, 1875-03-06
FAMILIAR TALK.

mi IA n4]4d
1am,,,, h...saa. on .aa I'm ,,,,os T., hro,1u,
ie's"'' oot"oo" ooo hua avu .a..o' :" '''"' ,
and han an area ot hnont zai'4so square a''e7'
1t exceeds In cxtcnt tho i'rltish lsloo mud Las
ponuation Of abovo &, O0J, 900.
Tho Inland ia trayorscd by lofty ,aounta!s-
-. ....t - ..t... -, , -, ~, lii
.aieo seseu ~ " nv "'u.e rsm~' no .'e' W ~
suao or from 4o'ouo 70 l%ooo ieet' anu "a'oa
toward tho soa. Tho land In we'll wasorod,--A
eert.a NJ ,tvcr. f7o,vinrr fron, tln mouttnns tn
.t,o oastorn mr., ,rn.,e,n a,,orca nIanv n tim
~, oA"s.' .'.tN.,,s sIa ~ ~ n...,,,,,,.,
1sefe arc n"VIAaoe' ana olio, 'no oc'a'o"h"' IN
400 miles loug. Tho island Ia Also abundantly
s,rpod With ttmbor,-t hotng for tho most
ua1t cnvarea with foro.ta. which enyelop hill
s1 ssa s.,,a, ,.,,,, .ro,,tc,t vaw,,..;n, p.,,ns
haonAbs mangss' aaao'sfocs anu Ugh pfo'a'l III
all tho wooded districts.
Although tho island IL ait,lntesl almost wholly
within thc Torr1a yono. Il hne . vida r,nro of
'ampota'ate ana 0l.1'a.e, o".ns ~ ~ 'at'o's o'
elevation. On tho hiilsdos, the cIttnnto IL agrsc-
ablo and nalubEious; but, In tho low'anls, It is
r,n1arions and unhealthy. On ttls Account. tie
.o""' nv "e""', "s .,a u. ''I".su ~ ,. s'ss'. ~
thnaoariso' tho capital e1tS' ID iocatoo among
tho mountains. a. hoieht OF 1000 fcot above
the sea. The Royal palace occupies tho summit
, ~ sH - ~ .,...i,,,,sa =, ' .tn .,io, nnoo..
fo""ia ~ "1e LUZ ."e'A'''t;n Va 'n' e1'o4 "'eots
OF Government. lilo remaining houses compos"
ing Tue town are Situated on tho afopes below.
sl,apc,-stmpie hnts covered With tta!ch: Tho
approach to tho ctr from Tamtanc. the PRINCIPAL
Seaport Of Madagascar: is extremely difficult,
owing to tho W0nt of roads.
Tho highways nto moro paths winding through
tho foresta and 1p and down tho mountains,
without any AIM qt a!sGtnG,a s a Or sn;n Of eg
means Of working It nro yery. dcictont. 10th
tho fauna nnd tho flora Of Madagascar arc Varied
aut tintcrettinZ, including many species Of plants
and hnrnsls not elsewhere found. Among tho
IrnyoIorn troe t1.anin *pcciosn> and tho beauti-
ful Lattice-leaf plant 0NpirandTd jr1icsira|fs).
Tho Travoler's ttco derives its namo from tho
fact that tta leaf.stalks hro filed, even i1 tho
driebt Heaeona. with 4 plkc, palatahlc liquid
each stalk yielding, on being pierced, moro than
quart Of the fluid. Tho stcni Of tho troo sends
out leaves on two oppos'tc. sides, which form
growth likc great expanded fnn. Tho lower
singh tree Will not boar At onco over t1onty
or twcnty-fo,tr. Each leaf has n htalk 6 or 8
foot long, and hriehs.Rrcen, Shining blade
from 10 6 feet tn lougtli. The loaves nro much
for tho partitions aud wallis Of their houses.
Tho inhabitants OF Madagascar consist Of VA
rtous tribuH. tho most powerful Of which arc tho
Iioraa.--a brosn-aklnnatt. Btrafght-hnired. fine
if-IuVlllt4OltGA 4hGSf "AtH AGhttA11 linz tAS
soutl,-Eoa Islanders. They AFRO. probably Of
Malay extraction. There In a largo mixture
Of Arab ot,d negro blood In other tribcg Of tho
island. Within less than contury, Madagascar
was divided into more thnn hundred soparata
and hostile Governments; but during tho last
fifty yearB, tho Hovas hayo acquired tho nntro
sunrcmacy Of tho island.
The frat foreign settlemont was mado by tho
French at Antongil Bay. on tho east coast, in
Tho year 1774 bit It Has ultimately abandoned.
In 1865 ftatiatna l. nscellCet tho throne OF the
Ilor.e, and immediately made friendly ndvances
to the Englirh. 1Io introduced tho furniture,
rrosa. and customs Of the Europoans into Ills
Court, and mada strenuous o1ertions to promote
tic uaefut arts and hablta Of civilization AMONG
hia peoplo. IIc invited missionaries to the
HcinnIa uern natab1jahnd. In which 0i}0 chill
frnn Te1o tauUht to read and vriio, 4 printing
pso.n was rot up, aud tho Bible and numerous
cducatlonal and religious books and srncss Norc
p1r mt INTO a;.'s ctIen'ataona 1do x,,,.,, fave s
foehic. Thcsr iioia ncro scarcely moro than