MADAGASCAR 



249 



wards the west the sea is reached by a series of step-like 

 terraces, while towards the east the plateau sinks pre- 

 cipitously to a narrow fringe of marshy coast. 



Situated within the south-eastern Trades belt, Mada- 

 gascar is ever moist on the eastern scarp of the tableland, 



FIG. 94. Traveller's trees. 



which consequently is clad with an overwhelm ing tropical 

 rain-forest, descending to a margin of mangrove-swamps. 

 The top of the tableland is naturally the continuation 

 of the Rhodesian boschveld. The western terraces, on 

 the whole, reproduce the condition of the hinterland of 

 Beira, and display a similar kind of light tropical wood- 



