400 VISITS TO MADAGASCAR. CHAP. XIV. the savage; and had any caterer for public amusement in Europe been present, the Sakalava waltz might perhaps have been transferred to more civilised assemblies. After the Sakalava dance, about a hundred females, con nected, as I inferred, from their air, their apparel, and the careful and elaborate dressing of their hair, with the officers and other respectable families of the capital, entered the open space. They ranged themselves three abreast and facing the queen, in a sort of open column. The line or column con sisted of thirty-four successive threes. As soon as they were in position they slipped the lambas or scarfs from their shoulders down to their waists, and thus exhibited their rich velvet, satin, silk, and muslin dresses, many of them trimmed about the body and sleeves with gold. The queen’s band commenced a slow soft native tune. A dancing-master at the head of the column, and facing the queen, signalled the movements, and the dancing commenced—if dancing it could be called in which the feet covered by the flowing lamba appeared scarcely to move, for each dancer remained on the same spot, and the arms chiefly answered in easy and grace ful motion to the measure of the music. There was not a really fair face among them, though none were very dark. The figure and the countenance of many were more finely formed than those of lower grade, and numbers of them might have been termed handsome. The music consisted entirely of original native times remarkably soft and simple. After two or three dances they bowed to the sovereign and retired. Such were the native dances of the day. Five very juvenile couples, dressed in silk and muslin, now came forward. They were the children of the high officers of the government, and danced exceedingly well in the European style, to European tunes. They also made their bow to the queen, and then retired. Eight couples of young men and women then rose from the