188 A NATURAL EMBANKMENT 



had been made across the lines of hills in a diagonal direction ; 

 while the water-worn and wasted remains of some few of 

 these towards the south, forming a line of low detached hills, 

 suggested that probably the action of water, either as an arm 

 of the sea running up the Ankay valley, or a great river, had 

 completed what was commenced by more violent agencies. 

 The unmistakable evidence of former volcanic action, in the 

 presence of extinct craters and lava streams to the west, 

 north and north-east of the plain, seems to show what was 

 the agency which caused this great depression of the surface. 



Half-an-hour brought us to the end of the promontory, which 

 was like an enormous dyke or sea-wall, one face having a steep 

 slope, and the other a long gentle rise. It was a pleasant and 

 smooth level road along the top of this great natural embank- 

 ment to the north-west. From it we had a delightful view, for 

 the great flat surface of the plain looked like an immense green 

 lake, from which the distant eastern line of hills seemed to rise 

 like shores out of a green expanse of water. The high mountains 

 beyond these were lit up by afternoon sunlight, and the western 

 side or a still larger and higher promontory to the east of us, 

 broken up by lateral buttresses, produced charming effects of 

 light and shadow, and variety of colour. At the head of the 

 bay formed by these two long points we could see the high 

 rounded hill which rises above Amparafaravola, and after a 

 time the little town itself began to show above the plain. 



At a little before five o'clock we came to a hollow at the end 

 of the promontory, with a long piece of water dividing it from 

 a steep abrupt hill, on which the large village of Ambohipeno 

 is situated. This place had a clay wall surrounding it, and 

 contained about ninety houses. The " road " to it is the water 

 just mentioned, about four feet wide, where the papyrus had 

 been cut away ; this being past, the path was up a steep clay 

 slope. As we got near the village, we could see a number of 

 people assembled to meet us, and on arriving at the top had a 

 most pleasing reception. As we cleared the water and began to 

 ascend, the singers struck up a hymn ; they were all seated on 

 one side of the road, the school-children on the other, while a 

 little farther on were a crowd of people headed by the elderly 

 men of the place. One of these, the judge of the district, a 

 pleasant old man, then received us with the usual speeches, to 



