﻿GEOLOGY 
  OF 
  MADAGASCAR. 
  311 
  

  

  in 
  the 
  region 
  of 
  which 
  we 
  are 
  speaking, 
  that 
  locality 
  being 
  some- 
  

   where 
  to 
  the 
  west 
  of 
  Ambositra 
  in 
  Betsileo 
  (at 
  Ambohimahazo 
  in 
  

   Manandriana 
  ?), 
  about 
  90 
  or 
  100 
  miles 
  S.S.W. 
  of 
  Antananarivo. 
  

   The 
  slate 
  has 
  been 
  employed 
  in 
  the 
  roofing 
  of 
  the 
  Palace 
  Church 
  in 
  

   the 
  capital. 
  A 
  rock 
  found 
  in 
  some 
  places 
  — 
  on 
  the 
  mountains 
  of 
  

   Ambohimanoa, 
  Ambohimiangara, 
  and 
  Karaoka 
  (north 
  of 
  Ifanja 
  

   marsh), 
  for 
  instance 
  — 
  and 
  known 
  as 
  vatodidy, 
  is 
  used 
  occasionally 
  

   for 
  ornamental 
  purposes 
  in 
  building 
  and 
  also 
  for 
  native 
  lamp- 
  

   stands. 
  It 
  is 
  a 
  reddish 
  rock 
  showing 
  banded 
  structure, 
  and 
  

   may 
  possibly 
  be 
  a 
  kind 
  of 
  decayed 
  gneiss. 
  At 
  Isoavinimerina 
  

   near 
  Ambohimanoa 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  pulpit 
  made 
  of 
  this 
  vatodidy. 
  

   Hornblende-rock 
  exists 
  close 
  to 
  Ankazobe 
  in 
  Yonizongo, 
  on 
  the 
  

   west 
  (?) 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  village, 
  and 
  probably 
  at 
  Ankaraoka, 
  near 
  the 
  

   mountain 
  of 
  Yombohitra. 
  Actinolite-rock 
  and 
  asbestos 
  seem 
  to 
  be 
  

   common 
  in 
  some 
  parts 
  of 
  Yakin' 
  Ankaratra, 
  the 
  former 
  existing 
  

   also 
  at 
  Belavenona, 
  about 
  halfway 
  between 
  Antongodrahoja 
  and 
  

   Amparihibe. 
  Mica-schist 
  is 
  found 
  in 
  various 
  districts, 
  especially 
  

   in 
  Western 
  Imerina 
  and 
  Yakin' 
  Ankaratra. 
  Chlorite- 
  schist 
  may 
  

   occasionally 
  be 
  met 
  with. 
  Kyanite-schist 
  likewise 
  occurs. 
  Besides 
  

   these 
  there 
  are 
  found 
  crystalline 
  limestone, 
  quartzite, 
  and 
  graphite. 
  

   One 
  locality 
  where 
  crystalline 
  limestone 
  may 
  be 
  seen 
  is 
  about 
  a 
  mile 
  

   to 
  the 
  south 
  of 
  Ambohimirakitra, 
  seven 
  or 
  eight 
  miles 
  south 
  of 
  the 
  

   capital. 
  While 
  some 
  of 
  this 
  limestone 
  is 
  in 
  amorphous 
  or 
  only 
  par- 
  

   tially 
  crystalline 
  masses, 
  other 
  portions 
  of 
  it 
  are 
  coarsely 
  crystalline. 
  

   It 
  is 
  four.d 
  also 
  near 
  Mandritsara, 
  a 
  little 
  to 
  the 
  north-west 
  of 
  the 
  

   town, 
  and 
  also 
  in 
  the 
  neighbourhood 
  of 
  the 
  mountain 
  of 
  Ambohi- 
  

   draboja 
  (near 
  Mandritsara), 
  where 
  it 
  contains 
  small 
  grains 
  of 
  

   graphite 
  and 
  talc 
  (?). 
  A 
  reddish 
  crystalline 
  limestone 
  with 
  dis- 
  

   seminated 
  scales 
  of 
  what 
  is 
  probably 
  chlorite 
  is 
  found 
  in 
  Antsi- 
  

   hanaka. 
  

  

  Among 
  the 
  localities 
  where 
  quartzite 
  occurs 
  may 
  be 
  mentioned 
  

   Ambohimanga* 
  (to 
  the 
  north 
  of 
  Antananarivo); 
  the 
  hill 
  of 
  Ambo- 
  

   hitrandraina 
  ; 
  the 
  south-west 
  foot 
  of 
  Ambohimanoa 
  mountain 
  (on 
  

   the 
  west 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  river 
  Ikopa) 
  ; 
  Anjamanga 
  (to 
  the 
  west 
  of 
  Ambo- 
  

   hibeloma) 
  ; 
  the 
  north-east 
  end 
  of 
  Ifanja 
  marsh 
  ; 
  Anjanahary 
  (in 
  

   the 
  north-eastern 
  suburbs 
  of 
  the 
  capital) 
  ; 
  Ambohimirakitra, 
  where 
  

   the 
  white 
  crystalline 
  limestone 
  occurs 
  ; 
  Antanifotsy, 
  in 
  Yakin' 
  Anka- 
  

   ratra; 
  Tsarahafatra, 
  to 
  the 
  north 
  of 
  Imerina, 
  where 
  the 
  rock 
  is 
  

   schistose 
  ; 
  and 
  many 
  other 
  places. 
  

  

  As 
  for 
  the 
  graphite, 
  which 
  the 
  natives 
  know 
  as 
  manjct7%ino, 
  a?ija- 
  

   manga, 
  or 
  vanjaJiilatra, 
  it 
  may 
  be 
  met 
  with 
  in 
  small 
  quantities 
  in 
  

   all 
  the 
  places 
  mentioned 
  above 
  where 
  quartzite 
  occurs. 
  It 
  is 
  also 
  

   found 
  in 
  the 
  hill 
  of 
  Ambohidraboja 
  above 
  mentioned, 
  in 
  various 
  

   localities 
  in 
  Betsileo, 
  and 
  to 
  the 
  west 
  of 
  the 
  mountain 
  of 
  Yavavato. 
  

   The 
  thickest 
  bed 
  of 
  graphite 
  that 
  I 
  have 
  seen 
  is 
  that 
  near 
  Ambo- 
  

   himirakitra, 
  mentioned 
  above. 
  The 
  natives 
  use 
  it 
  in 
  polishing 
  

   certain 
  of 
  their 
  rice-pans 
  and 
  dishes. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  scarcely 
  necessary 
  to 
  say 
  that 
  quartz-veins, 
  sometimes 
  of 
  

  

  * 
  The 
  quartzite 
  here 
  contains 
  scattered 
  scales 
  of 
  a 
  talcose 
  mineral. 
  

  

  