rice-water were then given to wash down the three pieces of skin; and when this was at last effected, warm water was added to accent uate the emetic character of the poison. If the three pieces of skin are discharged intact, Manamango has decided on the innocence of the suspect; and his friends are then free to do anything they please to increase his chances of recovery. If the three pieces are retained, or are .only partially discharged, the man is declared guilty; and one of the ex ecutive, whose especial duty it is, puts an end to the writhing and speechless agony of the unfortunate victim by a blow from a wooden rice-pestle or fauolo. Kstablishment of innocence by this method more often than not resulted in death from the after-effects, unless special precautions had been taken, or the subject was possessed of an abnormally tough constitution. Prac ticed experts, by using immature fruit and se lecting kernels of light color, which are not so poisonous as the redder ones, and also by skillful arrangements of things, could secure a satisfactory termination — from the patient's point of view, — of the ordeal, so that it be came quite noticeable that filthy lucre could
often temptthe immaculate Manamango to fa vorable decisions. Notwithstanding this ob vious corruption, the masses of the people be lieved confidently in the tanghin and in Mana mango; and even now many natives would avail themselves of it, if allowed to do so. In 185 7, a Frenchman called Laborde, who headed a frustrated conspiracy to assassinate Queen Ranavalona I and to place Radama II on the throne, was arrested and charged with high treason. He appealed to the tanghin ordeal; but the Government rej fused him that privilege on the ground that 1 he was a foreigner; and so he was banished from the island, much to his chagrin. It is thought that M. Laborde had cultivated a provident intimacy with the chief mpqmpinona, and consequently was quite pre pared to undergo the necessary gastric con vulsions if thereby he could ' quash ' an inconvenientcharge of high treason. However that may have been, we think M. Laborde was the only European who had sufficient confidence in this somewhat risky tribunal to be willing to stake his existence upon it. — Chambers' Journal.
