CHAP. XT. FORMALITIES ON HALTING AT A VILLAGE. 
291 
frequently met with the astrapsea afterwards, but always 
growing near the water, and its branches frequently stretching 
over a lake or river. 
After reaching the landing place, we passed about a mile 
over stiff wet clay, and had to cross a piece of water so deep, 
that Sodra was obliged to place me across his shoulders, in 
order to keep me dry. We then walked along a path ankle- 
deep in mud, until a little after ten o’clock, when we reached 
Ambohibohazo, another considerable village, formerly go¬ 
verned by its own independent chief, whose power was 
supreme over the lives and property of the people. 
On reaching a halting place, especially if towards the evening, 
the head man of the village soon learned from some of the 
officers of our party the general objects of my journey, and 
shortly afterwards came with a present of rice and fowls, or 
other kind of provision, for my refreshment. The quantity 
brought seemed to bear some proportion to the size and 
importance of the place; and when the rice and fowls, &c., 
were laid on the floor, the chiefs who brought them gene¬ 
rally apologised for the smallness of the present, but desired 
thus to express their loyalty to their rulers, and their good 
will towards the friend of the queen, and the prince, who had 
come to their village. I then, in a few words, expressed my 
sense of their kindness, but the Hova officers replied at much 
greater length, and the speaking at times was quite a formal 
and protracted affair on both sides. It seemed to be a kind 
of acknowledgment of the high descent of official sacredness, 
and supreme authority of the reigning family, as well as a 
declaration of fidelity and attachment on the part of the 
chiefs of the place, with a recognition and acceptance of the 
same on behalf of the sovereign and her son by the Hova 
officers. No return on my part for these presents would 
have been allowed by the officers, but I was always glad, on 
departing in the morning, to give a piece of cotton cloth, or 
