I mention from his
book that M. Guet (Origines de l'ile Bourbon, 1888) brings the
Carthaginians to Madagascar, and derives the name of this island from
Madax-Aschtoret or Madax-Astarte, which signifies Isle of Astarte
and Isle of Tanit! Mr. I. Taylor (The origin of the name 'Madagascar,'
in Antananarivo 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 Madagasbar. - 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 Indiae 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."
The Spermaceti-whale is described under this name by Rondeletius, but from
his cut it is clear he had not seen the animal.
NOTE 4. - De Barros, after describing the dangers of the Channel of
Mozambique, adds: "And as the Moors of this coast of Zanguebar make their
voyages in ships and sambuks sewn with coir, instead of being nailed like
ours, and thus strong enough to bear the force of the cold seas of the
region about the Cape of Good Hope,.. they never dared to attempt the
exploration of the regions to the westward of the Cape of Currents,
although they greatly desired to do so." (Dec. I. viii. 4; and see also
IV. i. 12.) Kazwini says of the Ocean, quoting Al Biruni: "Then it extends
to the sea known as that of Berbera, and stretches from Aden to the
furthest extremity of Zanjibar; beyond this goes no vessel on account of
the great current. Then it extends to what are called the Mountains of the
Moon, whence spring the sources of the Nile of Egypt, and thence to
Western Sudan, to the Spanish Countries and the (Western) Ocean." There
has been recent controversy between Captain A.D. Taylor and Commodore
Jansen of the Dutch navy, regarding the Mozambique currents, and
(incidentally) Polo's accuracy.
