281 
VISITS TO MADAGASCAR. 
CHAP. XT. 
could find no seeds. I also met with a number of beautiful 
plants, from four to six feet high, with leaves like a pleroma, 
and flowers resembling a petunia, having a rich scarlet throat 
and creamy lip. I told the man who accompanied me, a 
native of the place, if, when the seeds were ripe, he would 
gather them for me, I would pay him well for his trouble; 
but I had little hope of securing any, for the natives cannot 
understand why we should attach any value to such things. 
I afterwards found, in a damp, shady place, two or three 
flowers somewhat like gentians in form, and of a deep blue 
colour; and in a dry, open space adjacent, I met with a 
number of plants of the same species, with abundance of 
ripe seed, which I carefully preserved.* 
In the evening Izaro returned, having obtained a good 
supply of rice. Some chiefs of my own party, and two or 
three of their friends from the neighbourhood, came to my 
lodgings, and we spent some time in reading and in important 
and cheering conversation. After which they retired, and I 
wrote up my journal. 
Our next day’s journey was to be by water upon the lake 
Imoasa, which, as well as the spacious lake we had crossed, is 
said to be infested with crocodiles, which have occasionally 
seized and destroyed cattle while crossing the ford. The 
morning was wet, and it was between seven and eight o’clock 
before I started in the last canoe of our fleet, and though it 
rained most of the way many objects of interest presented 
themselves as we passed along. We saw a few water fowl, 
and passed a number of fences or enclosures for catching fish. 
We saw also large patches of the white water lily. The lake 
* Two plants produced by some of this seed have blossomed at Hoddesdon 
during the past autumn ; and in reply to a note, with specimens of the flowers 
and a drawing of the plant, which, in the beginning of November, I sent to Sir 
W. J. Hooker, he observes, “ Your plant is a very interesting one, never known 
alive in Europe. It is, however, described by De Candolle. The genus is 
peculiar to Madagascar, and the species is Tachiadenus carinatus. I shall be 
able to give a good figure of it, thanks to Mrs. Ellis’s clever drawing.” 
