1805. ] 
rice was ferved upon a mat covered with 
large plaintain-leaves; the difhes aad 
f{poons were formed of the fame leaves, ; 
they likewife fabricated from them, in an 
infant, a goblet very fimilar to the paper 
covering of a fugar-loaf. The drink con- 
fifted of rice-water, prepared by boiling it 
amongft the remains of the rice that had 
been allowed. to contrag&t an empyreumatic 
tafte and odour, in the veffél wherein our 
repalt was cooked. This repaft the na- 
tives. termed aro. 
I made, on the 23d of Auguft, another 
excurfion into the country, on the fouth 
fide of the ifland. | 
On our leaving Mahaveli, we followed 
the courfe of the fea-{hore, which, in this 
parts is a ftrip of land, witha gentle flope. 
A long narrow reef prefents a barrier ata 
certain diftance from the coatt, and forms 
what is called the barachais, or inner. 
harbour, of Foul-Pointe, wherein veflels 
may ride in perfect fafety. his port, in 
its prefent unimproved ftate, has nota fuf- 
ficient depth of water to admit veflels of 
large burden ; but I am of opinion, that 
it would neither be dificult nor expenfive, 
if the country were once thoroughly fet- 
tled, to render it a capacious haven, by 
removing the fand, and building on the 
reefs, the greatek part of which is difco- 
verable at low water, 
After crofling a rivulet, about two hun- 
dred toifes from the village, we took our 
road through the favannahs, the foil of 
which appeared to be very fufceptible of 
cultivation. Here the face of the country 
is fo diverlified by plains and hillocks, 
dotted with trees, as to render it extremely 
picturefque and agreeable. iy 
Some tracts of land on the fea-coaft are 
covered with water, and fuil of reeds and 
aquatic plants ; but they might be eafily 
drained and cultivated, fo. as to render 
them falubrious. A foreft extends be- 
tween the fea-coaft and the favannas for 
three leagues. 
In penetrating into this wood, we found 
it compofed.of palm, and a great variety 
of other trees, and that the foil was of an 
excellent quality, being a rich black 
mould, On returning to the fea fhore, 
after travelling about three leagues, we- 
came to a village called Macine-Ranou, 
fituated near to the mouth of a river of 
the fame name. 
_ yellow water in the language of the na- 
tives. 
Tt is a fmallevillage inhabited by fither-, 
men, who are almott con(iantly employed 
in the taking of whales, in large pirogues, 
or Indian boats. This fithery, which 
Monruty Maa. No. 330. 
Macine Ranou fignifies . 
Defeription of the Bland of Madagafiar E49 
might be rendered a very fraitful fource 
of commercial fpeculation, by the extra¢- 
tion of the oil from thefe animals, pre- 
fents only to the natives a means of pro- 
curing fubGftence, for which purpofe they 
cut up the flefh into pieces, and falt them. 
During a favourable feafon, however, a 
few French fhips occafionally engage in 
this fithery, for the fake of the oil, an ar- 
ticle that always fells well at the Ile of 
France. 
After crofling in a pirogue the Macine~ 
Ranou, we proceeded to the village of Ma- 
nourou, which is fituated on the other fide, 
very near the mouth of the river. 
This village is compofed of a very 
{mall number of huts. In its neighbour- 
hood the French occupy a fmall piece of 
ground, about the extent of a denii-hec- 
tare, inclofed by palifades, wherein they 
have conftruted two huts after the man- 
ner of the country, one of which (erves-as 
a lodging, while the other is employed as 
amagazine for rice and other commo- 
dities. This poft, at that time, was folely 
entrufted to the care of a free negro of 
Aryeouan, named Mallet. | 
Very near the village Jaf-mentioned is 
another river, named Gloutchi, which 
takes a foutherly courfe, and mingles its 
waters with thofe of the Macine-Ranou, 
We were aflured, that the country 
through which it runs is extremely fertile. 
We afcended the Macine-Ranou till our 
arrival at its confluence with another river, 
nearly of the fame fize with itfelf. On 
our return to Foul-Pointe, we purfued a 
different route. We pafled through ia 
country full of woods and : favanaoas, 
agreeably  diverfified by fine groves of 
trees and fhrabs to the village of Waran, 
which is diftant about a league from that 
of Manourou, fituated in the weft. 
-Yaran is a very large village, built up- 
on a long hill, which ftretches from wet 
to eaft, and overlooks, on the right and 
left, two extenfive plains planted with 
rice, pleafingly intermixed with f{cattered 
habitations.” The prefpett is terminated 
on every: fide by nicuatains covered with 
wood, but not of great elevation. 
I obferved that the bhoufes of this vil- 
lage were more neatly built than tho!e of 
any other I had previouly fen. Their 
infide was clean, and covered with mats, 
but very fimply furnifhed. The inhabi-. 
tants were exiremely affable ; they uni- 
formly received us in a friendly manner, 
with a fmiling covntenance, and their 
ufual falutation, fzarts. Fhe roids 
appeared to be much trodden and fie- 
quented, 
4B pee 
