214 
HISTORY OF MADAGASCAR. 
or other causes, the baneful miasma produces the fever and 
ague so fatal to numbers of the inhabitants, the climate may 
be regarded as conducive to health, vigour, and longevity. 
But though the Malagasy are thus favourably situated, 
they are not exempt from a large measure of disease and 
suffering, the universal fruits of sin; while the inveteracy 
of the one, and the severity of the other, are greatly 
increased by the vices to which they are addicted. Though 
their diseases are not numerous, one of the Missionaries 
had, during his residence among them, not fewer than 
between fifty and sixty different kinds of disease brought 
under his notice. Very few of their maladies are acute, they 
are chiefly chronic; and though many of the afflicted pass a 
considerable portion of their lives under various degrees of 
suffering, but few are carried off suddenly. Many of the 
diseases are common to other countries, while some are 
peculiar to islands—among the latter, the most alarming 
and destructive is the Madagascar fever. 
The Malagasy fever, or rather fever and ague together, 
is called tazo. This is the most prevalent and destructive 
malady in the whole island, especially to the Hovas and 
Europeans. Ankova, Fort Dauphin, and some of the 
northern provinces, are the only parts of Madagascar which 
are throughout the whole year exempt from its formidable 
ravages. Other parts are exempt at certain seasons; and 
in some provinces it is so destructive, that certain districts 
are said to resemble, during the months of December, 
January, and February, the fabled valley of the deadly 
Upas, where the whole atmosphere was loaded with poison. 
To these districts in Madagascar, condemned criminals are 
sent, and seldom survive for any length of time, their 
arrival in these regions of death. Mr. Hastie describes 
a district of this kind, over which he travelled in 1822, as 
