GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE ISLAND. 29 
culty, attend the navigation of Malagasy waters, 
on account of the heavy surf which beats inces¬ 
santly upon the shores, and the sunken rocks 
which exist on all sides of the island. The two 
principal harbours are,—Tamatave, on the east 
coast, where the chief trade of the country is 
carried on, and where the foreign consuls reside; 
and Mojanga, on the west, also a place of con¬ 
siderable activity, and a port of call for the mail- 
steamers of the British India Company. The 
imports from the United Kingdom during 1880 
were £57,000, and the exports £7557. 
The usual routes adopted by travellers from 
London to Madagascar are by Paris and the 
mail-steamers of the French Messageries Mari¬ 
time, through the Suez Canal and via Mauritius; 
or directly by the Donald Currie Line, via the 
Cape of Good Hope to Tamatave. The latter is 
preferable for several reasons—amongst others, 
that it avoids the intense heat and discomfort 
of the Bed Sea passage, and also affords the 
voyager an interesting experience of ocean trav¬ 
elling ; but the former is more expeditious, the 
journey by the Suez Canal occupying only about 
a month, whilst the more circuitous passage by 
the Cape takes nearly six weeks. 
If we except the country along the main roads, 
or, more strictly, paths, to the capital, which is 
situated upon a lofty and commanding eminence 
