It was a pleasure to us during our week’s stay at Mojangà to meet with several old acquaintances among the Hova officers stationed there; anyone coming from their loved Imèrina always received a warm welcome. On the Saturday of the week after our arrival there, the _Packumba_ returned from Africa, and on the following morning we left in her for Aden and Europe. Steaming northwards, we kept in sight of the mainland of Madagascar during the next day, and this appeared bold and mountainous, and very different from the greater portion of the eastern coast of the island. There were many islands rising precipitously out of the sea, while ahead of us the lofty mountains of the island of Nòsibé soon appeared. These looked exactly like portions of the interior of Madagascar set down in the midst of the sea; the same red clay soil and the same markings of valley and ravine as seen all through the interior plateaux. Two or three very regular volcanic cones, truncated and showing the craters, were very prominent; these are parts of that chain of extinct vents of which we have seen numerous examples in our travelling through other parts of the country. Besides the main island of Nòsibé, there are many outlying portions of it, looking like detached islets dropped into the sea. Some of these are densely wooded from base to summit. Altogether, as may be seen from a brief glance at the map, the north-western side of Madagascar is totally different, with its numerous deep bays and inlets, from the eastern side, where there is almost a straight line for many hundreds of miles. The geology of the two sides is very different, and this has powerfully affected their physical geography. We stayed several hours at Nòsibé, discharging and receiving cargo, and it was nearly sunset when we steamed away to the north-west for Mayotta. For several hours we could still see the island and the mainland by the glare of the burning grass on the hillsides; and these, for more than five years subsequently, were the last glimpses we had of Madagascar. [32] See “The South-West Indian Ocean”; by J. C. F. Fryer; _The Geographical Journal_, September 1910; pp. 249-271. [Illustration: MAP FOR “A NATURALIST IN MADAGASCAR.” SEELEY, SERVICE & CO., LIMITED, 38 GREAT RUSSELL STREET, LONDON, W.C.] INDEX Ambòdinangàvo, 70 Adàbo-tree, 252, 289, 299 _Æpyornis_, 213 Agave, the, 32 _Agy_, a stinging plant, 297 Alamazaotra, 63 Alaotra, Lake, 68, 174, 193, 197, 207 Alàtsinainy, 116 Algæ, species of, 200 _Aloe macroclada_, 90 Aloes and agaves, 91 Ambàhy, 270 Ambàtoharànana, 56, 109 Ambàtomànga, 72 Ambàtondrazàka, 178, 205 Ambàtovòry, 127 Ambinàny, chief, 237 Ambòdinònoka, 185 Ambòhidèhilàhy, 184 Ambòhijànahàry, 194 Ambòhimanàrina, 103 Ambòhimànga, 77, 105, 121, 205 Ambòhimiangàra, 209 “Ambòhimitsímbina,” 76 Ambòhinàmboàrina, 229 Ambòhipèno, 188, 253 Ambòhitròmby, 187 Ambòhitritankàdy, 120