HISTORY OF MADAGASCAR. 
9 
example, in travelling from the centre of the island west¬ 
ward, after leaving the inhabited parts of Ankova, about a 
week’s journey must be performed through a desert, before 
reaching any villages in the adjoining districts of the 
Sakalavas. The surface of the country is in general con¬ 
siderably diversified, and presents the usual characteristics 
of primitive, secondary, volcanic, and the other formations 
associated with these, in different parts of the globe. In 
this respect the island exhibits a greater resemblance to 
many portions of South America, or India, than to any 
equal section of the adjacent continent of Africa. The 
outlines of its varied features are, however, less bold 
and stupendous than those of America, and inferior in 
dimensions to those of the Asiatic or African continents. 
Many parts, especially on the eastern, northern, and 
southern borders, may be appropriately denominated 
mountainous; but the altitude of the highest mountains 
is greatly below that of several in islands of less ex¬ 
tended boundary in other parts of the torrid zone. The 
broad extent of table-land in the interior is itself consi¬ 
derably elevated ; and from it, Ankaratra and other moun¬ 
tains rise, yet the highest are probably not more than 
8,000 or 12,000 feet above the level of the sea. Few exact 
measurements have yet been taken, but from observations 
made by a common level, and from the direction of the 
rivers, there is reason to conclude that the highest moun¬ 
tains in the island are, Angavo, near Ambatomanga, in 
Imerina, and Ankaratra, the south-west boundary of An¬ 
kova, Andringitra in Imerina, and n.n.w. from Tananarivo 
and langogora, called also Vigarora, in the northern extre¬ 
mity of the island. The first three of these rise to the 
greatest elevation above the level of the sea, the last is the 
highest from the base to the summit. By some, the chain. 
