During the next two days we were still in Upper Ankay. In general the centre ridges were level; but the plain was deeply scored by the streams; the gullies having a bend to the north-west. Here and there were high hills, which we used as surveying stations: and from one of which we had a fine view of the east wall of Ankay and the valley of the Mangoro river. The head waters of that river were close to our hill. As we proceeded, we came upon one village and then another, peopled by the Sihánaka. The women were fair, and had necklaces and ornaments of beads and coral: both men and women had numerous strands or plaits in their hair. These villages smelt badly of the native rum: the little sheds which contained the stills were very conspicuous; and the ground was strewn with shreds of the sugar cane from which the rum is made. One little stream we crossed, with its edging of wood was called Sahamaitso, “green valley”; pretty indeed, but very different in size and beauty from the Green River of Colorado. Another, with a fine curve, was the Ranofotsy, “white river,” flowing over clean sand. Near the village of Mangatány, we passed through a grove of myrtle trees; and we found abundance of chlorite and chlorite earth, from whence the village is named. We were now close to the east wall of Ankay, and turning up a narrow defile, crossed by a beautiful reef of pure milk-quartz, we climbed 750 feet to the top of a noble hill of red clay, called Ambohiborona, “bird hill.” The hill made an admirable station: it towered high over the country round, and gave us our first clear view of the Sihanaka district. It stretched northward for nearly forty miles. The high ridges on the east; the low hills and gullies of Ankay; the dark green forest line which bounded them; the lighter, softer green of the reed swamps to the north; the long fingers that came and dipped into the swamps and were lost; the dark hills on the northern horizon; and the blue lake of Alaotra at their feet:—these were the objects on which we gazed long from that lofty tower. This was the country which we had travelled far to see. Descending the hill, we crossed in succession three ridges with their intervening levels: had our first experience of the swamps for which the district is famous: saw how the swampy levels are being recovered and employed for rice fields: and at last, after a hard day’s work, mounting a low hill, beheld beneath us the goal for which we had aimed. In a few minutes we were deposited, by our bearers, in their best style, at the door of the beautiful chapel of AMBATONDRAZAKA, the capital of the Sihanaka district.