundred mUes numerous tribes of Tanala or forest people, inhabiting the greatforest. There are theTsimanompo, Taivonona, Taisonjo, Zafisoro, Ikongo, and many others amongthese Tanala.Then on the coast are the Betsimisaraka, the Bctanimeua, the Taimoro, the Taifasy, the Tatsimaha,the Taifasy, Tanisy, and others.NOSSI-BE.Area, 75,000 acres. Population (188G), 10,000.Chief town, Hellville.Imports and exports (1886), £312,000.Shipping, 32,000 tons.COMOEO ISLANDS.AEEA AND POPULATION (1887).Area in6q. miles.Great Comoro 440Moheli 90AnjuanloOMayotte and adjacent islets 140Topulation.Total ... 820