336 VISITS TO MADAGASCAR. chaf. xii, 
strong stockade; the latter by thick stone walls. The exten¬ 
sive introduction of fire-arms, and also of cannon, within the 
last forty years, has rendered these fortifications useless, and 
they are consequently neglected; but so long as the only 
weapons of attack were the pointed stick, or the long sharp 
iron-headed spear, they must have afforded considerable 
security. Their chief weapons of defence at that time were 
stones, or fragments of rock, which were hurled at the assail¬ 
ants, or rolled down upon them while in the fosse; and against 
the latter the hard-wooded and hide-bound shields of the 
attacking party afforded no protection. In closer conflict both 
parties used the spear, which is the national weapon of the 
Malagasy. 
The morning was bright, the air cool, and the breeze re¬ 
freshing, and after travelling over a fine open country covered 
with thick grass, we approached Ambatomanga, a conspi¬ 
cuous and romantic looking village. It was . in full view 
some time before we reached its walls. It stood upon the 
summit of a low round hill, one side of which was formed of 
precipitous rock rising from the level of the valley to a height 
of about four hundred feet. On one side a considerable 
stream flowed round the base of the hill, and furnished water 
for extensive plantations of rice spread far over the bottom 
of the valley, and in terraces along the lower sides of the 
hills.. The slope of the hill, and part of the adjacent land, 
were enclosed, and planted with a few trees and vegetables. 
The road, crossing a bridge of stone slabs, led up to a narrow 
path over the fosse to the opening in the walls by which the 
village was surrounded, and which were in good preservation. 
The interior was not so crowded with houses as many of the 
villages in the country, and I noticed clusters of trees in 
several places, as if small orchards were attached to some of 
the dwellings. The houses were all built after the Hova 
style, with high narrow roofs, the rafters at each end project- 
