280 
VISITS TO MADAGASCAR. 
CHAP. XT. 
seemed even to exceed a foot and a half in length; hut the 
Angrcecum superbum was most abundant. Some of the or¬ 
chids greatly resembled certain varieties of dendrobium, being 
about the size and form of D. Pierardi. There were, also, 
several bulbs, apparently varieties of Watsonia, exhibiting 
pink and lilac flowers; but I had not the heart to stop the 
men, so as to allow me to examine them more carefully. 
The little slender modest blue-flowered lobelia appeared in 
great abundance during some parts of the journey. But ex-* 
cept when passing through the forest, the road lay over wet, 
marshy ground, having a sandy surface, with apparently 
shallow lagoons spreading a mile or two towards the in¬ 
terior. 
After travelling about eighteen miles, we halted at Andra- 
nokoditra, a village of about a dozen houses, standing on a 
high bank of sand rising gradually from the shore of an ex¬ 
tensive lagoon. The country towards the interior was well 
wooded, and more elevated than any we had passed through, 
and on the opposite side of the lake, the little village ,of Ma- 
naoka embowered among trees, and standing oh a rising 
ground, with a tall flag-staff in the centre, from which on 
stated occasions the ensign of the sovereign was unfurled, 
added much to the charms of the landscape. 
The houses in the villages at which we had hitherto halted, 
had been for the most part small, slightly constructed, and 
dirty; seldom protecting their inmates from the heavy rains 
which at this season of the year are so frequent. The inha¬ 
bitants did not appear to suffer from want of food; and though 
much could not be said for their cleanliness or comfort, I saw 
but comparatively few sick persons. The people who reside 
constantly in these unhealthy districts are reported to enjoy 
in general immunity from the fever which is often so fatal 
to natives from more elevated and healthy districts of the 
country, as well as to foreigners. 
Rain again fell abundantly through the night; but before 
