junction with the Bétsibòka, the latter being strongly coloured with
red clay from North Imèrina. What impressed us most this afternoon
was the total absence of population on the banks of this large river,
and it appeared strange that immense tracts of such apparently
fertile country should be uninhabited; it was different from the
crowded villages along the Màtitànana and Mànanàra and other rivers
in South-east Madagascar. In the afternoon the beautiful fan-palm
became very plentiful, growing in extensive groves and mingled with
the other trees. Stopping for the night by a sand-bank, we made the
canoe fast to a stake and proceeded to put up the tents. Although
dry and pleasant for a floor, the sand had the disadvantage of giving
bad holding-ground for the tent-pegs, and, had not the fresh breeze
died away at sunset, a very slight gust would have brought down the
whole concern over our heads.
[Sidenote: THE AGY-TREE]
We might congratulate ourselves in not coming across, in short
rambles among the trees, a tree which caused no small discomfort to
some of our missionary friends in this very locality. Mr Montgomery
thus describes his experiences. He says:
“Walking under some trees and pushing aside the reeds and grass,
I was startled, in a moment, by a sudden tingling and pricking
sensation over the back of my hands and fingers, for never had come
the like to me, in Madagascar or elsewhere. I stopped in sudden
surprise, for the pain was severe, and I had touched nothing except
the grass. But in another moment the pain increased, the tingling
burning sensation seemed extending rapidly up my wrists, and I
could see nothing to cause it. But as I lowered my head to look,
pain, scalding pain, shot into my ears and neck, growing worse,
too, every instant. Dazed and bewildered, I stood a few seconds in
helplessness, for I could neither see nor guess at the cause of the
terrible distress. Then I got back to my company with agony writ
plain enough on every line of my face.
“The men started up when they saw me, some of them crying out,
‘You have been stung by the agy.’ Some of them led me to a seat,
others rushed for water from the river, and two or three brought
sand heaped up in their hands. Then they chafed me with the sand
and water to take out the stinging hairs, which they knew caused
the mischief. As they rubbed me, I felt the pain abate, and after
about a quarter of an hour’s continuance of the operation I was
comparatively free from pain. While the men were rubbing me, I was
able to discern to some extent the cause of my distress. Countless
hairs, like tiny arrows, almost transparent, pointed at either end,
and from a third to a fourth of an inch long, had dropped down
on me in an invisible shower from the agy-tree, as I passed and
stood under it. Ere I came away that afternoon, very cautiously I
ventured to examine the tree at a little distance, and found that
these tiny hairs grew outside a thickish pod or shell, not quite
so large as a small banana. These pods were fully ripe (unluckily
for me) just at that very time, and the light wind was scattering
their covering.”
Mr Baron says that the agy is _Mucuna axillaris_; it is not, however,
“a tree,” but a climbing plant, and had grown over the tree under
which Mr Montgomery happened to pass. He had himself a similar
experience on his way to Mojangà, and the sensation “reminded him of
the sting of a nettle, but was ten times more virulent.”
[Sidenote: A PERPETUAL DELIGHT]
Our second day’s canoe voyage brought us into a part of the river,
with many windings among park-like glades of trees. Then the lovely
fan-palms became very numerous; at times we passed closer to the
banks, a tangled mass of _bàraràta_ bending down into the river,
and the tall grey columns of the palms standing up sometimes from
the very edge of the water, with their graceful crown of green fans
sharply defined against the blue of the sky. Everything seemed to be
steeped in light and heat. Surely of all the millions of beautiful
things in this beautiful world, palms are among the most lovely, and
the fan-palm not least among this glorious family of trees. It was
a perpetual delight to the eye to watch them as we swept rapidly by
the banks with the strong current, as one by one they passed by as in
a panorama. But for mosquitoes, certainly parts of the tropics are
earthly Edens. These palms are called _Sàtranabé_, and are much used
by the western peoples in building their huts. A smaller species,
called _Sàtramira_, is also employed in manufacturing mats and
baskets. Both are species of _Hyphæne_.
But beautiful objects were not the only ones prominent in this
journey, and the presence of the scaly reptiles we saw every few
minutes was not altogether in harmony with the graceful palms.
They seemed, indeed, to be somewhat out of place, “survivals,”
as indeed they are, of an earlier age of the world when gigantic
saurians—creeping, walking, swimming and flying—were the ruling
existences, in a world of slime and mud and ooze, and not in accord
with these beautiful trees, which seem as if they should rather be
associated with bright-coloured birds and insects than with these
crawling saw-backed monsters. Beautiful birds were not wanting,
however, in the scene, for we came across a flight of lovely little
sun-birds, with bright metallic plumage, which glittered in the
sunshine.
[Sidenote: FRUIT-BATS]
Birds are not the only flying creatures to be seen in this western
region; although I was not so fortunate as to see them, Mr Grainge,
in travelling down this river in the preceding year speaks of seeing
great numbers of fruit-bats (_Pteropus edwardsii_). Their flight is
slow, and broken at each moment by strokes of the wings; and those
he saw flew so straight and steadily that he took them at first, in
the doubtful evening light, for benighted crows. He also remarks that
they were always flying in a direct line _from_ the setting sun. One
that he shot measured more than four feet across the wings. M. Pollen
says that they may be seen sometimes in broad daylight, flying from
one forest to another, when one might take them for crows. He also
remarks: “I have observed these animals fly like swallows over a
lake, just skimming the surface of the water with their wings. They
choose isolated places, especially the little wooded islands at some
distance from the coast.”
Madagascar is the home of one or two other species of fruit-bat,
two species of the horseshoe-bats (_Rhinolo-phidæ_), seven species
of the _Vespertilionidæ_ or true bats, and three species of the
_Emballonuridæ_ or thick-legged bats; no doubt there are still many
species undescribed, and until much more minute investigation is made
of the fauna of the island, the crepuscular and nocturnal habits of
these animals will always make it difficult to learn much about their
peculiarities.
The morning’s voyage brought us in several places along low sections
of stratified sandstone rock, looking like ruined walls, some courses
being deeply honeycombed by the action of the water, while others, of
harder material, were smooth, like newly laid masonry. It was clear
that we had left behind us, in the upper highland, the crystalline
rocks, the granites and gneisses and the like, and were in a region
of Secondary strata, like the oolites of our own country. Subsequent
examination by many observers has confirmed this fact, and shown that
an extensive series of Jurassic and Cretaceous rocks occupies a great
portion of the western low land, from north to south of the island.
These plains must have formerly been a portion of a wider Mozambique
Channel than now exists to separate Madagascar from Africa.
In certain shales which occur among the Secondary strata of the
western plains, Belemnites are so numerous that the Sàkalàva used
them as rifle balls; while many species of ammonites are formed, some
being a foot in diameter.
[Sidenote: THE SÀKALÀVA]
As we proceeded, the country became more hilly and with more
extensive woods; but as for population, not a soul did we see,
except two women at one spot, and again we asked, where are the
people? And here a few words may be said about the inhabitants of
this part of the country. Along about two-thirds of the western side
of Madagascar, the people are loosely called Sàkalàva; but every
district has its people with its own tribal name, for “Sàkalàva” was
originally the name of one particular tribe, which, through European
or Arab admixture and the possession of fire-arms, conquered the
other tribes and founded two kingdoms, Ibòina to the north, and
Mènabé to the south. These Sàkalàva kingdoms were the dominant ones
in the island until the beginning of the nineteenth century, when the
Hovas gradually obtained the leadership. Physically, these people
are taller and stronger than the Hovas, are darker in colour, less
civilised, and have an African strain in them, from their proximity
to the continent. Still, they are not of African stock, but are no
doubt, Melanesian in origin. Their language presents a good deal of
difference from the Hova form of Malagasy, both in vocabulary and
in pronunciation, yet the groundwork and the grammar is essentially
the same. They are more nomadic in habit than the Hovas, breaking
up their villages at the death of any of its inhabitants, and not
cultivating rice like most Malagasy tribes, but subsisting largely on
manioc root, bananas, fish and vegetables.
[Sidenote: AN OFFENSIVE TREE]
We stopped to lunch under a fine adàbo-tree; all along the main
branches of this tree, the small fig-like fruits were clustered by
hundreds, most of them being ripe and scarlet in colour. During an
afternoon’s voyage the river became narrower, but with a deep and
strong current. We lost the fan-palms, but passed for some miles
along a beautifully wooded portion of country, with fine large trees,
like those in an English park, and growing close to the water’s edge.
One of these beautiful trees, however, has a very vile odour when cut
up for timber, so that although the wood is good for carpentry, when
new it is in the highest degree offensive. It is called _Komàngo_,
and the people say that its smell, as a tree, is so strong that
birds settling on its branches die immediately. A high price is given
for chips or twigs of the tree, to be used as charms, for few are
daring enough to cut it down.
[31] _Mòka_ is the native word for “mosquito”; _Mòkafòhy_ is,
literally, “short mosquito”; but the insect is not a gnat, but a fly,
and its name is, more correctly, _Alòy_.
CHAPTER XXIII
TO THE NORTH-WEST COAST
Crocodiles are not the only reptiles to be seen in the river, for
we also saw many large tortoises. They were chiefly of the genus
_Pyxis_, the Geometric or Box tortoise, having the carapace divided
into large hexagons beautifully marked, and were basking in the sun
on small spits of sand rising just above the surface of the water. A
carapace which I afterwards procured on the coast was about eighteen
inches long. Two other species are also found in Madagascar, named
respectively, _Testudo geometria_ and _Testudo radiata_.
In former times the lakes and marshes of the island were inhabited
by an immense species of tortoise, whose remains have been
found together with those of the gigantic birds (Æpyornis), the
hippopotamus and the great extinct lemurs, all of which were no doubt
contemporaneous, lasting until the arrival of man on the scene. But
although extinct on the mainland of Madagascar, they seem to have
survived on the Mascarene group of Mauritius, Réunion and Rodriguez
until a very recent date, and they are still living in the little
island of Aldabra, which is about two hundred and sixty miles
north-west of Cape Ambro. There are two living examples of these huge
creatures in the Regent’s Park Gardens. The male tortoise, which
is much the larger of the two, is five feet five inches in length,
and five feet nine inches in breadth, broader, in fact, than it is
long. It weighs about eight hundred pounds, and is believed to be
able to carry a ton weight on its back. It is now at least a hundred
and fifty years old, but is still young and is likely to grow to a
much greater size. From the geometric-shaped plates of its carapace,
it seems to be allied to the geometric tortoise, still plentiful
in Madagascar, as we have just seen. Until lately, it was supposed
that these great tortoises were becoming extinct on Aldabra, but by
the most recent accounts of the island, it appears that this is not
likely to be the case, the dense jungle of pandanus giving them
ample protection, as it is at night when they leave this shelter, and
go in search of food.[32]
Although we saw no villages during this day’s voyage, there was
evidence of some population, in people fishing along the river bank,
canoes moored by the shore, and women drawing water, carefully
avoiding going into the stream, and filling their vessels with a
small gourd fastened to a long bamboo. The scenery also was more
varied, there being lines of low hills, partly covered with wood, and
the banks of the river lined with large trees.
Our third day’s voyage took us again along a very beautiful extent
of park-like scenery. All yesterday afternoon we were gradually
approaching a long line of blue hills running north-north-west and
south-south-east, and this morning we got nearer to them. They
appeared to be about a thousand feet high, and almost covered with
dense forest, with patches of rock and red clay showing here and
there. Landing at noon for lunch among magnificent trees, I noticed
that these were swarming with ants, which covered the trunks and
devoured every fruit as soon as it became ripe.
[Illustration: THE FÒSA
It is the largest Madagascar carnivore, and is like a small jaguar]
[Illustration: MALAGASY OXEN
Note their large humps and horns]
[Sidenote: A FIERCE ANIMAL]
During this journey to the north-west, we saw no mammals except herds
of oxen; but as there _are_ a few others, it will be fitting here
to say something about the largest carnivorous animal found in the
island, especially as this district is its special habitat. This
creature is called by the people, _Fòsa_ (_Cryptoprocta ferox_),
and although small is very ferocious, as its specific name denotes.
The fòsa differs from most of the felidæ by the greater elongation
of the body, including the head, and it is plantigrade, like the
bears, and not digitigrade, like the majority of the cats. In its
structure it resembles the jaguar, and in its colouring the puma,
indeed it is very like a small jaguar, as it has thick glossy fur
of a tawny-brown, which becomes somewhat darker under the body. Its
total length is four feet eight inches, but of this the tail occupies
two feet two inches, and it stands about one foot three inches high.
For its size, the animal is powerful, but it is not dangerous to
man, except when it is wounded, or at the breeding season. It is
destructive to poultry and small animals, and it is able to emit a
very fetid odour from an anal pouch, with which fowls are said to
be killed. Examples of the fòsa have been seen in the outskirts
of the upper belt of forest on the east side of the island; and of
somewhat larger size than the dimensions already given. A specimen
I once saw was of a beautiful black colour, but I believe this was
only a variety, and not a distinct species from the brown animal.
The fòsa is much dreaded by the Malagasy, and, from its mode of
attack, appears to be like an immense weasel, attacking large
animals, such as the wild boar and even oxen. Like the aye-aye among
the quadrumana, and many of the native birds, the fòsa has no near
relative, and therefore a new family had to be formed for it, of
which it is the only genus and species.
The other carnivora of Madagascar are all small animals, and are
rarely seen except when trapped. They all belong to the viverridæ
or civets, two to the civets proper, five (or six) being mungooses,
and one, an ichneumon. The mungooses, known to the Malagasy under
the name of _Vontsìra_, somewhat resemble the weasels and ferrets
of Europe, except that they are not exclusively flesh feeders. They
feed upon poultry, rats and mice, and also fruits. The ichneumon, or
_Fanàloka_, is about twenty inches long, with a bushy tail of about
a third that length, and is covered with thick warm brown fur. Its
claws are long and are used to dig up the eggs of the crocodile, on
which it is said to feed.
[Sidenote: COLOURED FISH]
Although we saw an occasional angler on the banks of the river, we
were not fortunate enough to see any of the fish. According to M.
Pollen, the rivers of the north-west contain a number of fish, many
of which are coloured in a most striking manner; the plates of his
valuable work on the fauna of the island show these as banded and
barred with the most vivid colours—blue, scarlet, black and yellow—in
fact, very much like those strikingly coloured and curiously marked
fishes which inhabit the sea round coral reefs and feed upon the
brightly tinted polyps.
Wednesday afternoon’s voyage was, as regards scenery, the most
beautiful of the whole journey. Instead of the country becoming
flatter as we approach the sea, it increases in boldness and
picturesqueness. Lines of hills covered with wood lie in all
directions, and amongst these the river winds, making sudden turns
almost at right angles, so that we proceeded towards almost every
point of the compass except due south. A few scattered hamlets,
of three to six huts each, began to appear. The crocodiles were
numerous, from the old patriarch to the infant of a foot or so long.
We must have seen a hundred of them that afternoon. We had some
difficulty in landing and pitching our tents, and on account of the
heat and the mosquitoes passed the most uncomfortable night of the
entire journey. Hardly anyone was able to sleep, and I was glad to
get up at four o’clock and dress in the bright moonlight and rouse up
the others.
[Sidenote: OUTRIGGER CANOES]
Our fourth (and last) day of canoe voyaging was begun soon after six
o’clock. Outrigger canoes made their appearance, a style of craft the
Hovas seem never to have invented, nor are such in use on the east
coast. The scenery increased in boldness, with precipitous hillsides
rising from the side of the river, which here was about the size of
the Thames at Kew. About an hour after leaving, we found the current
running up the stream; it was feeling the influence of the tide from
the ocean, still many miles distant. The foliage was most dense and
luxuriant, from the summit of the hills down to the water’s edge,
in some parts the long lianas forming immense festoons and making a
perfect wall of exquisite green, while the ever-present _bàraràta_
shoots up its feathery head. After some time we turned from the main
stream into a branch river, much narrower, but running for many miles
in a straight line. As the day advanced, the intense sunlight made
everything glow with light and heat, lighting up the dense vegetation
most brilliantly. Groups of pandanus were frequent here among the
more European-like trees; these are of two species, one rising into
a lofty cone, almost like a low poplar, and the other one more
spreading and brandishing, with the aerial roots rising high above
the ground. After an hour or two we came again into the main stream,
here more than a mile wide, the banks being still thickly wooded.
It was intensely hot, and we were not sorry to see Màrovoày (“Many
crocodiles”) a few miles ahead of us on a detached hill to the east
of the river.
At one o’clock we stopped when opposite the town, the water approach
to it being by a small tidal stream which flows into the main river
some miles farther down. Our men were just enough to carry the
wife and baby and little girl in their palanquin across the mile
or two, while the native nurse and I walked; the others, who were
some way behind, had to go farther down the river in the canoes,
and consequently had three or four hours’ paddling in the glowing
afternoon sun, which we who took the land journey avoided.
Màrovoày is situated on the north-east bank of a small river, which
we had to cross by a canoe. Nearly a dozen dhows were either anchored
in the stream or aground on mud-banks, giving the place the aspect
of a small fishing town. The lower town, with perhaps two hundred
houses, was chiefly occupied by Arab and Indian traders, their stores
and warehouses lining the main street through which we passed. The
Hova town and government compound (_ròva_) was on a low hill, rising
abruptly from the level to the height of eighty or a hundred feet.
Coming up to the gate of the _ròva_, we stopped to rest and sent word
of our arrival to the governor. While we were waiting, one of our men
thoughtfully got us a coffee-pot full of _rànom-pàry_ (sugar-cane
juice), and never did nectar taste more delicious than that as we
took repeated “pulls” at it after our walk across the rice-fields in
the glowing sunshine.
[Sidenote: A WELCOME REST]
Presently we were invited to enter, the governor coming out to meet
us, and brought us into his house, a rather smartly furnished place
of one large room, but with a wide gallery all round it. Here we
were glad to rest after our hot voyage and walk, and enjoyed an
excellent cup of coffee, which they kindly made for us, as well as
some of Huntley & Palmer’s “best mixed biscuits.” We felt as if we
were getting back into a civilised land again! After a little while
we moved into the chapel, which was also within the _ròva_; this
was a large building, and looked quite gay, from being completely
papered with good wall-paper, but badly laid on, for the native
workman evidently thought that the white edging to each piece was a
part of the pattern, and so had carefully left it visible in every
case! The wooden posts of the roof were all papered too. The pulpit
was a curious example of its kind, being made of lattice-work, gaily
painted, with a number of small looking-glasses let into its front,
and backed by wall-paper. It had a flat canopy or sounding board
and a large door, so it was like a little room of itself. With its
numerous doors and windows there was a beautiful breeze through
the building, and we anticipated a comfortable night, but, alas!
our hopes were not realised, for the heat was intense, and the
mosquitoes persecuted us by hundreds. This town is probably one of
the hottest in the island, and we were told that later on, in the
rainy season, the place is almost unbearable from the clouds of these
insects.
[Sidenote: FROM CANOE TO DHOW]
Our day at Màrovoày was occupied chiefly in arranging for leaving for
Mojangà the same evening, and in transferring all our baggage to one
of the dhows lying in the river. There is an extensive view from the
upper part of the town, as the country is very flat for many miles
round. In the evening we dined with the governor and his wife in the
_làpa_, and went down to the river at about nine o’clock. With some
difficulty, in the darkness, we transferred ourselves and palanquins,
etc., from shore to canoe, and from canoe to dhow, and at last were
crowded together as thick as we could sit and lie on the little deck.
The ship we embarked in was about thirty-five feet long, by fourteen
or fifteen feet beam; the middle portion open to the keel, but with
a little deck forward and another aft. This small quarter-deck was
about ten to twelve feet square, and when the two large palanquins
for the children to sleep in had been placed on either side, there
was not much space left for five adults to pack together, in fact we
had about as much room as would be found on a good-sized dining-table.
Soon after ten o’clock we got under way, the tide having begun to ebb
for the previous hour or two. There was no wind, so six men rowed
us down the stream, accompanying their work with the most curious
weird-sounding songs, in Arabic, I suppose (or perhaps Suahili), some
of them sounding very comic. We swept down rapidly with the tide, the
trees looking dark and gloomy in the uncertain light, and presently
the moon rose. After an hour or two we got into the main river, and
in a little time had to cast anchor, as the tide had turned. It was a
strange night, and we did not get much sleep, as we had not room to
turn, so we waited impatiently for the dawn. Dawn, however, brought
with it a cloud of mosquitoes from the low swampy ground bordering
the river, which was thick with mangroves and rank vegetation. Just
at twilight they surrounded us by thousands; but as soon as the sun
rose, they disappeared, a gentle breeze sprang up, and we set sail.
The river widened as we proceeded, until it became a large estuary,
and gradually opened into the Bay of Bèmbatòka. The breeze freshened
as the day advanced, and we sailed at a considerable speed.
These dhows are first-rate sailers; they carry one large sail, in
shape like a triangle with one corner cut off. But what struck us as
very curious was that when tacking, they did not run into the wind’s
eye as a European ship does, but they turned the dhow right round
before the wind, while shifting the long boom to the other side of
the mast. But they sail very close to the wind, and seem excellent
sea boats. This form of ship is probably a very ancient one, for
vessels very similar in shape and rig are figured on the Egyptian
monuments, and most likely the “ships of Tarshish” were only rather
large dhows. The largest of these vessels have two masts, the one at
the stern being much smaller than the other, and both have a _rake_
forward, instead of aft, as in European ships.
[Sidenote: MOJANGÀ]
Our spirits rose with the wind, for there had been many prophecies
at Màrovoày that we might be a long time on the way, and, in fact,
some friends who preceded us by a month or two were actually three
nights on the voyage. But we bounded over the waves and soon felt
a considerable swell. Bèmbatòka Bay is so wide for a considerable
distance that the north-western shore is only faintly visible, but it
narrows again towards the mouth, and a line of hills running out to
the western point defines its outline very clearly; opposite Mojangà
it is about five miles across. Towards noon they pointed out to us a
projecting headland, some way ahead to the right, and told us that
after rounding that we should see Mojangà. The wind continued strong,
but as it got more and more ahead, we had to tack repeatedly. At
about half-past three o’clock we reached our destination, casting
anchor a quarter of a mile or so from the beach.
[Sidenote: CAMELS]
Mojangà was a decidedly pretty and picturesque-looking place from the
sea, and a much more civilised-looking town than any I had previously
seen in Madagascar. Instead of rush and bamboo houses, there was a
long line of white flat-topped buildings of two and three storeys,
some having castellated battlements. A score or two of dhows were at
anchor in the roads, but there was no European vessel in the harbour.
Behind the Arab and Indian town the ground rises gently for two
hundred or three hundred feet, and at the top of this higher ground
is the _ròva_ and Hova town. Between the two, and to the north, is
a beautiful park-like expanse, thickly studded with magnificent
trees, chiefly mangoes, which here grow to a great size, as well as
baobabs, and clumps of cocoanut-palms and a few fan-palms. A fort
crowns the crest of the hill to the north; and altogether, we were
agreeably surprised with Mojangà. Just as we had cast anchor, we were
surprised to see several camels brought down to the sea for a bath.
They were imported from Aden some time ago by a French firm, but had
not proved a success, commercially, for Madagascar has too damp a
climate for animals accustomed to the sand and gravel of the Arabian
desert. We had not landed many minutes before our brother missionary,
Mr Pickersgill, then stationed at Mojangà, came down and gave us a
hearty welcome and every assistance with our baggage, etc. Our little
family party found quarters in the verandah of the house of a Madame
Beker, very near the shore, while the others went to stay with Mr
Pickersgill near the _ròva_. This house was of coral rock, plastered,
but was so hot that we preferred the verandah, which was roofed with
fan-palm leaves and surrounded with the same slight materials. We
were glad of the quiet and rest we had there for a week after our two
or three weeks’ travelling by land and river.
The following morning, Sunday, the mail steamer, _Packumba_, came
in about midday, but left again for Mozambique in the afternoon. On
going on board to see the ship we were to sail in, we found that her
main deck was arranged so as to take a great number of passengers,
the iron plating at the sides all turning up on hinges to allow a
free passage of air. I was glad to be able to preach to a large
congregation in the native church during the afternoon.
The week at Mojangà passed away rapidly, for we had plenty to do
in rearranging and labelling luggage, disposing of our palanquins,
bedding, and other no longer needful property, and preparing for our
voyage. At this town we found ourselves in quite a different place
and surroundings from what we had seen everywhere else in Madagascar.
We were in the midst of an Indian and Mohammedan population, the
traders here being mostly Banians and a large proportion of them
British subjects. Hindoo speech, dress, ornament, and customs met us
at every turn, and also those of the Arabs. The houses are chiefly
built of coral rock, plastered with lime, and roofed with fan-palm
leaves. The door and window openings are made with flat-pointed and
zigzagged arches; and when the rooms are wide, a line of piers and
arches runs down its length, giving a cool depth of shade quite
Eastern in its effect. The doorways have elaborately carved lintels
and posts; these are all done at Bombay and brought here ready for
fitting. There is a little stone carving also here and there, and
Arabic sentences are carved over the doors in some cases. The men
are in Indian dress, and the women with nose-jewels, silver armlets
and anklets, and the long muslin robe thrown over the head and wound
round the body.
[Sidenote: ARABIC DRESS AND CUSTOMS]
Arabic dress and customs were not less prominent in Mojangà. Close
to our lodging was a small mosque, and from the flat roof we could
hear the _muezzin_ calling the faithful to prayers five times a day
in a long sonorous musical cry—before sunrise, in the forenoon,
at noon, at three o’clock, and at sunset, and could see his form
silhouetted against the sky, making a number of prostrations when the
call was finished. Our stay here was in the month Ramazan, the great
fasting-time of the Mohammedans, when they eat and drink nothing all
day, at least the strictly orthodox do not. They make up for it,
however, at night; and feasting and jollity seemed to be the general
employment. Our house adjoining the main street, it was extremely
noisy until long after midnight. There is no doubt that the Arabs,
and also the Indians, have been settled at Mojangà, as well as at
other places on the north-west coast, for centuries. As we have seen
in Chapter XII., there was an Arab colony at some remote period on
the south-east coast, but this was gradually absorbed and lost in
the native population and no longer maintains a separate existence.
The north-western colony, however, being in constant communication
with Suahili land and the Arab element there, has maintained its
individuality, and kept its dress, customs, language, and religion
quite distinct from the Malagasy around it.
Amongst the magnificent mango-trees in the park are many specimens of
the baobab-tree (_Adansonia madagascariensis_); one of these must be
from seventy to eighty feet in girth. The trunks of these trees are
of enormous size compared with the small expanse of the branches;
and their glossy dark brown bark, their rapid tapering upwards, and
their bareness of foliage for the greater part of the year, mark them
very distinctly from all others. They are curious in appearance, but
not at all beautiful. The bark is used to make rope, and the sap is
said to be potable and tasteless; the wood, however, is so soft that
it can be pulled away by the fingers.
Many trees affording beautiful and valuable timber are found in
these western woods; among these is one yielding the kind called by
cabinet-makers “zebra-wood,” while ebony is obtained from one or more
of the twenty-two species of _Diospyros_ known in the island. We have
seen the mangrove (_Rhizophora mucronata_) on the shores of Bèmbatòka
Bay, and this tree is found at the mouths of almost all the rivers
and inlets on the north-western coast, where it is the most prominent
feature in the extensive swamps, probably also helping to extend the
land.
[Sidenote: FISHING EAGLES]
We had no opportunity of seeing the largest of the Madagascar birds,
the _Ankoày_, or fishing eagle (_Haliaetus vociferoides_), although
it is found all along the western coast. It is a large and handsome
bird, and is said to keep watch on a tree or cliff at the edge of
the water, swooping down like lightning into the sea after its finny
prey, and being able to arrest instantaneously its downward flight.
M. Grandidier says that a single pair of these eagles is found in
very many of the innumerable small bays of the north-western coast,
and of this they take exclusive possession, allowing no other eagle
to encroach on their own preserves. They feed principally on fish,
catching adroitly those which appear near the surface. The name of
_Ankoày_ applied to this bird appears to be an imitative one derived
from its cry of _hoai, hoai_.
It is doubtful whether there is another eagle really indigenous to
Madagascar, although a harrier-eagle (_Eutriorchis_) was once shot
in the Mangòro valley; if this was not a chance immigrant, it must
be extremely rare. This one example was remarkable for the extreme
shortness of its wings, and immoderate length of tail.
[Sidenote: TURTLES]
One of the most important occupations of the coast Sàkalàva is the
catching of turtles (_fàno_). Some of these creatures are oval in
form and very fat and plump, others are much thinner and flat; of
these latter, some are said to attain a length of eight or nine
feet. In catching them the natives go out to sea in the early
morning, when the turtles come to the surface to enjoy their morning
nap, and at which time the sea is usually very smooth. A kind of
harpoon, about twelve feet long, shod with a piece of barbed iron is
used, and to this a strong rope, a couple of hundred yards in length,
is attached. Great care and caution has to be used in approaching
the sleeping animal, for, if struck, it dives down immediately, and
the fisherman will not leave go of the rope, but dives down with
it, if the water is deep. The natives seem to be able to stop an
extraordinary time under water. As soon as the turtle is secured, the
captors make for the shore, and all the people gather together to
share in the feast. Nobody must bring anything from a house to the
spot, for the animal must be wrenched open and cut in pieces with
knives belonging to the canoe, it must be cooked in sea-water in the
shell of the turtle itself, and served in scoops or other vessels
from the canoe, or in pieces of turtle-shell. None of the flesh is
allowed to be brought into a house to be cooked or eaten there. All
these and several other precautions are ancestral customs and must be
religiously observed, or the turtles would disappear.
A curious account is given by the natives of the north-west coast of
a fish which they call _Hàmby_, whose length is said to be about that
of a man’s arm, and its girth about that of his thigh. Its dorsal
fin, they say, is just like a brush, and it has a liquid about it,
sticky like glue, and when it fastens on to another fish from below,
with this brush on its head, the fish cannot get away, but is held
fast. On account of this peculiarity, the people use the hàmby to
fish with. When they catch one, they confine it in a light cage,
which they fasten in the sea, feeding it daily with cooked rice or
small fish; and when they want to use it, they tie a long cord round
its tail and let it go, following it in a canoe. When it fastens on a
fish they pull it in and secure the spoil. I wonder whether this fish
has any connection with one found on the east coast, which is called
_Làdintavìa_, and is said by Mr Connorton to be covered with a kind
of slime, so that when many of them are together, it looks as if they
are floating in a thick lather of soap.
Two or more kinds of oysters are found on this north-west coast;
one of these is called by the people _Sàja_, which may be seen
covering the rocks in great abundance on the seashore at low water.
It is a small oyster, but excellent in quality. Another kind,
called _Téfaka_, is only found at some depth below water. It is a
much larger oyster than the sàja, with the interior of the shell
beautifully pearly. It is said to be delicious in flavour. Quite
recently an English company was projected to exploit these oyster
beds for pearls and for the pearly shells themselves.
Another sea-living creature in Madagascar waters is a species of
octopus called _Horìta_, which, notwithstanding its repulsive
appearance, is reckoned a delicacy by the coast people, although
Europeans who have tried it pronounce it as tough and gluey and
uneatable, although cooked for a long time.
[Sidenote: HERONS]
The north-west coasts, from the numerous estuaries surrounded with
trees, are particularly favourable for such birds as the herons,
some species of which are regarded as sacred by the natives, and are
consequently less shy than these birds are in Europe, while others
are very wary and most difficult to approach. In habits and feeding
these Madagascar herons are much like the European and African
species, mostly living on fish, molluscs and crustacea, the larger
ones devouring reptiles and small birds and mammals, while the
smaller kinds are insectivorous. They are often found in companies,
including several different species, settled on the trees overhanging
or near water, and remaining perfectly motionless for a long time.
Some of the herons appear to be very common, as the ashy, the
black-necked, the purple, the white-winged, the garzetta, and some
others, and especially the small white egret, which we have noticed
more than once in these chapters. Fifteen species of heron are found
in Madagascar, three storks, a spoonbill, five ibises and a flamingo.
[Sidenote: ISLAND OF NÒSIBÉ]
It was a pleasure to us during our week’s stay at Mojangà to meet
with several old acquaintances among the Hova officers stationed
there; anyone coming from their loved Imèrina always received a
warm welcome. On the Saturday of the week after our arrival there,
the _Packumba_ returned from Africa, and on the following morning
we left in her for Aden and Europe. Steaming northwards, we kept in
sight of the mainland of Madagascar during the next day, and this
appeared bold and mountainous, and very different from the greater
portion of the eastern coast of the island. There were many islands
rising precipitously out of the sea, while ahead of us the lofty
mountains of the island of Nòsibé soon appeared. These looked exactly
like portions of the interior of Madagascar set down in the midst
of the sea; the same red clay soil and the same markings of valley
and ravine as seen all through the interior plateaux. Two or three
very regular volcanic cones, truncated and showing the craters,
were very prominent; these are parts of that chain of extinct vents
of which we have seen numerous examples in our travelling through
other parts of the country. Besides the main island of Nòsibé, there
are many outlying portions of it, looking like detached islets
dropped into the sea. Some of these are densely wooded from base to
summit. Altogether, as may be seen from a brief glance at the map,
the north-western side of Madagascar is totally different, with its
numerous deep bays and inlets, from the eastern side, where there is
almost a straight line for many hundreds of miles. The geology of the
two sides is very different, and this has powerfully affected their
physical geography.
We stayed several hours at Nòsibé, discharging and receiving cargo,
and it was nearly sunset when we steamed away to the north-west for
Mayotta. For several hours we could still see the island and the
mainland by the glare of the burning grass on the hillsides; and
these, for more than five years subsequently, were the last glimpses
we had of Madagascar.
[32] See “The South-West Indian Ocean”; by J. C. F. Fryer; _The
Geographical Journal_, September 1910; pp. 249-271.
[Illustration: MAP FOR “A NATURALIST IN MADAGASCAR.”
SEELEY, SERVICE & CO., LIMITED, 38 GREAT RUSSELL STREET, LONDON, W.C.]
INDEX
Ambòdinangàvo, 70
Adàbo-tree, 252, 289, 299
_Æpyornis_, 213
Agave, the, 32
_Agy_, a stinging plant, 297
Alamazaotra, 63
Alaotra, Lake, 68, 174, 193, 197, 207
Alàtsinainy, 116
Algæ, species of, 200
_Aloe macroclada_, 90
Aloes and agaves, 91
Ambàhy, 270
Ambàtoharànana, 56, 109
Ambàtomànga, 72
Ambàtondrazàka, 178, 205
Ambàtovòry, 127
Ambinàny, chief, 237
Ambòdinònoka, 185
Ambòhidèhilàhy, 184
Ambòhijànahàry, 194
Ambòhimanàrina, 103
Ambòhimànga, 77, 105, 121, 205
Ambòhimiangàra, 209
“Ambòhimitsímbina,” 76
Ambòhinàmboàrina, 229
Ambòhipèno, 188, 253
Ambòhitròmby, 187
Ambòhitritankàdy, 120
Ambòhitsàra, 196
Ambòhitsitàkatra Mountains, 174
Ambòhitsòa, 201
Ambòndrombé Mountain, 234
Ambòro Mountain, 61
Ambòsitra, 230
_Amìana_, or tree-nettle, 122, 146
Ampàrafàravòla, 185, 188
Ampàsimbé, 57
Ampàsimpòtsy, 68
Anàlamazàotra Mountains, 175
Ancient towns and villages, 113
Andohàlo, 118
Andòvorànto, 45
Andraikìba, Lake, 215
Andrànokòbaka, 176
Andrànokòditra, 38
Andrìambàvibé, 64
_Andrìana_, 25
Andrìba Mountain, 289
_Andropogon contortus_, 190
Angàvo Mountains, 69, 71, 229
Angàvokèly Mountain, 71
_Angræcum_, orchid, 32
Animal life, ancient, 225
Animal life, peculiarity of, 66
Anìvona-palm, 276
Anjozòrobé, 174, 206
Ankàrana, 264
Ankàratra Mountain, 61, 77, 208, 219, 221
Ankay, plain of, 68, 127, 175
Ankèramadìnika, 71, 127
Ankìtsika, 195
Ànoròro, 205
Antanànarìvo, 73
Ant-hills, 176, 234
Ants, destruction by, 34
Ants’ nests, 130, 289
Antsèsika river, 222
Antsihànaka Province, 173
Antsìrabé, 101, 211
Antsìrabé plain, 219
_Apenthes madagascariensis_, 42
Aquatic fowl, 186
Arabic influence, 255, 309
_Ardea bubulcus_, 34
_Àrondòvy_, the, 251
Arums, Gigantic, 34, 253
Asabòtsy, market at, 116
_Astacoides madagasc._, 157
_Avara-patana_, or place of honour, 98
_Aviavy_, a species of _ficus_, 122
Aye-aye, the, 45
Ball-insect, 159
Bamboo, the, 49, 57, 65
Banana-trees, 49
Baobab-trees, 309
Bàra people, the, 233
Baron, Mr, 60, 127, 138, 200
Bats, 298
Bearers, our, 55, 228
Bee-eater, 170, 291
“Beefwood tree,” 41
Bees, the enemies of, 145
Bees, wild, 144
Beetles, 132, 154
Béfòrona, 59, 61, 175
Béhòsy, the, 147
Belemnites, 299
Bèmbatòka, Bay of, 77, 161, 307
Benyowski, Count, 235
Bétàfo, 208
Bétsibòka, River, 77, 174, 295
Bétsiléo province, 229
Bétsimitàtatra, 77, 92
Bétsimisàraka people, the, 43
Bezànozàno tribe, 6
Bird life, 63
Bird life, scant, 279
Birds, extinct gigantic, 213
Birds: parakeets, green pigeons, cardinal-birds, sun-birds, 32;
crows, 34;
egret, 34;
ducks and geese, 38;
storks, herons, 69;
rapacious, 82;
egret, 105;
crow, 105;
kingfisher, 105;
song, 137;
sun-birds, 137;
rollers, 138;
shrike, parrot, warbler, cuckoo, wood-pigeon, hawks, 138;
goat-sucker, 140;
owls, 140;
weaver-bird, 169;
bee-eater, 170;
birds on Lake Itàsy, 210;
parrots, 233;
Prevost’s broadbill, 281;
black parrots, 291;
bee-eater, 291;
fork-tailed shrike, 294;
fly-catcher, 293
Blow-pipe, native, 61
Boa, a, 44
Botanising in Madagascar, 128
“Bound-by-blood” ceremony, 235
_Brehmia spinosa_, 42
Bridges, 187, 194, 234, 238
_Buddleia madagasc._, 90
Buildings, modern, 99
Bull-baiting, 194
“Bullockers,” 20
Burial customs, 43
Butterflies, 110, 254
_Cærostris stygiana_, 162
_Cæsalpinia sepiaria_, 90
Camels, 308
Canals, 37
“Candle-nut-tree,” the, 158
Canoe chants, 271
Canoes, native, 33
Cape Lilac, 81
Cardinal-birds, 32
Carnivora, species of, 66, 167, 303
Carving in Bétsiléo, 230
_Cassia lævigata_, the, 90
_Cassis_, 36
Casuarina, the, 270
Caterpillars, 132
Caterpillars, a bag of, 130
Cattle rearing, 182, 195
_Centetes ecaudatus_, or tail-less tenrec, 167
Centetidæ, the, 278
Centipedes, 160
_Cercopis_ species, 91
Chameleons, 135, 288
Chameleonidæ, species of the, 135
Charms, 86, 249
_Cheirogaleus minor_, 243
Children, Hova, 122
Cicada, the, 171
Clay in building, use of, 96
_Clematis bojeri_, 101
Climate, 75
Climbing plants, 37, 142
Clothing of the Malagasy, 124
Coast-line, the, 36
Coffee, 51
Cold month, the, 124
Commelyna Madagasc., 89
Constellations, Malagasy names for, 125
_Conus_, 36
Convolvuli, 49
_Coraciadæ_, 138
_Coracopsis obscura_, 234
_Corvus scapulatus_, 34
Cory, Mr, 99
_Cosmaria_, 200
Couas, the, 170
Crabs, 35
Crater lakes, 215
Craters, extinct, 208
Crayfish, 157
Crocodiles, 294
Crocodiles of Lake Alaotra, 200
Crocodiles, superstitious dread of, 49
Crocodiles, extinct species of, 223
Crows, 34
Cryptogamic vegetation, 143
Custom, a curious, 194
Customs at the New Year, 88
Customs of the Sihànaka, 203
_Cycas thouarsii_, 41
Cyclones, 148
_Cynoglossum_, 101
_Cypræa_, 36
Dauphine, Fort, 232
Davidson, Dr, 74
Day, divisions of the, 93
Days, uniformity in the length of the, 92
“Death-moths,” 110
Death’s-head moth, 145
Deciduous trees, 125
_Delphinus pas_, 275
Dhows, 307
Dialects, Hova and Malagasy, 236
Dinner with the Governor, 191
Dishes and spoons, primitive, 268
Dolphins, 275
Doorways, Bétsiléo, 236
Dracæna, 289
Dragonflies, 108
Dress, children’s, 125
Dress, Sihànaka, 202
Drury, Robert, 183
Dry season, the, 113
Dye from trees, 158
Earthquake, 224
Earthworms, enormous, 112, 155
Ebony, 159
Eels, 107
_Èfitra_, or desert, 289
Eggs of the _Æpyornis_, 213
Egret, white, 105
Egyptian kite, the, 83
_Eleocarpus sericeus_, leaves of, 158
Embankments, 78
Eucalyptus, cultivation of, 125
Euphorbia, the, 60, 125
_Euryceros prevosti_, 281
_Fàhitra_, or pens for oxen, 121
_Famòa_, 179
_Fànataovana_, or lucky heaps, 155
Fauna and flora, 17
Feather-bellows, 156
Félana, or decoration, 233
Ferns, 59, 128, 157
Fianàrantsòa, 232
Fibres, for rope, 158
_Filanjàna_, the, 18, 24
Fire, method of producing, 151
Fireflies, 271, 284
Firing the grass, 82
Fish, 39;
octopus, 40;
mullet, 40;
prawns and shrimps, 40;
shark, 40;
saw-fish, 40;
dolphins, 275, 303
Fishing, 196
Fishing eagle, 310
“Fitomanìanòmby,” 63
Flamingoes, 210
Flora: orchids, 32;
arums, 34;
palms, 37;
climbing plants, 37;
ferns, 38;
tangèna, 38;
sago palms, 41;
_Filào_, 41;
_Brehmia spinosa_, 42;
_Hibiscus_, 42;
_Stephanotis_, 42;
_Ipomæa_, 42;
pitcher-plant, 42;
gum-copal, 42;
india-rubber, 42;
bamboo, sugar-cane, manioc, banana, palms, pandanus, water-lilies,
palms, convolvuli, traveller’s tree, 49;
raspberries, 51;
coffee, 51;
lace-leaf plant, 53;
bamboo, 57;
tree-ferns, 57;
pine-apples, 57;
_rofìa_-palm, 58;
ferns, 59;
euphorbias, 60;
orchids, 64;
bamboo, 65;
rice, 79;
Cape lilac, 81;
vine, 81;
euphorbia, 81;
orchids, 101;
indigenous plants, 127;
ferns, orchids, 128;
grasses and ferns, 128;
palms, 142;
climbing plants, 142;
cryptogamic vegetation, 143;
mosses and lichens, 143;
fungi, 144;
spiny plants, 145;
stinging plants, 146;
ferns, 157;
valuable trees, 158;
Tamarind-trees, 295
Flowers, comparative scarcity of, 64
Fly-catchers, 295
Food, curious articles of, 106
Food, articles of, 23
Forest, stillness of the, 60, 65, 277
Fòsa, the, 302
Fosses, 119
Fossils, 212
Foundry, native, 156
Fragrance of wild plants, 178
French invasion, the, 28
Frigate-birds, 255
Frogs, 152
Fruit-bats, 298
Funeral, a heathenish, 276
Funeral memorial, a, 268
Funerals, expensive, 203
Fungi, 144
Furniture, 98
Games, 122
Gates of stone, 119
Geese, 186
“General Hàzo” and “General Tàzo,” 28
Geological formations, quartz, red sandstone, 39, 53
Goat-sucker, the, 140
Goudot, M., 91
Grainge, Mr, and the cattle, 287
Granaries, 54
Grandidier, Alfred, 17, 169, 235
Grasses and rushes, 128, 178, 191, 201, 206
Grass, firing the, 72, 73
“Grave of the French,” 42
Guinea-fowl, 186
Gum-copal tree, 37, 42
Gums and resins, 158
Hail, 86
Hair-dressing, 252, 258
_Hàmby_, the, 311
_Hapalemur simus_, 243
Hawks, 84
_Hàzondràno_, or rush, 108
Hearth, the, 97
_Hèrana_, the, 108
Herons, 69, 312
_Hibiscus_, 42
_Hibiscus diversifolius_, 90
Hills, outline of, 52
Hippopotamus, extinct, 212
Hippopotamus Lemerlei, 212
Hivòndrona, 32
Hoar-frost, 113
Hooker, Sir W. J., 54
Horned memorial poles, 182
Hospitality of the Malagasy, 41
Hot springs, 53
Houlder, Mr, and the boa, 44
Houses, native, 23, 70, 236
“House-horns,” 97
Hovas, 299
Humped duck, 186
Iàboràno, 268
Iàritsèna, 232
Iatsìfitra volcano, 224
Ice, 92
Ifànja marsh, 225
Ifòdy Hills, 69
Ihàroka river, 45, 48
Ihòvana, chieftainess, 282
Ikòngo, 235
Ikòpa river, 76, 286, 291
Imàhazòny, 236
Imèrina, 71
India-rubber, 42, 158
Indigenous plants, 128
Insect life, 65, 279
Insectivora, species of, 67
Insects: ants, 34;
cockroaches, 38, 43;
a new spider, 43;
beauty of, 70;
spiders, 71;
water-producing, 91;
black wasp, 99;
silkworm moth, 109;
butterflies, 110;
grasshoppers, 111;
mantis, 112;
dog-locust, 112;
nests, 130;
ants, 131;
beetles, 132;
caterpillars, 132;
spiders, 133;
mantis religiosa, 153;
grasshoppers, 153;
beetles, 154;
ball-insect, 159;
millipedes, centipedes, scorpions, 160;
venomous spiders, 162;
protective resemblance, 164, 280;
mòkafòhy, 289
Intelligence of the people, 56
Inundations, damage by, 78
Iòlomàka, 237
Ipomæa, 42, 101
Iron, 156
Irrigation, 80
Isoàvina, 110
Itàsy, Lake, 208
Itsìatòsika, 275
Ivàlokiànja, 236
Ivàtoàvo, 232
Ivòhibé Mountain, 259
Ivòhitràmbo, 283
Ivòhitròsa, 237, 241
Ivòko volcano, 224
Jacanas, 211
_Jàka_, 50
Jigger, the, 161
_Jìro_, or memorial poles, 203
Johnson, Rev. H. T., 107
_Jorèry_ or cicada, 277
_Kabàry_ or National Assembly, 117
_Kankàfotra_, or cuckoo, 82
_Kànkandoròka_, a species of worm, 277
_Karàbo_, the, 259
Kestrel, the, 83
_Kètsa_ grounds, 79, 80
“King-butterfly,” 110
Kingfisher, 105
_Kinòly_, the, 159
Kiròmbo roller, 138
_Kòlikòly_, or after-crop, 304
Komàngo-tree, 299
Lace-leaf plant, 53
Ladders, primitive, 54
Lagoons, 36, 273
Lake-dwellers, 173
Lakes and marshes, anciently a country of, 22
_Làmba_, the, 25, 58, 62, 109
Land-shells, 136
_Landolphia Madagas._, 42
_Làpa_, or Government House, 179
Le Sage, Captain, 59
Leeches, 157
_Lemur Catta_, 243
_Lemur mongos_, 45
Lemuroid animals, extinct, 222, 226
Lemuroida, species of, 66
Lemurs, 45, 66, 67, 168
Lichens, 116, 143
Lightning, freaks played by, 85, 87
Lilìa, river, 209
Lime deposit, 211
Lizards, 43, 134
Lizards, extinct species of, 223
Locusts, 73
_Longòzy_ plant, the, 249
Looms, primitive, 58
Madagascar, 19;
its ancient connection with Africa, 67
Madagascar bee, the, 144
Màhamànina, 257
Màhavèlona, 259
Major, Dr Forsyth, 278
Malarial fever, 42
Mammalia, 66
Mammals, species of, 278
_Mampìta-hàdy_, or fosse-crosser, 109
Manàkambahìny, 185
Mànanàra river, 174, 295
Mànanjàra river, 275, 281
Mandànivàtsy, 207
Mandràka river, 71
Mandràka Valley, 142
Màngasoàvina, 289
Mango-trees, 81
Mangòro river, 69
Màningòry river, 174, 193
Manioc, 49
_Mantidactylus_ genus of frogs, 153
Mantis, a curious, 112
_Mantis religiosa_, 153
Market day, 181
Markets, 116
Màrokalòy, 290
Maròmby, 51
_Maromita_, or porters, 24, 30
Màrosalàzana, 202
Màrovoày, 304
Marshes, 108
Màsindràno, 275
Màtitànana river, 240, 295
Matthey, M. C., 111
Mats, Sihànaka, 185
Mead, 145
Medicinal waters, 212
Medicine from trees, 158
_Melia azederach_, 81
Memorial poles, 203, 231
_Merops superciliosus_, 170
_Mesites_, 211
Mèvatanàna, 225, 292
Millipedes, 160
Mimicry amongst plants, 155
Mineral wealth of the country, 57
_Mitra_, 36
Mojangà, 285, 307
_Mòkafòhy_, insect, 288, 300
Money, 117
Months, origin of names of, 88
Moraféno, 187
Mòramànga, 68
Mòraràno, 187, 193
Mortar and pestle, the, 97
Mosses, 143
Moths, 109
Mouse-lemurs, 243
Mozambique Channel, 67
_Mugil borbonicus_, 40
Mullens, Dr, 31, 173
Mullet, 40
_Mundulea suberosa_, the, 90
Mungooses, 303
Musical instruments, 56
Mysore thorn, the, 146
Mythical creatures of Lake Alaotra, 201
Nàndihìzana, 229
Native houses, structure of, 95
_Nectarinidæ_ or sun-birds, 32
Neodrepanis coruscans, 137
_Nephila_ spider, 109
Nest of the aye-aye, 47
Nests of insects, 130
Nests of wasps, 99
New Year, Malagasy, 87
Nòsibé, 224
Obstructions in rivers and paths, 51
Ocean currents, 39
Octopus, 40, 312
_Oliva_, 36
_Opuntia ferox_, 145
Oranges, 51
Orchards, 81
Orchids: angræcum, 32, 38, 64;
terrestrial, 101, 212
Ordeals, 251
Ornamentation, female, 240
Outrigger canoes, 304
_Ouvirandra fenestralis_, 53
Owen, Sir R., 45
Owls, 140
Ox, extinct species of, 223
Oxen, 35, 183
Oysters, 311
Paddles, native, 34
Palms, 142
Pandanus, the, 32, 37, 49
_Papàngo_, or Egyptian kite, 83
Parakeets, 32, 233, 291
Parrots, 233, 291
Paths, forest, 150
Pearse, Rev. J., 191
_Pelophilus madagasc._, 44
Pigeons, 32
Pillans, Rev. J., 173
Pine-apples, 57
Pitcher-plant, 42, 261
Plant, Mr, 22, 67
_Ploceus pensilis_, 169
Poison ordeal, the, 38
Poison tree, a, 38
Poisonous fish, 40
Pollen, M., 137
_Potamochærus larvatus_, 136
Prawns and shrimps, 40
Prevost’s broadbill, 281
Prickly pear, 90, 119
_Pristis sp._, 40
Proctor, S., 22
Protective mimicry, 111, 153, 164, 280
Psittacula Madagasc., 233
Pulpit, a decorated, 253
Pumice from Krakatoa, 38
Quadrumana, 66
Quadrupeds, 167
Radàma I., 37
Radàma II., 38
Rail, 211
_Railòvy_, or fork-tailed shrike, 294
Railways, 18
Rain, 81, 85, 100
_Rallus gularis_, 211
Rànavàlona I., 38
Rànavàlona, Queen, 87
Rànomafàna, 53
Rapacious birds, 83
Rapèto, chief, 210
Raphia ruffia, 62
_Ràry_, or war-chant, 98
Raspberries, 51, 242
Rats, 54, 59
_Ravenala madagasc._, 49
Rayed Gymnogene, the, 84
Religious observances, 250
Reptiles: snakes, 134;
lizards, 134;
chameleons, 135;
ancient, 226
Rest-houses, 33
Rice cultivation, 77, 79, 92, 103, 106, 177, 195, 263
Rice cultivation in Bétsiléo, 230
Rice-houses, 241
Ring-tailed lemur, 243
River-hog, extinct species of, 223
Rivers, 36
Roads and pathways, 27
Rocks, 223, 233, 292, 298
_Rofìa_-palm, 31, 56, 58, 62
_Rofìa_ cloth, 57
_Ròva_, or square, 26, 179, 305
Rollers (_Coraciadæ_), 138
Rose-apple, the, 91
Rum drinking, 176
Sago palms, 41
Ste Marie, Isle, 42
Sàkalàva, 176, 299
_Salàka_, or loin-cloth, 55
_Sàmpy_, or household charm, 98
Sanatoria, 127
Sand-bars, 36
Sand-grouse, 291
Sandalwood, 159
Sawfish, 40
Scenery, 41
Scenery of the coast, 37
Scorpions, 160
Screw-pine, 250
Sea-birds, 256
Seasons, the, 75
Serpents, 43
Shark, the hammer-headed, 40
Shaw, Mr G. A., 235
Shells, 35;
_Conus_, _Triton_, _Cypræa_, _Oliva_, _Mitra_, _Cassis_, 36
Shrimps, 107
Sihànaka, the, 173, 184, 195, 203
Silk, spiders’, 109
_Sìmpona_, species of lemur, 169
_Siòna_, 159
Sloth, extinct species of, 223
Smelting stations, 156
Snakes, 43, 44
Snare for birds, 185
Snow, absence of, 113
_Solanum auriculatum_, 125
Solitary wasps, 100
_Sòngosòngo_, the, 146
_Sopubia triphylla_, 101
Spade, the native, 79
Sphærotheria, 160
Spiders, 43, 71, 133, 162, 165
Spiny and prickly plants, 145
Springtime, 79
Stephanotis, 42
Stinging plants, 146
Storks, 69
Street, Mr Louis, 228
Stribling, Rev. E. H., 192
Striped tenrec, 167
Sugar-cane, 49
Sugar-cane press, a, 262
Summer, 84
Sun-birds, 32, 137
Sunsets, beautiful, 123
Swine, extinct species of, 223
Taimòro tribe, the, 273
Taisàka, the, 262
Tàkatra, or stork, 69
Tamarind-trees, 295
Tamatave, 21;
governor of, 24;
garrison, 26
Tanàla, the, 147, 245, 249, 250
Tangèna, the, 38
Tanòsy country, a village in the, 163
Tèlomiràhavàvy, 71
_Terminalia catappa_, or “Indian almond,” 273
Terraced hills, 230
Threshing rice, 195
Thunderstorms, 84
Timber, valuable, 158
Time, division of, 87, 93
Tin cans on memorial poles, 183
Tins, old jam, 192
_Tsìrika_ or blow-pipe, 61
_Tòkan-tòngotra_, 159
Tombs in Bétsiléo, 231, 283
Tombs, Hova, 72, 114
Tortoises, 201, 301
Tortoises, extinct, 223
_Trachylobium verrucosa_, 42
_Tràndraka_ or hedgehog, 167
Trànomàro, 35
Trap-door spiders, 165
Traveller’s tree, 49, 257, 260
Travelling in Madagascar, 28, 229
Tree-duck, 186
Tree-ferns, 57
Tree-frogs, 153
Trees, introduction of new, 125
_Triton_, 36
Trìtrìva, Lake, 215, 220
Tropic-birds, 256
_Tsikòndry_, the, 280
_Tsingàla_, the, 107
Twilight, 92
_Typhonodorum lindleyanum_, 34
Vàkinankàratra, 208
Valàla river, 69
Valàlanambòa, or dog-locust, 112
_Valìha_, the, 56
Vangàindràno, 261
Variety of face and colour, 56
_Vàtolàhy_, or “male stones,” 116
Vàvavàto district, the, 161, 219
Vavòny, 41
_Vazìmba_, the, 114, 227, 289
Vegetation, 41, 239
Vehicles, 27
_Véro_, 178
_Vérontsànjy_, 178
_Vernonia appendiculata_, 80
Village squares, 61
Villages, 73
Villages, old style, 119
Vine, the, 81
_Vinca angivensis_, the, 89-90
_Vinca rosea_, 90
Vinson, Dr, 162
Visit of ceremony, a, 24
Vòhilèna, 284
Vòhitra volcano, 215
Volcanic belt, 224
Volcanoes, extinct, 215
Vòlombòrona Mountain, 219
Vòromahèry or hawk, 84
Ungulata, species of, 67
Unhealthiness of the coast, 42
Unlucky days, 205, 247
Uranid butterfly, 281
_Usnea_, 65, 143
Walking-stick mantis, 280
Wallace, Dr A. R., 64
Wasp, black, 99
Water conveyances, 282
Water-courses, 79
Waterfalls, 152, 242
Water-hens, 210
Water-lilies, 49, 201
Water-plants, 201, 281
Water-pots, 97
Water-producing insects, 91
Water-snakes, 134
Water yam or lace-leaf plant, 53
Weapons, ancient, 227
Weaver-bird, 169
Webs, spiders’, 108, 163, 166
Whales, 275
Wheeled vehicles, 274
Whistling teal, 186
White-backed duck, the, 186
White lemur, a, 146
Wild boar or river-hog, 136
Wild duck on Lake Itàsy, 210
Wild fowl, 185
Wild man, a, 147
Windows, absence of, 45
Winds, prevailing, 73
Winter, 113
Words denoting different appearances of nature, 95
Yams, wild, 152
_Zàhitra_, or raft, a, 247
Zànatsàra clan, 218
Zomèna, Chief, 235
_Zozòro_, the, 108
_Zygæna malleus_, 40
THE RIVERSIDE PRESS LIMITED, EDINBURGH
TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE
Obvious typographical, punctuation and accenting errors have been
corrected after careful comparison with other occurrences within
the text and consultation of external sources.
Some hyphens in words have been silently removed, some added,
when a predominant preference was found in the original book.
Except for those changes noted below, all misspellings in the text,
and inconsistent or archaic usage, have been retained.
Pg 16 List of Maps: the ‘Physical’ map was moved in front of
the ‘Ethnographical’ map, with page numbers of 16 and 17
respectively.
Pg 38: ‘hartstongue fern’ replaced by ‘hart’s-tongue fern’.
Pg 53: ‘at Pamplemouses’ replaced by ‘at Pamplemousses’.
Pg 94: ‘1.3 (P.M.)’ replaced by ‘1.30 (P.M.)’.
Pg 98: ‘and wearing’ replaced by ‘and weaving’.
Pg 110: ‘called Centelidæ’ replaced by ‘called Centetidæ’.
Pg 149 Footnote [13]: ‘indebted to the the’ replaced by
‘indebted to the’.
Pg 191: ‘as the _lòpa_’ replaced by ‘as the _làpa_’.
Pg 229: ‘of Ambòsita’ replaced by ‘of Ambòsitra’.
Pg 241: ‘tree miles across’ replaced by ‘three miles across’.
Pg 243: ‘Cheirgaleus major’ replaced by ‘Cheirogaleus major’.
Pg 272: ‘Agræcum superbum’ replaced by ‘Angræcum superbum’.
Pg 274: ‘that that was a’ replaced by ‘that there was a’.
Index: the spelling of some entries has been changed to match the
spelling in the main text. Many accents have been added to match
the accenting in the main text.