. The great African island: chapters on Madagascar; a popular account of recent researches in the physical geography, geology, and exploration of the country, and its natural history and botany .. . ome districts thegrass grows to the height of seven or eight feet, so thattravellers are quite hidden from view in the dense many places prickly grass (tsdvoka) is found, preventingthe bare-footed bearers from straying an inch beyond thenarrow footpaths; and in others, a curiously barbed andpointed grass called hifon-dambo, or wild-hogs-spear, is alsoa great annoyance to travellers, being
. The great African island: chapters on Madagascar; a popular account of recent researches in the physical geography, geology, and exploration of the country, and its natural history and botany .. . ome districts thegrass grows to the height of seven or eight feet, so thattravellers are quite hidden from view in the dense many places prickly grass (tsdvoka) is found, preventingthe bare-footed bearers from straying an inch beyond thenarrow footpaths; and in others, a curiously barbed andpointed grass called hifon-dambo, or wild-hogs-spear, is alsoa great annoyance to travellers, being strong enough to piercethe skin. This Idfon-davibo has the appearance of a handfulof grass tied in a bundle by two or three of the long wiryblades. In some of the warmer districts of Madagascarcertain of the grasses have a very distinct and powerfulfragrance ; and I have often felt that the scents, not lessthan the sights and sounds, are among the surest sins ofones being in a tropical country. But the grasses of Mada-gascar are very important to the people, as affording anexhaustless supply of material for their household require-ments. Pine straw mats, often beautifully woven in patterns,. CHARACTERISTIC FORMS OF ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE LIFE IN MADAGASGAU.(From Wallaces Geographical Distribution of Animals.) REEDS AND RUSHES. 85 are part of the furniture of every Malagasy house; thesecover the floor, and often line the walls; and on the entranceof a visitor, a clean one is always taken from the rolled-upmats overhead and spread for him to sit down upon. Thisstraw is also platted into very neat hats and caps, whichvary in shape and pattern in different parts of the country,and into a great variety of beautiful and durable bas-kets. In the Betsileo province the clothing of the lowerclasses consists solely of a straw mat; and on the south-eastern coast, similar mats, but made of a fine rush, are sewninto a kind of sack, and thus worn by the coast squares of mat are al
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, booksubjectbotany, bookyear1880
