early as 1642 the French began to direct their attention towards
it, and to form plans for establishing settlements upon
it, and in 1644 théy founded Fort-Dauphin, which was
their principal station, though they afterwards formed colonies
or commercial establishments on several other parts of the
eastern coast. To several French writers, Flacourt, the Abbé
Roebon, and others,* we Owe most of thesinformation-that
had till lately been obtained respecting Madagascar. But thè
English missionaries who in the time of King Radatna had
access to the interior of the island had opportunities of-acquiring
much more extensive and accurate knowledgfe Of SBÖ
habits of the people and of their general history thaii anÿ%f
those-writers who preceded themif ' -Btilb th r ' sum 4KWÉfó
information respecting this island and the tribês of^jieople
who inhabit it is extremely imperfect.
Madagascar is divided ^ by chains^of'1 -mountains?ivbicK
traverse nearly its whole breadth; The » Suffirais o f 'the
highest of ithcse mountains reach the élévation of 8000 «ft
12,000 feet above the level of the sea.J From a'hi^h plateau:
which occupies the central parts o f: the island and IfeaVeS bn
each aide a ■ low g maritime - nearly eqUafi'ë^lèèt,
several broad rivers descend, which abound with fishy as* the
Moanandavaf, the Mananzari, the Manàngâra; the- Aifdevda-
rante, and the Mangouroay which flows from the lake Antsià-
nake, 25 leagues in circumference.
All the fruits of the equatorial regions;of India flourish-in
Madagascar, and it possesses besides a great number vvbich
are peculiar to the island. Some European vegetables succeed
very well oftits soil. Rice is there Collected in abundance
in the marshy tracts, and forms the basis'of the;food of
the natives, who find besideS O great supply of provision in
their numerous herds of oxen, in thé! game and fish which
abound in their woods and rivers and bordering seas;§
* Âff p^^le.Sipiy-, FJacourt, Paris,. 1^61,
A Voyapeto Madagascar fp d"'the East jbadtós:by t^e Âbbé Bichon, 1 voL
8vo.,translâtecf, Eonm }t f&2.
■f Ellis’s Hiàtorÿ Óf Madâ^asicàr, vól. ÏÙ 8vct.uJ>otiëok
% Ellis, ubi^upra;/^ § Nötice Statikïqü^!&c.-t/>
L^ra^r'ia^^.^Pro v in c es of Madagascar. -
: Madagascar is divided into several provinces, which appear
to hàveilh^nooi^naEyisso/ many kifctgdomsfï'ë'r states* or the
raffpp?gf twoi^yntwpî^ttohitprovw4^ralPhe(.northeriiln!<s^iOir
that whi^lijOScupieS the northern
called Yohimarina, andj-thevSoulberalextiemity is Audrey*
The whole list is as follows *—“
f jQ% i5th§ <if astern - îc^st* tfeom^ ihct ndrthe^h; rfeq th# southern'
point^h^^^iviiithëifeHare eleven* p.fcpvincesi' o
j..,-g,
5| Tamatave ; • 6^ Betanimè&hloq^i ^nteva^a MatîMnànay
9, :Yiapgaidrano jcilO* < Anosy ; 1 l/Andfoy.b
Theoext ithMfé arel Maqdtpmvihcikihvi the! scçithe«n\part .of
the island^ that is, j lying tOu^giSiwAwar^goft )the Central
preyjq be ofAnkova.
r 12*jT^ifn^halalav;? a;
^Q%]diëfiWestero or?:Afticaft®ido effAho?ida,nd^from^&é!uthdte
north* on the sencoast*. {
,.15, Menabe, or South
into the Oi? .North
Sakalava.
Inland provinces, in thooeqtral and most feoontainous part
of the island, à
...18, Antsianaka.*; 19,- Ankay ; 220, AnkovEU
In the sou thrwestem «corner of'Madagascar, J
.. 2I)f .Mahafaly-j $2, :Fiai$oana*iK
, The first province>jyohimarina^th^; iiame of which: isvd#
riyed,-perhaps^ from- Yohifear0,,ff many viBagés$cjfc a barren
and mountainous province, ; a s , also fejssë Marqa, thought-more:
populous than Yohimarina* In Maroa is the French settlement
of the Bay of Antongil, near which is the small island
of Marotto and Port the Northward is
likewise hilly, woody, and fertile. On th.e cqast is. thetisland
of St. Maria or Ibrahim, called, emphatically .“. the Frenchman’s
grave,” whither* the Abbé Rochon says^f the greatest