86 VEGETABLE FOODS. 



ill ^vater a foot or two deep. It is used for a variety of 

 purposes : a number of the triangular stems are strung to- 

 gether by several strong tough twigs being passed through 

 them, forming thus a kind of light door, which is used for 

 the filling-in of the framework of houses, for doors and 

 window-shutters, partitions, beds, and mattresses. The tough 

 outer skin is used for making the stronger and coarser mats 

 used for flooring, and is also platted into capital baskets. 

 When the sovereign goes on a journey, the rivers are crossed 

 not by canoes, but by rafts formed of great quantities of 

 zozoro stems, this being the orthodox ancient custom. The 

 paintings and carvings on the tombs and temples in Eg}'pt 

 indicate that the ancient Egyptians made rafts of the same 

 materials, using the papyrus, which formerly grew plentifully 

 in the Nile. The pith of the zozoro forms a good stuffing for 

 pillows and mattresses, &c. 



Another very useful rush is the Mrana, a much smaller 

 plant than the zozoro, and irregularly triangular in shape. 

 It is extensively grown in the marshes to supply roofing 

 material, as the great majority of the houses in the capital 

 and its neighbourhood are thatched with Mrana. The rushes 

 are doubled over a stout twig, fifty or sixty of them forming 

 one rdvin-herana, as it is called. Bundles of twenty or thirty 

 of these are sold in the markets ; and when laid properly on 

 a roof of good pitch, Mrana forms a very neat and durable 

 roof-covering. The roofs of the oldest style of native houses 

 are very lofty and extremely high pitched, and in some of 

 these the Mrana rush roofs have lasted well for nearly a 

 century. It is rough-looking when first done, but after hav- 

 ing a shower or two of rain upon it, the ragged ends are all 

 cut to a uniform surface, giving it a very neat appearance. 



VegctaUe Foods. — It is time to say something about those 

 vegetable products of Madagascar which are used for food. 



Standing at the head of these is rice, which is the staff of 

 life to the great majority of the Malagasy tribes. MUdnam-'bdry, 

 " to eat rice," is the native equivalent for the Eastern phrase 

 " to eat bread," and for our English expression " to have a 

 meal ; " and all other food is only considered as laoJca, that is, 

 as an accompaniment to rice. The culture of the rice-fields 



