De Madagascar, p. 31,
comes to the conclusion that Marco Polo has given a very exact description
of Magadoxo, but that he did not know the island of Madagascar. He adds in
a note that Yule has shown that the description of Madeigascar refers
partly to Magadoxo, but that notwithstanding he (Yule) believed that Polo
spoke of Madagascar when the Venetian traveller does not. I must say that
I do not see any reason why Yule's theory should not be accepted.
M.G. Ferrand, formerly French Agent at Fort Dauphin, has devoted ch. ix.
(pp. 83-90) of the second part of his valuable work Les Musulmans a
Madagascar (Paris, 1893), to the "Etymology of Madagascar." He believes
that M. Polo really means the great African Island. 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:
