The North-Carolina standard., 1850-01-16

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Of the accusation, this person first experiments on
young fowls. He gives them tanghin in water. and
says, If thou art come forth from bull, die" If
Dies the presumption against the accused is strong
He then tries again, " If thou camest from the shell
of egg die; If thou hast for the father bull, ive
If the fowl dies, the evidence is startling.
This trial takes place seven times, and if there be
three results in favor of the prosecution, the ampan
gives the heads and claws Of the fowls to the inform
who goes before the judge and gets an order for
sahak trial. A traon adi, hut of repentance, is
built in which the judge Witnesses, accused. ampan,
and all to be present at the trial, pass the night
Next morning, the accused, strpt of all clothing, is
placed on the green-sward, and surrounded by the
crowd. The judge makes speech. and the ampan
gives the tanghn mixed with water on ravinala
leaf after which the victim swallows cup of rice
water. Frightful convulsions soon ensue. and tho
wreched being dies in ninety cases out Of hundred,
confessing all he is asked to confess. The kla-bi
consists in passing hot iron over the victims tongue
three times, when if blister rises, the spears of the
bystanders Immediately terminate his life. This
barbarous and savagelegslation is observaby effect
ual in checking the increase of population. Scarcely
day passes but some head of family perishes. But
the most abomnable feature in the affair is that the
goods of the victim are divided into three pars-one
for the chief for his officers and the third for the
informer. Radama, the celebrated king OF Madagas-
car, when shown the absurdity and wickedness Of
the practice, replied, Find me another tax which
will so easily fill my treasury
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of this great Island have others, which will be
planned by my narrative.
In the village of Matatana, the river of the same
name lived Rakar, young girl of sixteen, Of gentle
men and modest countenance. belonging to the ars-
tocratic cast of the Zanakaudia The village is sit
uated on an island at some distance from the banks
of the river, and containing 800 houses, is not of
small importance in the land being moreover fortified
Rakar beauty, and rich, her father having left
her much property at his death; and she owned nu-
CEnk kol q nf
course but she fastidious that the gener-
ality of her people, and none seemed to touch her
heart until young Rene, native born, but whose
father was Frenchman, appeared in the village on
la trading expedition. Rakar saw and loved. The
semi-white was handsome, tall, and striking in men,
and, it was said generous and frank in character
But Rene scarcely saw Rakar, or, if he did, he dis
tnguished her not from the multitude of dark women
who fitted around him in costume which was not
very far removed from that of Eve in Paradise. IA
kar was stricken with despair, and went to an old
woman, learned in the science of turty, for counsel
The old woman took her fee, ordered incantations
without number, and promised to turn the heart OF
the cold youth towards her, but more pasres in pure
gold went than results were produced. Rakar almost
regretted having used any other charms than those
she had been endowed with by nature.
STILL love is passion which, in this primitive state
of society," is not easily to be conquered by reflection,
even its apparent utty In civilization the feel
ing would have been concealed by the female forever,
Rakar attempted not to convey to Rene the least
suspicion of her emotions, the moro that she had
heard him declaim against the idea of settling in
wild out-ofthe-world place like Matatana. But she
put faith in Dera, the protective genius Of the NAL
CACHES, and one morning early she crossed over to
the mainland in poque to pray for his intercesslon:
The vegetable productions of Madagascar varied
and rich, and the wooded shore was composed OF
tangled mass of trees and parasites whose ap-
pearance despite their hard appellatons, was gorge
The v1yith no
beauty of leaf and flower. Amid dense thicket OF
this verdure Rakar concealed herself neither listen
ing to the songs of the strange choristers OF the
woods, nor dreading the snakes, nor scorpions nor
wild boars and cats, which people the virgin forests
of this prolific isle. She knew shady spot, yet
open to the light where the yGusdr6 sent forth Its
delicious perfume from nut and leaf, and where also
grew the plants she made of for her ncantation
The place selected was hollow where the grass
grew to prodigious height, rank and strong. and
herbs she needed. These were piled in heap IN an
open space, which she cleared with her hands, and
several odorous leaves and nuts of the ravntsara be-
ing added, the young girl set FIRE to the whole, and
sitting down, began to chant montonous Ballad oe-
ginning,
He he! he zaa he, the moon looks down,
The moon in the blue sky, he he he "
such as is universally sung throughout the land.
The dry grass and twigs crackled. famed and
smoked, while the young Zanak gazed eagerly on:
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. ~
Deraff But ~ nothing greeted her eager eyes, she
still hoped that the guardian spirit of her race would
act invisbly, and about to rise and return when
step was heard, and Ratsimi; one Of her suitors.
stood before hor.
"Rakar is burning incense to the Angatch," (evil
| sgirit,) said the young man coldly.
"And why not to Zanaar!'' asked the girl shudder-
ing, and quoting the good angel Of her faith.
| "You do not answer ~ continued Ratsiuhi.
81 no right in you to ask me-" said the Zanak,
moving if to 60.
!" Rakar knows well that Ratsini loves her; that
he has told her SO two moons ago; and that, like
Rsafou-wio dared the enemy Of man in the Mount
Taneoury for the love of would brave
any danger for Rakas."
| 81 have spoken onss,'' - replied the young Zanak
coldly; the daughter Of the great chief of the
tans will not be even the first wife Of Ratsmi, much
less one Of his wives.'''
Rakar - crisd the lover impetuously. do not
anger me. Rscollect have caught you exercising
! sorcery." g
:. Give me up to the ampan, then = said the girl
indignantly. ssYour threats have less value than
your protestations y and Rakaf ran lightly through
the wood, leaving Ratsimi violent passion, think
| ing over Vengeance passion which is tempered
only by religion ard civilization.
! .Rakar was not without alarm. She knew Ratsimi