HISTORY OF MADAGASCAR. 
7 
enumerates, concluding with gold; he further states, 44 the 
old Earl of Denbigh brought home from this island of 
Madagascar, gold sand, which he presented to the king’s 
majesty and the council-board; and I was at the council- 
board when this gold sand was in question, and approved of.” 
Had this been correct, it is not likely that the circum¬ 
stance would have been lost sight of, far more vigorous 
efforts would certainly have been made to discover this 
precious metal. The gold sand in question was, in all 
probability, brought from the adjacent coast of Africa. 
However this may be, iron ore, a mineral to a nation in the 
infancy of its civilization far more valuable than gold, has 
been found so rich and abundant as to be rendered avail¬ 
able to the natives, by a rude and simple process of smelt¬ 
ing, for almost every purpose for which it is at present 
required. A great part of the interior district of Ankova 
abounds with iron. Its quality is good, but the want of 
coal, which has hitherto been sought for in vain, renders 
the smelting of it difficult. In the district of Imamo, which 
lies to the west of the capital, great quantities of iron ore, 
in a very perfect state, are found on the surface of the 
ground: the portion of iron is so large in some ore, as 
perhaps to have occasioned the remark in Rochon, a remark 
which is certainly not warranted by facts, that native steel 
is found in Madagascar. The iron in the mountain of 
Ambohimiangavo is so abundant, that it is called by the 
natives, 46 iron-mountain.” 
Rock-salt is found near the coast, and nitre has been 
met with; and also, abundance of pyrites, yielding a 
valuable per centage of sulphur. The nitre appears like 
hoar-frost on the surface of embankments, and other pro¬ 
jecting parts of the ground, and is called by the people, 
sira tany , salt of the earth: it is not, however, plentiful 
