HISTORY OF MADAGASCAR. 
293 
salutations of the labourers, she recommended the division 
of the labour into equal portions amongst the people, 
as the best mode of facilitating its completion. 
Towards the end of September, Mr. Jones, Mr. Griffiths, 
and Mr. Canham made a tour westward of the capital to 
the distance of about seventy miles, taking twelve of the 
most advanced among the scholars with them. The ex¬ 
cursion was intended to aid them in the acquirement of the 
language, and to increase their knowledge of the manners, 
customs, and morals of the people, together with the produce 
of their soil, and their methods of cultivating the ground. 
The pleasure derived by the party from travelling in 
many parts of their journey through highly picturesque and 
luxuriant scenery, was somewhat lessened by the absence of 
all domestic comfort in the habitations in which they sought 
repose. At the village where they first halted, the chiefs 
presented for their use a great variety of provisions, begging, 
in the name of the king’s mother, and in that of the inha¬ 
bitants, that their offerings might be accepted. A long 
conversation on different topics then ensued, after which, 
when they lay down to rest upon the matted floor, the singing 
and dancing of the villagers continued through the whole 
moonlight night, effectually prevented the repose of which 
they were so much in need. 
At some of the places where they stopped, their sleep 
was disturbed by sounds much less harmonious, and cir¬ 
cumstances even less congenial,—the habitations being 
occupied by calves, pigs, and sheep, as well as the family of 
their host, all equal in point of cleanliness. 
After passing near Ambohitrambo, a high sugar-loaf 
mountain, they proceeded to the famous iron district of 
Ambatolehivy, and to the village of the same name. The 
latter contains about seventy or eighty houses, and is sur- 
