240 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



said to divide itself naturally into three sections: the first was 

 similar to that eastward of the capital, a treeless region of moors 

 and hills. This was the most inhabited. It consisted of four 

 broad terraces which fell rapidly toward the sea. The road, how- 

 ever, leading as it did obliquely across these terraces, presented on 

 the whole easy gradients. Then came a section of nearly unin- 

 habited wilderness, wooded and undulating. The third section 

 contained the cultivated hills and plains of the Sakalavas. I re- 

 engaged for this journey four of the filanzana-bearers and the cap- 

 tain, Mazoto, who had come up from Tamatave with me. This 

 Mazoto was a bright, intelligent fellow, who, besides being the 

 chief of the men, acted as my body servant, and assisted me in 

 cooking and the general duties of vagrant housekeeping. He was 

 born in the country, but of Mozambique parents. His descent 

 showed itself very clearly in his curly hair, his features, and his 

 manner. I then engaged four more filanzana-bearers and six bag- 

 gage coolies. This made a following of fifteen persons. I took a 

 little larger stock of provisions, but otherwise the outfit was quite 

 the same as when coming to the metropolis from Tamatave. I 

 hired my men only as far as the land journey extended, and was 

 therefore obliged to pay one half more for their return, which 

 seemed no more than just. The bulk of this payment was ar- 

 ranged to be made when they arrived in Antananarivo, and I 

 promised them each also a small present to be earned only by faith- 

 ful attention to duty and good behavior so that by these means I 

 had the men pretty well under control. And now it was necessary 

 to call the roll of my assembled bearers and coolies, and this was 

 no easy or quick matter, for scarcely one name was of less length 

 than six syllables. Biographical names in Malagasy are quite as 

 long as geographical. Two of the men were slaves belonging to 

 Mr. Ryder's clerk. In appearance they could not be distinguished 

 from the others, and in amiability and faithful work they proved 

 rather superior to them. All the names, singularly enough, began 

 with the letter R. Here are some of them : Rataimiandra, Rama- 

 hamay, Rainivelonandro, Rainizanakolona. The baggage was soon 

 packed in three parcels, and covered with tarred cloth for fear of 

 stray showers. These parcels then being lashed to thick bamboo 

 poles, each borne by two men, were sent on in advance. My filan- 

 zana stood waiting, and after a hasty but none the less heartfelt 

 parting from my kind entertainer, I " mounted " and started away 

 north through the deeply gullied streets of the capital, past the 

 edge of the great Zoma, by the tomb of the prime minister's family, 

 and down on to the great plain of Betsimitatatre, covered as far as 

 the eye could see with variously tinted rice fields and everywhere 

 traversed by large and small canals of water obtained mostly from 

 the Betsiboka River. The large canals are utilized by boatmen in 



