16 
HISTORY OF MADAGASCAR. 
of it as they pass by, in memory of some fabled event of 
olden time. The next is one of the most extensive and 
beautiful in the whole series of lakes; it is called Irangv, 
In some places it is narrow ; in others, the width is consider¬ 
able, and crossing it is difficult, from the extremely rude 
canoes of the natives, and the numbers of crocodiles with 
which its waters are infested. Atakalampona is generally 
selected as a resting-place. This village, which is built on 
an insulated bank, contains forty or fifty houses ; and nearly 
opposite is Ambaribe, an excellent fishing village. 
Irangy becomes very shallow towards its termination, 
where a bank called Fantomaizina, and covered with trees, 
separates it from the adjoining lake Antoby. The bank is 
about half a mile across. A narrow stream, called Andra- 
nopandrana, where there is scarcely water enough at times 
to float the canoes, runs out of Antoby. The next is 
the broad lake Andrasoamasay. Here M. Morillion, a 
trader from Mauritius, who settled at Tananarivo in 1821, 
was unfortunately drowned in 1825. His body was found, 
and buried in the bank by the natives. It was afterwards 
burrowed up, and partly devoured, by crocodiles. The 
natives again got possession of it, wrapped it in cloths, and 
placed it in a tree, beyond the reach of these formidable 
animals, and having communicated the circumstance to 
the friends of the deceased at the capital, his remains 
were conveyed thither, and interred in the missionary or 
European burial-ground. 
Andrasoamasay joins Andrasoa-be, which is the finest 
and noblest of the lakes, being from four to six miles in 
width, and eight or ten in length, having its borders 
enriched and adorned by luxuriant vegetation. At the 
southern extremity of Andraso-abe is the small village of 
Ivavongy, where an old chieftain has been long found 
exceedingly kind and hospitable; he is a man of large 
