316 
VISITS TO MADAGASCAR. 
CHAP. XII. 
they had retired, I found my hearers somewhat fatigued and 
wishing to halt here for a day before penetrating the great 
forest; and though I was anxious to get beyond the region of 
fever as soon as possible, yet, as the next day was Sunday, I 
was glad to arrange that it should be a day of rest. 
Although my palanquin had been placed near the fire at 
which my supper was cooked, it was not dry when I retired 
to rest. I did not, however, apprehend any inconvenience, as 
it had before been hung up while wet; but I awoke in the 
night in a state of great heat and pain, in consequence of 
which, I kept closely in the house during the whole of the 
following day. 
The morning of Monday was fine, and being anxious to 
proceed, we started early. While the bearers were preparing 
the packages, my attention was attracted by a number of men 
with spears, who were chasing a large black hog past the 
village; and on inquiry I was informed that it was a stray 
hog, probably from the adjacent woods. In some of the 
villages, and even districts, hogs are prohibited by the go¬ 
vernment, at the instance of the diviners or idol keepers, who 
assert that these and other animals are peculiarly obnoxious 
to the idols, which are to some extent regarded as the tute¬ 
lary divinities of the place. Whether it was on this account, 
or merely for the sport, I did not ascertain, but the appear¬ 
ance of the animal produced great excitement in the village. 
Wild boars exist in considerable numbers in the forests. 
According to the descriptions of them given by the natives, 
they are different animals from the domesticated hog, and are 
called by a different name; Jcisoa being the name of the hog, 
but the wild boar is called lambo. They are said to have 
tusks or horns growing under the eyes, probably the callous 
protuberances of the Sus larvatus of Cuvier, which inhabits 
parts of the adjacent continent of Africa. It would seem as 
if the wild boar had at former periods existed in considerable 
