120 
HISTORY OF MADAGASCAR. 
The Bezanozano and Antsianaka, are supposed to have 
been conquered, and first separated, in a state of captivity, 
or driven by war from the other Sakalavas, though the 
distance to which they are removed is not great: the 
Bezanozano, on the east, (occupying Ankaratra,) may be 
supposed to have descended from the northern Sakalavas, 
occupying Iboina, &c., and the Bezanozano on the north¬ 
west, have probably descended from the Sakalavas of Am- 
bongo or Menabe. 
The next division of the country, according to the races 
of the people, is the Betsileo, lying immediately within that 
of the southern Sakalavas, and comprehending the interior 
or central provinces of the island. It extends from Anka¬ 
ratra southward, through Tatsimo to Tanosy; Tatsimo 
being another name for “southern Betsileo.” The Tanosy 
seem to be a branch of the southern Betsileo, blended 
with the Betanimena, whose country proceeds from the 
southern extremity along the eastern side of the island, 
and stretches to Anteva, the province bordering on the 
country of the Batanimena and the Bezanozano. 
The country of the Betsileo also includes rather less 
of the north part of the island than formerly. The region 
immediately beyond the Ankaratra range of hills to the 
south, sometimes called the Betsileo country, probably 
belonged to the latter before they were subdued by the 
Hovas, nearly forty years ago. But the country to the 
south, nearest the Ankaratra, is now reckoned a part of 
Ankova, and is called Vakinankaratra, i. e. “ broken off 
by Ankaratra,” and this proceeds south to the Imania; but 
from the Imania southward, to a limit not very accurately 
defined, the country is called Betsileo. Beyond this 
boundary it is called Tatsimo, or southern Betsileo, and 
though Vakinankaratra is now one of the six divisions of 
