Journey from Antananarivo to MojungaAuthor(s): J. Howard MaynardSource: Proceedings of the Royal Geographical Society of London, Vol. 20, No. 2 (1875 - 1876),pp. 110-114Published by: Wiley on behalf of The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of BritishGeographers)Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1799872 .

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110 JOURNEY FROM ANTANANARIVO TO MOJUNGA. [Dec. 13, 1875.

2.?Journey from Antananarivo to Mojunga. By J. Howard Maynard.

Before I left the capital, the only route to the North-west Coast that had been traversed by a. European lay through Antsianaka, due north for some distance, and occupying three weeks. I heard of a much nearer way; but so little was known about it, even by the natives, that I find it spoken of in the following terms in a letter,. written home at the time of my leaving by one of the residents in the capital:?" The road to Mojunga is very little known or fre?

quented yet; it passes through districts peopled by hostile tribes, and worse than that, through fever-swamps innumerable. There will be but bad sleeping-accommodation, for the most part in tents- or in the open air."

But, whatever the difiiculties, I determined to travel to Mojunga by this route, and so prove the truth or falsehood of the various

reports; and in view of the mail-steamers calling at the West Coast, to find out the practical value of the route as a means of communi? cation with Antananarivo.

I found two men who knew the road. These I engaged as guides- and bearers. I had to provide sufficient food for myself for the

journey, as rice and fowls are the only things to be obtained on- the road.

On Tuesday, the 31st of March, 1874,1 set out on my journey. For a short distance after leaving the city the road lay along an artificial embankment between the Eiver Ikiopa and the rice-plains; then branching off, it led through mud-villages, surrounded with low mud-walls and fields of manioc and sweet potatoes. In three hours we reached Fiakarana, a village of mud-huts, where we passed the

night. On Wednesday morning, by haliVpast five o'clock, we were again

on the road, after having breakfasted before we left the village. We crossed a range of high, bold rugged hills, running west about 18 miles north of Antananarivo, close under a large rock, called Ankotso, and entered a country of low bare hills, with rice-fields in some of the valleys. This district is very thinly peopled. We took our mid-day meal at Andranarivo, five hours from Fiakarana. About 5 miles back we had passed a small market. It may be stated that markets are not always held in or near any village, but in the centre of a populated district. The market-places are distinguished by the

ground being worn quite bare, and trodden hard. Sometimes a

rough pillar of stone is raised in the centre, which can be seen fronx

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Dec. 13, 1875.] JOURNEY FROM ANTANANARIVO TO MOJUNGA. 111

a long distance. Two hours more travelling brought us to Tsaras- vatra, where we stayed the night.

On Thursday morning, at six, I started with the prospect of a ftne day. The track we were following ran in the centre of a broad valley, with high rounded hills on either side. The surface consists of red clay, with granite boulders and crags jutting out here and there. In three hours we reached Kavanaboaka, where we rested for two hours. After this we proceeded for three and a-half hours

through the same kind of country tillwe reached Alatsinainy Angavo. Here are three small villages close together, the largest of which -does not contain a dozen houses, yet at this place each Monday is held one of the largest markets in the country. It will give some idea of the scanty population of this district when I say that I

stopped at every village which I came to after this, and I do not think I saw a dozen that I did not go into between here and

Mojunga. A beautiful moon was shining on Friday morning, when I called

the Captain and told him to get the men ready, and by half-past h^ve we were again on our way over the grassy hills to Maridaza, which

place we entered about 9.30 a.m. I soon perceived that the people of this district were different from those I had met with previously: they were darker in colour than those living on a higher level, and they always carry one or two spears when they go about. Their

principal occupation is tending cattle, of which they possess large herds. Their houses, instead of being made of mud, are built with wooden frames, filled in with a small sort of bamboo that grows in the rivers, and plastered with cow-dung. The towns are defended

by a thick hedge of prickly-pear, planted for a width of from six to ten yards all round, and which grows to a height of eight or ten feet. Within this is a deep and broad ditch, then another wide hedge of thorns, with another ditch and a wall. There is often one entrance

only, which is defended by two or three inner gates. The in? habitants build their houses within these fortified towns, instead of

having them scattered here and there over the country. My bag? gage-men also began to keep close to the filanjana, for the people are not at all friendly to the inhabitants of the capital, although they are nominally subject to the Hovas. After resting at Maridaza for two hours, we left and travelled till 2.30, when we came to Taifaha, where we stayed the remainder of the day, on account of the heavy rain.

On Saturday we started again by 5.30 a.m., and before long entered a valley, with a small rapid river running through it. Up

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112 JOURNEY FROM ANTANANARIVO TO MOJUNGA. [Dec. 13,1875.

this valley we travelled all day, and at ten o'clock came to Ambo-

hiranorana, where we met some hundreds of men carrying rafia. This is one of the principal native fibres, and is prepared from the leaves of the Rafia palm, and is manufactured into cloth, rope, &c. The town is pleasantly situated in the centre of the valley, at some

height above the river. From 12.30 we continued our journey along the bank of the river, the name of which I could not ascertain. We were very much troubled by a small fly, whose bite was so severe that it drew blood from the bearers, as well as from myself. At 4.30 p.m. we reached Ampotaka. The name signifies

" in the

mud," and the town was situated near the only swamp of any size that we passed throughout the journey to Mojunga. A large part of the inhabitants are soldiers, as the place is a military station of the Hovas.

On Sunday, April 5th, I left Ampotaka at six o'clock, and after four hours' travelling reached the river Maromitamoka, which is here about 30 yards wide, and took the men to the armpits in

crossing. The meaning of the name is " the crossing of many mos-

quitos," and I had a good opportunity ofproving its appropriateness while resting on its bank for an hour and a-half for the mid-day meal. We were much troubled by the wind all day, it being some? times so strong that the men were unable to carry me, and I had to

proceed on foot. The road lay for the most part along the top of a

range of hills. At 1.30 we stopped for the rest of the day at Man-

gasoavina, where I was most hospitably received by the Hova

governor, and an old Arab who was living there. On Monday we only travelled for three hours from Mangasoavina

to Malatsy, the rest of the day being employed by the men in buying and husking rice.

We started on Tuesday morning, at half-past five. We had now two days' journey before us without a human dwelling-place near the road. I saw the " Traveller's tree " for the. first time during this day's journey. At 4.30, after having travelled nine hours, we

camped by a small stream, where we found several men, who were

going up country with salt, and had already halted, cooking their rice. I passed the night in a native tent I had with me.

At 4.30 on Wednesday morning we crossed the stream and pro? ceeded on our journey. I may here mention that as all my men were strangers to this part of the country, I had great difficulty in

finding out the names of the streams. We saw the Eiver Ikiopa. this day for the first time since leaving it near the capital. The latter half of the day's journey was over sterile hills, with no water

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Dec. 13, 1875.] JOURNEY FROM ANTANANARIVO TO MOJUNGA. 113

nor grass, and only a few stunted bushes. The road and hills around are all composed of quartz. By five o'clock we were glad to enter Mavatanana, after having been nine and a-half hours on the road. Mavatanana is situated on the edge of the flat district, by which I believe the island is surrounded. It is a large town and a

military station of the Hovas, and is built on a spur of the hills over looking the plain, which from here appears well wooded, though really there is very little large timber. We had now finished the land part of our journey, having reached the navigable part of the Eiver Ikiopa, and I was in hopes of being able to hire a canoe and

proceed the next morning. I was, however, compelled to spend the whole of Thursday in this hot town, waiting for the only available

large canoe, which had just come up the river laden with salt, and was not yet empty.

By Friday morning it was ready, and at half-past five we em? barked. The canoe was about 3 feet 6 inches in width, and not less than 30 feet in length. It was hollowed out of the trunk of a single tree, and carried myself, baggage, and twenty men. About 5 miles below Mavatanana another large river joins the Ikiopa. The river winds very much in its course, and varies in width from 30 to 100 yards, the stream running certainly not less than 5 miles an hour. At about 5.30 r.M. we stopped at Karaniabily, where we

passed the night, after having floated down the river for 9^ hours. The height of the banks prevented my getting any view of the

country through which we passed. The river is so full of alligators that the people are afraid to come near the banks; but when they want water, baie it out by means of a small gourd, fixed on the end of a long stick.

From Karamabily it took us fifteen hours on Saturday to reacli

Marovoay, which is situated on a tributary of the same name, and is of considerable trading importance. The town is built in three

divisions?apparently, lst, a high hill, surrounded by stockades, and called the fort, where the Governor and Hovas live. On the low ground nearer the river is the quarter where the Arabs and Indians (principally Banyans, I believe) live, and* on the opposite side of the fort are the Sakalava huts. Small dhows come up from

Mojunga as far as this place, most of them bringing salt, and return?

ing with hides and other produce collected from the interior. As the Governor asked me to dine with him on Monday, I could not leave until the Tuesday evening tide. I started about six o'clock in a small chartered dhow belonging to an Indian, who took charge of the navigation, and arrived at Mojunga at noon on Thursday, the

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314 JOURNEY FROM ANTANANARIVO TO MOJUNGA. [Dec. 13, 1875.

voyage having taken 42 hours. In a dhow, properly managed by a man who understands the navigation, the time occupied should not be more than 12 hours.

Mojunga is the principal port on tbe West Coast now, and will

eventually, I believe, be the chief port of the island. It is situated near the entrance to Bembatoka Bay, a splendid natural harbour, where steamers and ships of large tonnage can anchor within a very short distance of the landing-place.

The route that has been hitherto adopted in proceeding to the

capital has been from Tamatave, the port on the eastern side of the island, along the coast to Andevorande, and from there, almost due west, to Antananarivo, a distance of about 200 miles altogether.

The practical question, as the trade of the island developes, is the relative value of the two roads as a means of communication with the interior.

For the first 60 miles from Tamatave, as far as Andevorande, the road is good. About half this part of the journey might be done in canoes on the lakes which lie near the sea; but the inconvenience of transferring goods from one mode of conveyance to another pre? vents this being usually done. From Andevorande inland the road is bad. It passes over very steep hills, most of which are formed of

clay, through swamps and through forests, where there is always more or less rain, which often renders tbe path almost impassable. This route is considered unhealthy from about December to June; but there exists much difference of opinion as to the commencement and duration of the unhealthy season. The entire distance is about 200 miles.

After having travelled over both roads, I consider that the Mo?

junga route bas many advantages over that of Tamatave, the hills

being less steep, and the forests and swamps avoided. The difficulty of obtaining carriers, and the reported dangers of the way, prevent its being generally used at present.

The resources of this large island, which lies partly within and

partly outside the tropics, have been hitherto very slightly developed. The following articles can be obtained there, to my certain know?

ledge : India-rubber, sugar, tobacco, coffee, ginger, rafia-fibre, cotton, hemp, aloes, turmeric, silk, rice, indigo, gum-copal, beeswax, honey, hides, iron, castor-oil, neats'-foot-oil. There is also good timber of various sorts, but its exportation is prohibited. It may also be

added, that slaves are sold in the open market.

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