After spending several pleasant days in this district, on Wednesday, April 22d, we turned southward, with a view to visit the mission station of Antoby and thence go on to Betafo. Hitherto we had travelled to a large extent along the line of the Imerina valleys. Now we were to cross them; and as they run out from Ankárat westward, are numerous and often deep, we had rather a wearisome time until we had passed over the clay country and had left it behind us. We passed many noble hills on the way. Vinany, a grand towering hill of gneiss, proved an excellent observing station and gave us a fine prospect of the country. Under another noble hill, Antsárabé, the river Kitsamby comes down from the roots of Tsi-áfakáfo. We found it a fine stream; two hundred feet broad, three and a half feet deep, with a current of two and a half miles an hour: the water was thick and brown with clay. Looking up stream we saw that the river flows through a fine gorge between lofty ridges. To the west it passes over rapids at the foot of a gneiss hill, and far out on the plains, it receives the waters of several streams and then flows round the south end of the great ridge of Sapilá fifteen miles away. Climbing again to the level of the plain, up a long basin beautifully cut out of the clay, we crossed successively the Sahomby, which flows out from the Lake of Vinánynóny: then other small streams: then the Sáhasáhatra which drains the north side of the Vava Vato; a rapid river, a hundred feet broad, which has cut through everything to the primitive rock. A lofty hill, Ambohitrolona, gave us a fine prospect of the Kitsamby river and the western plains: and brought under our eye the first of the Hova military stations, under the Sapila range. Another river of clear, sparkling water, the Nangalána, next crossed our road; followed by a smaller stream deeply coloured with clay: when, tired with our three days’ climbing up and down these numerous valleys we safely reached the ANTOBY Mission-house, on Friday afternoon. The kind welcome of our friends Mr. and Mrs. Clemes soon made us forget our troubles: and with quiet Sabbath services we enjoyed in a double way a sense of rest. There is no town at Antoby. The Mission is planted in the midst of small villages, and has many others of greater or less importance at various distances, as out-stations. We had already passed several of these and saw others during our visit. At the same time we thought that the sphere of labour is a limited one; the working of it involves a great deal of toil: and it is only peculiar circumstances, that suggested the position and that are best controlled by an English missionary’s personal influence, which justify the appropriation of a missionary even for a limited time, when larger spheres are open to him. The Mission-house is a most modest dwelling, simply and neatly furnished; and though too small, more completely realises my idea of a country Mission-house than others which I have seen.