[M.  Alfred Grandidier, in his Hist. de la Geog. 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:  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.