, ▁Mad agas car ▁gained ▁prom in ence ▁among ▁pir ates ▁and ▁European ▁trad ers , ▁particularly ▁those ▁involved ▁in ▁the ▁trans - At l antic ▁slave ▁trade . ▁The ▁small ▁island ▁of ▁N os y ▁Bor oh a ▁off ▁the ▁n ort he astern ▁coast ▁of ▁Mad agas car ▁has ▁been ▁proposed ▁by ▁some ▁histor ians ▁as ▁the ▁site ▁of ▁the ▁legend ary ▁pir ate ▁u top ia ▁of ▁Libert alia . ▁Many ▁European ▁sail ors ▁were ▁ship w reck ed ▁on ▁the ▁coast s ▁of ▁the ▁island , ▁among ▁them ▁Robert ▁Dr ury , ▁whose ▁journal ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁few ▁written ▁dep ict ions ▁of ▁life ▁in ▁southern ▁Mad agas car ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 8 th ▁century . ▁▁ ▁The ▁wealth ▁generated ▁by ▁mar itime ▁trade ▁sp ur red ▁the ▁rise ▁of ▁organized ▁kingdom s ▁on ▁the ▁island , ▁some ▁of ▁which ▁had ▁grown ▁quite ▁powerful ▁by ▁the ▁ 1 7 th ▁century . ▁Among ▁these ▁were ▁the ▁B ets im is ar aka ▁al liance ▁of ▁the ▁eastern ▁coast ▁and ▁the ▁Sak al ava ▁chief dom s ▁of ▁Men abe ▁and ▁Bo ina ▁on ▁the ▁west ▁coast . ▁The ▁Kingdom ▁of ▁I mer ina , ▁located ▁in ▁the ▁central ▁high lands ▁with ▁its ▁capital ▁at ▁the ▁royal ▁palace ▁of ▁Ant an an ar ivo , ▁emer ged ▁at ▁around ▁the ▁same ▁time ▁under ▁the ▁leadership ▁of ▁King ▁And ri am anel o . ▁ ▁Kingdom ▁of ▁Mad agas car ▁ ▁Upon ▁its ▁emer gence ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁