On Monday, June 22d, we resumed our journey early: and towards midday approached the great inner belt of forest, which occupies so conspicuous a position in the geography of the country. It forms the western boundary of Ankay; appears in wonderful loveliness at Angavo; and continues in unbroken grandeur, west of the Tanála, and as far south as Ambóndrombé. It is not forest alone; it is a great gneiss wall, running down the entire length of the country, the edge of the upper plateau of the island: and the forest clothes and beautifies it. Near its inner side we crossed the branches of the small river Manánta, another feeder of the Betsiboka, running north-west. We crossed the ridge by a noble pass, Ambárabáram-vato, the “gate of rock.” A climb of five hundred feet from the clay plain brought us to the summit, a narrow ledge, about three yards wide: from whence we had an extensive view over the Ankay plain, as well as over the basin we had just quitted and its continuation to the west. We found that the hill on which we stood had a second summit a short distance away, called Ambohimila. We took important observations, to fix the hill: and through all our trip, its two lofty peaks proved a conspicuous landmark to which other points might be referred. We descended by a natural staircase of huge granite blocks: then reached the clay, which was very wet and slippery; crossed a low clay ridge, covered with forest, through which our palankins with difficulty found a way; and at last came into a fine long valley, bordered with noble hills, whereon the forest seemed thicker, richer and more lovely than ever. The total descent from the crest of the hill was 1280 feet. It will be remembered that at Angavo (a point on the same wall further south), our ascent was 1206 feet. On the outer side of the wall we observed hundreds of rounded buttresses, with deep inlets between. Though we had reached a comparative level and had rice fields around us, we looked in vain for a village, where our men might get their first meal. And it was two o’clock before we halted at a little cluster of twelve houses, significantly named Mandánavátsy, “get your tiffin.” To travellers coming from the Sihánaka territory, in the direction opposite to our own, it conveys the excellent advice, “Make a good meal before you go farther; you will find nothing to eat for hours.” We took the advice on the way back. Having rested for two hours, we continued our journey; and winding round and through richly wooded hills, we came at sunset, to a clump of seven houses, called Ambatolampy, with a few others scattered about. In one or two huts, now deserted, there had been cases of small-pox, but the men carefully avoided them. Where they all found accommodation, I was afraid to enquire. I only know that our three servants slept somehow within the photograph tent, _four feet square_. We had the eleven feet for ourselves; and had it not been for the mosquitoes might have slept comfortably.