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230 VISITS TO MADAGASCAR. CHAP. IX. of their hymns with their peculiarly soft melodious voices. The sound at a short distance produced an exceedingly pleasing effect, and by the time we reached the place where they were standing they had commenced singing in our language the English hymn of which the concluding stanza is — “ There we shall meet to part no more. O, that will be joyful,” &c. When they ceased we alighted, shook hands with them, and parted, not without emotion, which some were unable to conceal. They silently returned to the village, and we pursued our way through the same beautiful and fertile country. The low hills and hollows were here covered with wood. The grass by the sides of the road was in some parts two feet high, the soil rich loam, occasionally many feet deep. On our route we passed the Mancazana mountain and stream, Fort Armstrong taken by the Caffres, the lofty Chumie mountains, and the still more lofty “ Luheri high,” or Graika’s hill, used as a beacon for Caffreland during the late war. Some parts of the road were difficult, and just as we had passed the Buxton river, the sides of which were steep, I got out to walk, and, when a few yards in advance of our oxen, saw a large snake in the middle of the road, which our men soon killed. It was a puff adder, thick, and about two feet long, and said to be very venomous. About dusk we reached Philipton, where we were gladly welcomed by the daughters of the late Mr. Bead, for whom the people had erected a small and comfortable dwelling, every building in the place having been destroyed during the war. While at tea the conversation turned upon snakes, and our friends told us they were very numerous; that re cently file wife of one of the people, awaking in the night, felt something on her arm, which she took hold of, thinking