198 IRRITATING DELAY 



safe to cross so late in the day, when the sea breeze, as is the 

 case also on the coast lagoons, makes a considerable swell, and 

 crossing is practicable only for the largest canoes. And while 

 we are waiting, we may remark that this Lake Alaotra is the 

 largest one in Madagascar, and is about twenty-five miles long, 

 by four or five in average breadth. But as the level marshy 

 land to the west and south is only a few inches above its surface, 

 the lake is of much greater extent in the wet season. It receives 

 the drainage of the northern portion of the Ankay plain, so that 

 a considerable body of water must issue from its north-eastern 

 arm and flow towards the sea. According to the Rev. L. 

 Dahle, the name "Alaotra" is probably the Arabic A l-lutat, 

 " the dashing of the waves," the sea. The Arabs of the 

 Comoro Islands and East Africa are known among the Malagasy 

 as the " Taloatra " i.e. " those from beyond the ocean." x 



The afternoon wore on ; the doctor took photographs of the 

 opposite shore ; Mr Pillans and I took bearings for the map, 

 and collected shells ; and at last, after waiting two hours, we 

 reluctantly came to the conclusion that we must go back to the 

 village in the swamp, which we accordingly did. However, we 

 were not so uncomfortable as we had feared, nor did we take 

 any harm from the damp conditions. The head people came to 

 present beef, etc., but I fear I answered them rather curtly, for 

 we saw plainly it was never intended to let us get over the lake 

 until the following day ; but, with the usual native unwillingness 

 to speak out plainly, they would not say so to begin with. In 

 the book which Dr Mullens wrote on his return to England he 

 says of this afternoon's experiences : " I am afraid that the 

 general depression seriously interfered with the reply of our 

 friend, Mr Sibree. The dignity and fulness with which he 

 usually dwelt upon the affairs of the kingdom and the health of 

 the authorities, and the flowery eloquence with which he would 

 describe the purpose of our visit, entirely failed him here. His 

 reply was brief and guarded, and the two-pounder gun he 

 passed over in total silence." 



On Wednesday morning we left Ambohitsara at half-past 

 six, so as to cross the lake as soon after sunrise as possible, as 

 this is always the calmest time of the day in Madagascar 

 waters. We found about a dozen large canoes waiting for 

 us ; several of these were from thirty to forty feet long, 



