OF AN EXPEDITION TO MADAGASCAR. 65 
On these hills the Heath first seen near the sea is again met 
with, and for five or six miles nothing elseisseen. But at the close 
of the day's journey we passed through a fine valley, well watered, 
with numerous villages and a large Hova population. "There is 
now & decided change in the character of the country, houses, 
and people. In place of the undulating small hills, there is a 
single range of huge mountains. The houses, hitherto with but 
a single room, have now several, and are two-storied and built of 
planking, with sides of a composition (baked clay, &c.), aud thatched 
with papyrus ; whilst those previously passed have been either of 
rofia for sides and roof, or of split bamboo for the sides and a 
grass or rofia covering. This style of house continues to the 
capital. The clay used in some places is of a bluish colour. The 
inhabitants are all Hova, with their long black hair, ample lamba, 
and taciturn disposition and love of money. 
Leaving them, there are but 40 miles to be passed to reach the 
capital ; and the nearer it is approached, the less is the vegetation. 
The road at first lies through woods, with small timber ; but after 
leaving these, it is over rugged hills of stiff red and yellow clay, 
protruding through which are massive boulders of granite. The 
largest village passed is almost built on the slabs of granite that 
pave the hill. The ravines are no longer filled with Rofia and 
shrubs, though the Rofia continues, and is found in gardens near 
the capital. Every available piece of good soil at the bottom of 
the ravines is carefully tended and manured for raising rice ; and 
every little spring is diverted in many directions, to irrigate these 
little paddy-patches. 
In the moist parts of the road a few shrubs are found; and the 
Buddleia, first met with on the sixth day from the sea, flourishes 
in profusion. A dwarf Heath clothes some of the most rugged of 
the rocks and hills, and a few of the ferns before met with are 
found in moist and secluded situations. 
The hills close by the capital are perfectly bare ; and there 18 
but one conspicuous flower on which the eye can rest: this isSunga- 
sunga of the natives (Euphorbia fulgens), of which there are two 
varieties, one a bright vermilion, the other bright orange. It 
grows from a thorny little plant, which creeps along the mud 
walls of the path, or those raised to enclose rice-grounds. It has 
an abundance of milky juice. . 
Aud this, Sir, is all my scanty knowledge of botany will allow 
me to say of the features of the road. 
Mr, Ellis's description and sketch of the town (Antananarivo) 
