EVIDENCE OF VOLCANIC ACTION 259 



Imerina. When a good deal of the earth has been washed 

 away, it may easily be imagined that it is not a pleasant thing 

 walking along these banks. During the afternoon we passed for 

 some time over a slightly hollow tract thickly covered with 

 rounded lumps of dark brown rock resembling slag or scoria, 

 and full of holes like those produced by air-bubbles when the 

 mass was in a state of fusion. These were of all sizes, from a 

 yard or two to an inch in diameter, while the ground was 

 covered with rounded pebbles of the same material, of the size 

 of small beans. This must surely have been the bed of some 

 ancient stream, long since diverted into other channels by 

 subsequent elevation of the surface. But whence was this 

 volcanic substance derived ? For many miles westward there 

 seems no broken or rugged surface, nor anything to indicate 

 subterranean disturbance. Probably the great isolated moun- 

 tain of Ivohibe, which we have seen for several days far away 

 to the west, is an extinct volcano, like so many hills farther 

 north ; and the ancient stream has at some remote period cut 

 through a dyke of lava and brought the rolled and rounded 

 fragments down its bed. 



Walking about in the brilliant moonlight after our evening 

 meal, in a short time there was quite a crowd gathered together 

 to watch the extraordinary spectacle of two foreigners walking 

 backwards and forwards for no discoverable earthly purpose. 

 After a little while we stopped and began to talk to them, telling 

 them of the old, but to them perfectly new, story of the glad 

 tidings, and of that " faithful saying " which was worthy of 

 their, and of all men's, " acceptation." 



Travelling again towards the shore, we passed for some time 

 through country which was like a beautiful shrubbery, with low 

 trees, amongst which the voavontaka, with its perfectly globular 

 green or yellow fruit, the size of a large orange, was very plenti- 

 ful and conspicuous. There was also a tree, the kardbo, having 

 enormous pods with seeds like beans, but from two to three 

 inches in diameter. We passed fresh evidence of volcanic 

 action in ancient streams of lava, with sand and dust from some 

 long extinct crater. Stopping at sunset at a village called 

 Mahavelona, we found it, notwithstanding its promising name 

 (" causing to live "), the filthiest spot we had seen in all our 

 journey, quite worthy of the name given by a friend to a place 



