154 
VISITS TO MADAGASCAR. 
CHAP. VI. 
engaged our attention. The opinions entertained, the usages 
observed, the course of procedure followed by individuals 
or communities in other Christian countries, were all matters 
of lively interest to them; and, to the best of my ability, I 
endeavoured to give them, on these and similar subjects, 
such information as seemed most likely to be useful as well 
as interesting to them. 
The subject of general education was always a welcome 
and interesting topic. Many seemed anxious also to know 
more of the world, as well as the condition and pursuits of 
its various inhabitants; and I often regretted that I had not 
with me an atlas, some good maps, or a globe, which might, 
at one view, have corrected many of their erroneous ideas on 
questions of geography; while the same means might have 
given them more correct ideas of the general outline, relative 
position, and extent of the several portions of our globe. The 
war with the Russians, which about this time commenced, 
though naturally a subject of great excitement, and of fre¬ 
quent conversation among the foreigners residing on the 
island or visiting the port, did not appear to interest the 
people so much as some of the reports they had heard of rail¬ 
ways and steam navigation, or the electric telegraph. I did 
not hear that a steam-vessel had ever visited Tamatave. 
In answer to my inquiries, I learned that although there 
were no longer any public schools, most of the intelligent 
members of the community were deeply sensible of the value 
of education, and that the chiefs, and others who were able 
to read, used their best endeavours to teach their own chil¬ 
dren. I was also informed, but am not certain how correctly, 
that books with the words arranged in lines extending across 
the page were prohibited; but that books with the words 
arranged in columns—I suppose spelling-books — would be 
gladly received. 
I was naturally led to make many inquiries respecting the 
