284 VISITS TO MADAGASCAR. cuap, xi. 



On emerging from the forest, I passed along the edge of 

 a hill thickly overgrown with a large kind of heath, called by 

 the natives anzavidy, and frequently a couple of feet higher 

 than our heads. The blossom had been abundant ; but I 

 could find no seeds. I also met with a number of beautiful 

 plants, from four to six feet high, with leaves like a pleroma, 

 and flowers resembling a petunia, having a rich scarlet throat 

 and creamy lip. I told the man who accompanied me, a 

 native of the place, if, when the seeds were ripe, he would 

 gather them for me, I would pay him well for his trouble ; 

 but I had little hope of securing any, for the natives cannot 

 understand why we should attach any value to such things. 

 I afterwards found, in a damp, shady place, two or three 

 flowers somewhat like achimenes in form, and of a deep blue 

 colour ; and in a dry, open space adjacent, I met with a 

 number of plants of the same species, with abundance of 

 ripe seed, which I carefully preserved. 



In the evening Izaro returned, having obtained a good 

 supply of rice. Some chiefs of my own party, and two or 

 three of their friends from the neighbourhood, came to my 

 lodgings, and we spent some time in reading and in important 

 and cheering conversation. After which they retired, and I 

 wrote up my journah 



Our next day's journey was to be by water upon the lake 

 Tmoasa, which, as well as the spacious lake we had crossed, is 

 said to be infested with crocodiles, which have occasionally 

 seized and destroyed cattle while crossing the ford. The 

 morning was wet, and it was between seven and eight o'clock 

 before I started in the last canoe of our fleet, and though it 

 rained most of the way many objects of interest presented 

 themselves as we passed along. We saw a few water fowl, 

 and passed a number of fences or enclosures for catching fish. 

 We saw also large patches of the white water lily. The lake 

 itself was about a mile across, with woody banks, which on 



