326 
VISITS TO MADAGASCAR. 
CHAP. XI r. 
over a large part of the lower ground; a few only of these fields 
being now cultivated, their aspect seemed to indicate that 
the population had, in former times, been much larger than 
at present, Our road led us towards a large enclosure formed 
by walls nine or ten feet high, the roof-shaped top of the 
wall being armed with pointed spikes, firmly cemented in 
the sun-hardened clay of which the wall was composed, and 
placed within a few inches of each other around the whole 
enclosure. As the gates to this enclosure were open we passed 
through, and in the centre passed by a large and well built 
house of wood, with floors, and several apartments; while 
within the same enclosure I noticed a number of inferior 
structures. The whole was in good preservation, and was 
altogether the most feudal or aristocratic looking place we 
had met with. 
Soon after leaving the enclosure we crossed the clear- 
flowing river Yalala, and wound our way through plantations 
along a path formed on the side of steep banks, through deep 
nuttings in clay, and by large blocks of granite, to one of the 
villages of Prince Ramonja, at the foot of Angavo (lite¬ 
rally the lofty), a high massive mountain that had been long 
in sight. This was the first fortified village we had entered. 
The ditch was deep, the path across it to the gateway narrow. 
The wall or fence on the upper side of the ditch was termin¬ 
ated by large upright stones; and the gate itself, a large 
slab or stone which it would require a number of men to 
move, stood against the wall just within the gateway. I 
passed through the village to the house of Ramonja, a well 
built wooden edifice with a lofty narrow roof. 
As soon as I had entered the house, an aged woman, tall, 
but shrivelled and grey-headed, rose from her seat, and, 
stooping as she moved, came towards me, bursting into the 
most passionate expressions of joy, and exclaiming—“Efa 
tonga! efa tonga! is come, is come!” then clasping my hand 
