New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-01-28
MADAGASCAR.


just now considerable attention in both Eng
land and France, appears to rise, says "A writer
In The Nineteenth Century, like huge sea mon
ster out of the waters. III mas Is remaIhau'y
compact and regular outline; Tor many nun,
dred miles it's eastern shore is almost u stralghi
line. but on it's northwestern side it is indented
by number of deep land cked Rnlfs, winch IN
clude some of the finest harbors IN the Worlu;
About third of It's interior to the noitn anu
east is occupied 10y IN elevated nouhtnino oIs
region, ased from 5000 to 5000 feot above the
sea-, and consisting of primary rocks-granite;
gneiss, and basalt--prObably very ahcient lang
and forming during the secondary geotVsl.'i
epoch an island much smaller than the Mauu-
gascar of to-day. While the oolitc ana chaik
rocks of England were ecinS slowly lald down
under northern soas the extensive coast plains
Of Madagascar. especially on its western anu
southern sides, were again anu agar, ul 55
water, and arc still raised only Few huhdIen
feet above tho ca-level. From southeast 10
north and northwest there extends bnnd OF
extinct volcanoes, connected probably Win the
old craters of the COmoro group. where, ~
Great ComorO, tho subterrancaD forces are sun
active. Ali round the island runs giruie Oh
dense forest varying from ten 10 forty miles IN
width, and containing fine timber ana valuanic
gums aud other vegetable woalth-a paradise
for bOtaDists, where rare orchids. INC graGelui
traycur's-tree, the delicate lattce-leai plant,
the gorgeous flambOyant, and many OtheT eiSe,
where unknown forms Of life abound and
where doubtless much still awaits ruler re-
aearch.
While the fora of Madagascar is remar kably
abundant,its fauna is strangely limited ana con
tains none of the various and plentiful fo,ins OF
mammalian life which make Southern and Cen
trail Africa the paradise OF spOrtsmcn. The an
Gent land of the island has preserved antique
forms Of life many species OF leDilr make tne
forest resOund with their cries and these with
the curious and highly specis aye-aye, ana
peculiar species of viverrdg aud lnsccuvora,
are probably survivors" Of an Old World exis-
tence, when Madagascar was one OF an archi-
pelago of large islands whose remains are only
small islands like the Seychelles and Mascareno
groups, or corsl banks and atolls like the
Chagos Amrante, and others which are Slowly
disappearing beneath the ocean. Until two or
three hundred years ago, the coast plaiDs OF
Madagascar were troddeh Dy Tue gIeat s'iut,
ious bird, the Epyornis, apparently the most
gigantic member of the av-fauna or the world
and whose enormous eggs probably gave use 10
the story of the Rukh of the Arabian Nights:
IL will be evident, therefore, that Madagascar II
full of interest as regards its scientific aspects.
A REMOTE NORTHERN SETTLEMENT.
CAPTAIN Dawson, who IS in command of one
of tho British circumpolar expeditions. gives In
Nature this picture of River and Lake Atha-
basca. On July %, he writes: We reached me
Athabasca, a splendid river. usually bali mile
In width sometimes more. It's course IN pretty
straight 10 the north. SO we often had view OF
some fifteen mi les or so down the valley. AS
we drifted down the river the pines BEGAN to
give place to poplar the poplar to willow, the
willow to reeds, till at last We saw Lake Atha-
basca before us, q rocky coast to tho north, ana
to the east water as fur as the eye could reach
A fresh breeze took us across the lake IN TWO
hours and we received hospitable welcome
| at Fort Chpewaian, together with all s0rts
of Injuries that had become quite strange to us.
This is quito a largo place; there are about
| a dozen houses, two churches. two bishops. a
sisterhood, and some missionaries. The country
| is rocky and most desOlate. To the south ana
west the great lake stretches away to the horl
zon, and the land view If composed OF hilis OF
reddish granite, no soil, plants growing here
and there out of occasional creyjces and n few
stunted frs scattered about There are woods
i'm tho valleys but the trees arc OF no size. No
sound breaks the stiffness but the weird cry OF
the LOOM q sort of maniacal laugh that ID almost
a wall and the solitude is heightened by the
reflection that for 200 miles north south,
east and west all is wilderness. Toward the
lake the view Is pretty, as there are many
! islands covered with pines.
It Ia curious living together without money,
as one does IN this country. Everything IS done
By barter the unit Of.value being O. skin the
average value Of q beaver kin Is saIG to DO
worth twenty ducks. or forty 'wbiteish or
twenty plugs Of tobacco, 80 that for plug OF
| tobacco (ahOut an % or one can get duck or
| two whtefsh, large fish about two feet long
and very good eating. This place. like all
other habtations In the northwest, swarms
with large, wOf-liko dogs. These are used in
winter for drawing carIioles, aud team oi
| four dogs will draw 500 pounds or more. Tho
Indians use them, too, In the summer as pack
animals.