ciiAr. xiii. THE SILVER SPEAK, OR "HATER OF LIES." 361 



by natives, and had been finished about three years. They 

 said they had books about building bridges, and followed the 

 directions in the books as far as they could. The stones 

 were cemented with clay ; but I noticed that in some places 

 near the water-line the cement was washed away ; and they 

 said that during the rainy season there was a great body of 

 water. 



Leaving the bridge, we journeyed westward through several 

 villages, and some extensive rice-fields then lying fallow. 

 The soil of these fields was a loose red sand, with stiff grey 

 clay. The ground was well dug, and the spadefuls of soil 

 piled up like newly made bricks in a brick-field, that it might 

 be penetrated by sun and wind, and pulverised before re- 

 ceiving the water. At length we reached another bridge 

 spanning a river nearly as wide as that which we had left. 

 This bridge was a more compact and solid structure than the 

 former, but also without mortar. On the western side of this 

 bridge is the village of Ambaniana ; and this being market- 

 day, multitudes of the people were returning over the bridge. 

 The village of Anosizato, — literally, a hundred islands, — 

 lying a short distance to the southward, looked attractive, 

 but we now turned towards the capital. 



The prince and his companions were exceedingly com- 

 municative during the ride, pointing out the distant villages, 

 and mentioning then* names. On our way we passed a 

 number of officers, one of whom carried a large broad-headed 

 silver spear. The whole of our party saluted the spear as it 

 was carried past, and the prince afterwards told me it was 

 Tsitialainga, the hater of lies, the revealer of crimes, the 

 detector of criminals, and an emblem of power in Madagascar. 

 The officer who bore it was one of the Queen's heralds on an 

 errand of justice. Whenever any one is accused of a crime 

 by Tsitialainga, this spear is planted in the doorway: and 

 no one dares to leave the house until it is removed. 



