Madagascar

Sources from old books

1685. Geographia universalis: the present state of the whole world by Pierre Duval.

THe Isle Madagascar, in the Eastern, which we call the Indian Sea, is the greatest of the Islands that are attributed to Africa. It is distant from it a hundred or a hundred and twenty Leagues, and there is hardly an Island in the World of so vast an extent. 'Tis in length above a thousand English Miles, and near three hundred in breadth. The Natives of the Countrey call it, Madecase; the Portuguese, St. Lawrence; and the French, the Isle Dauphine: The Ancients call'd it Menuthias, and the Kernel of Aethiopia. According to our Relations, the Air is temperate, the Soil proper for all manner of Grains and Trees, Rice, Skins, Wax, Gums, Cristals, Steels, Copper, Ebony, and Woods of several sorts, are transported from thence. The Inhabitants consist both of Whites and Blacks, who are almost all Idolaters, there being very few Mahometans among 'em.

The Portugals, English, and Hollanders, have sometimes touch'd there: the Portugals, in the Ance of Galion; the English, in the Bay of St. Augustin; and the Hollanders, in that of Antongil. The French, since they have built the Fort Dauphin, have made pretty exact Discoveries of all the Eastern and Southern Coast of the Island.

The Isle of Bourbon, called formerly Mascharenhe, five and twenty Leagues in length, and fourteen in breadth, is in possession of the French. It has a Vulcano, that is to say, a Mountain that spits and casts forth fire; the rest of its Land is by much the best and finest Countrey in the World; the Waters are very healthful, and it has most of the Commodities, that are in the Isle of Madagascar.