180 VISITS TO MADAGASCAR. chap. Vil, 



that one or two, about the size of a thrush, with green and 

 white feathers, kept for a long time flying in the line of our 

 progress, alighting on a bush by the side of our path, and 

 when we reached the spot then flying on farther in advance. 

 One kind which the natives called Railovi particularly at- 

 tracted my notice. It was rather larger than a blackbird, 

 and much longer in the neck and tail; the plumage of a 

 glossy purplish black ; the feathers of the tail deeply in- 

 dented in the middle, and just above where the beak was 

 united to the head, two curved feathers, an inch long, arose, 

 one on each side, giving the bird a singular but not ungrace- 

 ful appearance. Occasionally we saw flocks of what appeared 

 to be paroquets ; but these did not come very near us. 



A little before sunset, on the second day of our journey, 

 I reached the broad plain on which the village of Foule 

 Pointe is situated, and here I halted until my friend, who had 

 travelled more slowly than my bearers, arrived. The high 

 wooded country from which we emerged afforded a good view 

 of the settlement, which, in extent of land and eligibility of 

 situation, appeared greatly superior to Tamatave. On the 

 southern side of the buildings and inclosures a line of fine 

 stately mango trees, clothed at this time of the year with 

 dense dark foliage, gave quite a baronial aspect to the ap- 

 proach in that direction. The houses of the village, which 

 differ little from those of Tamatave, spread along the south- 

 eastern side of the bay, near the southern extremity of which 

 two vessels from Mauritius were performing quarantine. 

 One or two streams intersected the plain, which is more than 

 a mile across ; and in several directions slaves with bundles 

 of fire-wood, or labourers returning from the fields, were 

 wending their way along the different paths which led to 

 their places of abode. 



"WTien my companion arrived, we proceeded to the village, 

 and passing between the truly magnificent line of trees, en- 



