442 VISITS TO MADAGASCAR. chap. xvi. 



from the company while we were passing through the forest, 

 came up, followed by a man bearing a large basket of orchida- 

 ceous plants, such as he had seen me endeavouring to collect. 

 I was delighted with the plants, some of them being new, and 

 engaged the man to carry them on to the coast. Two days 

 ■after, we halted for a day's rest. It was the Sabbath, and as 

 another of my bearers was now suffering from fever, and all 

 seemed fatigued, the day's rest was as welcome to them as 

 grateful to my own mind. 



At the close of the following day's journey we reached 

 Eanomafana, near the hot springs; and half a mile before 

 entering the village, I saw a beautiful shrub in bloom. The 

 flowers were composite, and resembling the poivrea, but of a 

 bright scarlet colour. I dug up with a spade a few young 

 plants, and, keeping the roots in a ball of earth, brought 

 them away, and have succeeded in bringing two of them 

 alive to England. Our way now lay through a most de- 

 lightful and verdant country. The bamboo, traveller's tree, 

 and rofia palm were abundant, and gi'owing most luxuriantly. 

 After picking up some new plants almost every day, and 

 obtaining, amongst others, some masses of a new species of 

 platycerum, or stag's-horn fern, I reached Tamatave in safety 

 on the 12th of October, grateful for the protection from all 

 accident or fever which I had experienced, and thankful 

 to find myself so far on my homeward way. The house 

 I had formerly occupied was again furnished for my use, 

 and every assistance rendered by the authorities of the place. 

 I paid the bearers whom the queen had provided the same 

 amount as those hired on my former journey. 



While waiting here for a ship, I examined my g^nts, and 

 found many killed by the sun and drought during the latter 

 part of the journey. I placed those that were still alive in 

 the shade, hoping to preserve them, and invigorate them for 

 the voyage. I also visited a river about eighteen miles 



