The granite of these mountains is of pink felspar, of fine grain and delicate tint. It is in a very rotten condition. Is this the result of weather only: or does it come of the fierce heats of the volcanic region by which it is entirely surrounded? The district in which we were now travelling, from the Kitsamby south and from the Vava Váto mountains to the sea is called MENABE, the “great red” land. It deserves the name, for the red clay is most conspicuous on all its western side. The population continues for only one day’s journey to the west. It is worthy of note that while on the eastern edge of Imerina the first descent is covered with thick forest along the entire line of country, the first descent on the west, both in the Mándridráno and Ménabé, is quite bare of wood: the terrace below for at least fifteen miles westward is bare also. There is brushwood in the hollows; but there is no forest properly so called. Farther south on the western edge of the Betsileo, M. Grandidier’s map indicates that there is forest. We now looked forward to a visit to the Norwegian Mission Stations, which were not far away; and the first of which, AMBOHIMASINA, is only six miles south of Antoby. We had already obtained three bearings of both the village and the Mission-house from various points. Taking farewell of our kind hosts, we left Antoby on Tuesday, April 28th, and had a pleasant run of two hours and a half, over the clay hills, and across the Ikokomy river, to Ambohimasina; where we were most kindly welcomed by Mr. Eganes of the Norwegian Mission: and joined him in a late breakfast. Mr. Eganes has lived a lonely life for two or three years at this distant station: but he has gathered round him the apparatus for Christian work: has built a simple, comfortable dwelling-house, and school: has been learning Malagasy; and now joined by a good wife, who was at the time of our visit on her voyage, he is prepared to devote all his strength and time to the instruction of the people around him. At one o’clock we set out for the station of BETAFO, distant about fifteen miles. The journey was somewhat long and the road rough and unknown: but the bearers were as anxious as ourselves to arrive before dark, and they stepped well forward. Mr. Sewell and I brought in the rear of the party just before six o’clock and we were soon comfortably housed under the hospitable roof of Mr. and Mrs. Eng. I will not describe the details of our journey: but the ground over which we had travelled is in many respects remarkable, as illustrating the manner in which the present surface of Madagascar has been formed.