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202 VISITS TO MADAGASCAR. CHAP. VIII. tangled brushwood and along the stony bottom of the valley for several miles; and having crossed the river more than forty times during the journey to and from the cavern, we reached a more open country, and a better road. Reviewing, in thought, the rare and wonderful objects I had so recently left, and gazing on the bold mountain, the wood, and the deep rocky ravine, with its choked-up torrent overgrown with wild brushwood and trees,—a wild untamed wilderness, differ ing perhaps little from what it was three-quarters of a century ago, when the boer Van Zil in his hunting excursion dis covered the cavern,—I found myself involuntarily musing on its probable aspect, in future ages, under the influence of an augmented population, and a higher order of civilisation. After riding along for some time, we “ off-saddled,” to use the expression of the country, in order to allow our horses to graze and rest for half-an-hour. Tired with the excitement and exercise of the day, I lay down at the foot of a moun tain, resting my head upon a piece of rock, and soon fell fast asleep; but was awakened by an aged negro woman, who lived in a hut near at hand, and had brought us half-a-dozen ripe juicy pears, as welcome to us as the fresh green grass was to our horses. When Mr. Anderson tendered our thanks, the poor woman simply replied, “ I thank God : He gives us all.” I afterwards found that she occasionally went to Mat- zie’s Riviere, ten miles distant, when Mr. Anderson visited the station to preach to the people. When rested and refreshed we mounted our horses, and just as the sun was setting reached Matzie’s Riviere, a fertile plain at the foot of the lofty range of Zwartzberg mountains. The good people, who had sent horses half the way to meet us, gave us a simple but cordial welcome, bringing us refresh ment to the large old house of the former proprietor; and then, after assembling for religious worship, retired to their different homes.