32 



being higher than that of ordinary summer weather in England. 

 Our course lay due south, at no great distance from the sea, 

 the roar of whose waves we could hear distinctly all through the 

 first stage of the journey. In proceeding from Tamatave to 

 Antananarivo the road did not (and still does not, by railway) 

 lead immediately into the interior, but follows the coast for about 

 fifty miles southward. Upon reaching Andovoranto, we had to 

 leave the sea and strike westward into the heart of the island, 

 ascending the river Iharoka for nearly twenty miles before 

 climbing the line of mountains which form the edge of the 

 interior highland, and crossing the great forest. 



We soon left Tamatave behind us and got out into the open 

 country, a portion of the plain which extends for about thirty 

 miles between the foothills and the sea. Our men took us this 

 first day's journey of nine or ten miles at a quick walk or trot 

 for the whole way, without any apparent fatigue. The road 

 which was a mere footpath, or rather several footpaths, over a 

 grassy undulating plain was bounded on one side by trees, 

 and on the other by low bushes and shrubs. Besides the cocoa- 

 nut-palms and the broad-leaved bananas, which were not here 

 very numerous, the most striking trees to a foreigner were the 

 agave, with long spear-shaped prickly leaves, on a high trunk, 

 and another very similar in form, but without any stem, both of 

 which might be counted by thousands. Nearer the sea was an 

 almost unbroken line of pandanus, which is one of the most 

 characteristic features of the coast vegetation. I also noticed 

 numbers of orchids on the trees, of two or three species of 

 Angrcecum, but just past the flowering ; a smaller orchid, also 

 with pure white flowers, was very abundant. 



I had enough to engage my attention with these new forms of 

 vegetation, as well as in noticing the birds, and the many butter- 

 flies and other insects which crossed our path every moment, 

 until we arrived at Hivondrona, a large straggling village on a 

 broad river of the same name, which here unites with other 

 streams and flows into the sea. Among the many birds to be 

 seen were flocks of small green and white paroquets, green 

 pigeons, scarlet cardinal-birds, and occasionally beautiful little 

 sun-birds (Nectarinidce)vfiih metallic colours of green, brown and 

 yellow. We had intended to go farther, but finding that, owing 

 to our late starting, we should not reach another village before 



