346 
MADAGASCAR. 
Malagasy would always have the iron road in 
their own hands, and that it would never be 
a difficult task to render the way impassable in 
a few hours, if necessary, to the strongest force 
that could be sent against them. The road to 
Antananarivo presents not one but fifty Ther- 
mopylses, where any native Leonidas might 
emulate the heroic deeds of classic story with 
certain prospect of success. 
The eastern lake-system must also be com¬ 
pleted from Tamatave to Mananzari by a system 
of canals. The distance is nearly 400 miles, 
and the boats have now to be carried overland 
during the whole journey, about 39 miles. This 
operation of taking out the canoes and trans¬ 
porting them over the intervening ground be¬ 
tween the lakes, is very tedious and unsatisfac¬ 
tory. The constant packing and unpacking of 
the contents often causes injury and loss to the 
trader, and the whole affair is vexatious to a 
degree. There is no particular reason why 
these lakes should not be united by cuttings, 
except the conservatism of the natives, who 
have not so far cared to make things too easy 
for the foreigner. M. Ligie, a gentleman who 
established a considerable industry at Manan¬ 
zari, and who employed a large number of 
natives in his sugar-mill and coffee-plantations, 
went so far, some years ago, as to offer to make 
