MOUNTAINOUS REGION. 23 



now quite clear that, instead of a " central mountain chain," 

 as described in most histories and gazetteers, there is an 

 elevated mountainous region, which, however, does not occupy 

 the centre of the island, but is more to the east and north, 

 leaving a considerable extent of country to the west, and all 

 beyond the twenty-third parallel of south latitude, at a much 

 lower level above the sea. Broadly speaking, therefore, Mada- 

 gascar consists of two great divisions, viz. — (i) An elevated 

 interior region raised some 3000 to 5000 feet above the 

 sea-level, and (2) a comparatively level country surrounding 

 it, and not much exceeding 400 or 500 feet of elevation, but 

 most extensive on the west and south. 



The elevated region is largely composed of Primary and 

 crystalline rocks. Lines of hills traverse it in all directions, 

 but they do not rise to a very great height ; the highest points 

 in the island, the peaks of the Ankaratra group of hills, being 

 a little under 9000 feet above the sea-level. A very large 

 extent of this portion of Madagascar is covered with bright 

 red clay, through which the granite and basaltic rocks pro- 

 trude. But there are also extensive rice plains, especially in 

 the neighbourhood of the capital cities of the two chief pro- 

 vinces, where there is a rich black alluvial soil ; and it can 

 hardly be doubted that some at least of these plains, from 

 their perfect level, out of which the red clay hills rise like 

 islands, have formerly been the beds of extensive lakes, sub- 

 sequently drained, possibly by slight changes in the level 

 through subterranean action, 



A good deal of this portion of Madagascar is bare and 

 somewhat dreary-looking country. The long rolling moor- 

 like hills are only covered with a coarse grass, which becomes 

 very brown and dry towards the end of the seven months' 

 rainless season ; but the hollows and river valleys are often 

 filled with a luxuriant tropical vegetation, and, wherever there 

 is population, with the bright green of the rice-fields. There 

 is, nevertheless, an element of grandeur in the landscape, from 

 the great extent of country visible from many points in the 

 clear pure atmosphere, which renders very distant objects 

 wonderfully sharp and distinct. And many portions of the 

 central region possess still greater claims to admiration from 



