In the form of their national life, the Malagasy are still a federation of Malay tribes. Each of the greater tribes has numerous sub-divisions: at the head of which are the noble families and princes descended from the great chiefs of former ages. Among these the immediate descendants of the ancient kings of all the sections and cities of old times occupy an honoured place. The feudal rights and dignities and privileges of these noble clans are carefully maintained, as well as their feudal duties faithfully performed. All the commoner ranks of the people are enrolled and included among the clients and followers of these inferior chiefs and princes; or among the direct followers of the sovereign. All payments for taxation within the tribes are made in kind or in feudal service rendered. Officers are remunerated by lands or by the assignment to them of the service of so many inferior men. Rice, sugar-cane, lambas, firewood, beams for building, bundles of thatch, stones, pork, beef are all rendered to them and to their superiors as part of that service. Under the law of Ralámbo, the rump of every ox slaughtered in the Capital is delivered to the Queen. On a message from the Queen asking for any special form of service, local meetings are held by the clans to arrange as to the mode of distributing it. The term used to denote this system is _fánampóana_, which means exactly “service;” and it bears all the variety and breadth of meaning which the English word had in feudal times. Though having in it just elements, the system has many weaknesses. It bears heavily upon the skilful: it is unequal in its demands: it represses progress by taking away all stimulus to self-improvement or to individual enterprise. It keeps society on a dead level and fosters indolence and indifference. It will only be cured by a fair distribution of the services required in all grades of society, and by a commutation of the service for a fixed money payment.