CHAPTER XXII 



TO SAKALAVA LAND AND THE NORTH-WEST 



AS the contents of former chapters in this book show, I 

 was able on various occasions during the first few years 

 of residence in Madagascar to make journeys in different 

 directions : from the east coast to the interior ; from Imerina 

 to Antsihanaka ; from Imerina again to Betsileo and from 

 thence to the south-east, visiting the Tanala, the Taimoro, and 

 other tribes in that part of the island, not to mention shorter 

 journeys in the central province itself, to Itasy and other places. 

 But the north-west of the country and the districts occupied 

 by the Sakalava people were still unknown to me, so I was 

 glad when in 1877 there came the opportunity of traversing 

 this portion of the great island. 



For a long time past Tamatave had been as it still is the 

 most frequented port of Madagascar, but the western ports, 

 from their proximity to South Africa, were sure to increase in 

 importance. Not very long before the above-mentioned date, 

 the British India Steam Navigation Company had begun a 

 service of steamers from Aden to Mozambique, touching at 

 Mojanga, on the north-west coast, both on the outward and the 

 return journeys. This appeared to give Europeans living here a 

 good opportunity of reaching England, avoiding the unpleasant 

 experience of the " bullocker " (see Chapter II.), between 

 Tamatave and Port Louis, and taking a mail steamer direct 

 from Madagascar. As we were leaving this country for Europe 

 in September 1877, we determined to take this new route, 

 which, although a little longer than that by Tamatave, was far 

 less difficult, besides being partly by canoes, and the last day or 

 two by a dhow, thus giving a pleasant variety to the journey. 

 Our party consisted of seven, including my wife and self and 

 three children Willie, aged six ; May, aged three, and a baby 

 girl of ten months Frank Briggs, about the same age as our 

 boy, whom we were taking home (his father joined us a day or 

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