THE FILANJANA 31 



we set off from Tamatave and turned southwards into the open 

 country. The rear was brought up by a bearer of some intelli- 

 gence and experience, who only carried a spear, and was to act 

 as captain over the rest and look out accommodation for us in 

 the villages, etc. He had also to see after the whole of the 

 luggage, and take care that everyone had his proper load and 

 came up to time. 



My filanjdna was a different kind of thing from the chair in 

 which I had gone to visit the Governor. It was of the same 

 description as that commonly used by Malagasy ladies made 

 of an oblong framework of light wood, filled in with a plaited 

 material formed of strips of sheepskin, and carried on poles, 

 which were the midrib of the enormous leaves of the ro/ia-palm. 

 In this I sat, legs stretched out at full length, a piece of board 

 fixed as a rest for the back, and the whole made fairly comfort- 

 able by means of cushions and rugs. There was plenty of space 

 for extra wraps, waterproof coat, telescope, books, etc. When 

 ladies travel any distance in this kind of filanjdna a hood ofrofia 

 cloth is fixed so as to draw over the head and to protect them 

 from the sun and rain. In my case, a stout umbrella served 

 instead, and a piece of waterproof cloth protected me fairly well 

 from the little rain that fell on the journey. (I may add here 

 that this was the first, and the last, journey I ever took in this 

 kind of filanjdna. The late Dr Mullens, who also travelled up in 

 a similar way in 1873, said it reminded him of a picture in Punch, 

 of a heavy swell driving himself in a very small basket carriage, 

 and being remarked on by a street arab to his companion thus : 

 " Hallo, Bill, here's a cove a-driving hisself home from the 

 wash." My companion's filanjdna was a much simpler con- 

 trivance than mine, and consisted merely of two light poles held 

 together by iron bars, and with a piece of untanned hide nailed 

 to them for a seat. It was much more conveniently carried in 

 the forest than my larger and more cumbrous conveyance. It 

 may be added that certainly one was sometimes danced about 

 " like a pea in a frying-pan " in this rude machine ; and it was not 

 long before a much more comfortable style of filanjdna was 

 adopted, with leather-covered back and arms, padded as well 

 as the seat, and with foot-rest, and leather or cloth bags strapped 

 to the side for carrying books and other small articles. 



It was a fine warm day when we set off, the temperature not 



