TO SÀKALÀVA LAND AND THE NORTH-WEST 285
North-West Route to the Coast—River Embankments—Mission
Stations—A Lady Bricklayer—In a Fosse with the Cattle—An Airy
Church on a Stormy Night—A Strange Chameleon—The “Short”
Mosquitoes—Ant-hills and Serpents—A Sacred Tree—Andrìba Hill
and Fort—An Evening Bath and a Hasty Breakfast—Parakeets,
Hoopoes, and Bee-eaters—The Ikòpa Valley—Granite Boulders
—Mèvatanàna: a Birdcage Town—We form an Exhibition for the
Natives—Our Canoes—Crocodiles—Shrikes and Fly-catchers
—Tamarind-trees—Camping Out—The “Agy” Stinging Creeper—River
Scenery—Fan-palms—Scaly Reptiles and Beautiful Birds
—Fruit-eating and Other Bats—Secondary Rocks—Sparse
Population—The Sàkalàva Tribes—A Vile-smelling Tree