deserted for the open plain; peace, security, mutual confidence had taken the place of intestine war: I saw the new school-house and the handsome church, intelligent children and devout congregations; I saw that men were living in truer fellowship with men, because together they were striving to rise higher towards God. The great market of Antananarivo was a place full of interest to us strangers. It is called the ZOMA or Friday, because it is held upon that day. It stands on the north-west of the city; on the hill which forms the outer side of the Analakely valley. It is lozenge-shaped, and its sides are about sixty yards long. It may once have proved spacious; but the requirements of the place have outgrown the accommodation and it is now far too small for its work. It is believed that thirty thousand people come into it from the country every Friday. The south side of the market extends to the public road, and there have been erected a line of booths, covering wooden platforms, which in Madagascar form the nearest approach to shops. Everywhere else there is a great absence of convenient arrangements for the display and sale of goods. A few squares of raised clay, a few wooden frames, a few large umbrellas, these are the only fittings. In most cases the traders just lay their goods on the ground on mats or a white cloth. There are also no fixed roads through and across the market-place, and it is as difficult to move through the dense crowd as through a herd of cows. The articles sold form an excellent index of the degree of civilisation which has been reached by the people. There is a loose classification of them to be found in various divisions of the market. Firewood is brought in large quantities from the forest: but it is not large wood, it is mostly brush. Huge piles of _hérena_ also are close by, a broad-leafed papyrus, most useful for thatching: beams, boards, poles and door-posts are brought in considerable quantities: they are prepared in the forest solely by the hatchet: a noble tree makes but one board, which sells for half-a-crown; and the waste in preparing it is enormous. The principal meat sold is beef, of which there is abundance throughout the island. Good mutton also may be had, of the fat-tailed sheep; and plenty of pork, which I do not recommend. The sheep are tied together by their legs. Turkeys, ducks, geese and fowls appear in large quantities. Rice abounds, of several kinds; and is sold both cleaned and in the husk. Potatoes are provided more for the English families than for the natives generally; and with green peas, are usually brought to their houses. Yams and sweet potatoes are abundant; and also Indian corn. Green vegetables are not common; some twelve or fifteen kinds are known and eaten by the people: but they do not form so decided an element in their food as in England. Rice is all in all to the Malagasy. There is a good supply of fruit in the market; the bananas, large and small, are good: