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Vol. II.]

In manne anno. fich?

Of the Language of Madagascar.

Wherein art thou

Emgombe vooffe, angondri, offe, akoboo, voose. In gelt oxen, fheep, goats, and gelt fowls.

Zabai te acco. I will take some. Intoato oola, meinte mande, anya emboitz, malaque angombe, mitondre ef poola, angombe vooffe, focla angombe, tanmane. Come hither, negro, go to the mountain for oxen, and fetch forty gelt oxen and ten cows.

Ize marmare mizza, masse enfandok aminai teanno. It is much, look into my theft for what thou wilt.

Vaz annoo teaz omai anguemadindin, barez madindin, vaque momgey-momgey, meneamene feinte zaharai rawoo. I know not if thou wilt give ine coral and beads of many colours, green, yellow, red, black.

Into famboorre. Take fome. Zaa citea famboorre, oma anno. I will not take, unless thou givest me.

Into famboorre, voofe failai enwoofe, ennoo voofe maffaifai, entangue awali ennoo. Take this necklace, put it on thy neck, and take thefe motley bracelets for thy wife.

Aviot entrangue, enminai femmefemme trangano. Come to my houfe, it is

thine.

Zaa fitia trangano roandrie, zaa teas tranganos. I will not, thy house, fir, but one to myself.

Samboorre trangano menerwali. Take the houfe of my wife.

Zaa teaco. I confent to it. Accor-wali allai fandok, allai fihit, velongas, loowees oola, vaza tea, trangano. Aviot roandrie, rie madhai. My wife, clear away thy chefts, mats, pots, and dishes. Strangers want thy house. Come, fir, he is gone.

Mande hanne, manfwander matte. Go away, the fun is dying.

Zaa aviot amarray empiffe. I fhall come again to-morrow.

Salam zanyak, abi tootoolle, akor farako. Good day, my children, are you well? Fante. Yes.

Izangare lambe faihai anmemi, haze lawa en loatambo. What is this net ftretched between two bits of wood, faftened at the ends on which you lie ?

Engare lambemandre vatte. It is to reft the body upon.

Anbanne manne zare. You are rich in mind.

Quelle quelle, ampanguinaira oola France manne zare mahai meas tootola. So fo, in a fhort time, you will fee men of France do many other things,

Abo. What?

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Meaz trangubas tambook trangue vattes trangue ambone, baze, lawa verwan lawa famme famme trangue France, mille fea lande voolangondre, voolcoffe voolangombe mene meinte monguemongue vaque tootolabi. They will toil to build fine houfes of wood and ftone, with great doors and windows, like thofe of France, decked with cloths of filk, wool, mohair, ox-hair, red, black, yellow, green, and all colours. Laye oola mahai. Thefe men are

clever.

Rez mahai amboolle antanne famboorre meaz engamere fatroo camis lambe foofhe. They know to fow, plant reap, make fhoes, hats, and white linen.

Aho oola mahai meaz andracalle andracalle. Why do your men toil day after day?

Oola fe meaz moofquine mawoose res ampaanguinaira oola meaz manne mahaira vinfi ampanguinaira. The man who toils not is poor and hungers, but the man who toils, gets drunk and grows rich.

Zabci annarez fi mahai meaz moofquine rez ampanguinaira. Then if we toil not, we are to be poor and to hunger.

Accorre tampoo Zanbarrei angarra yanharra re fitca meaz andracalle andracalle moofquine abi. If our common master, God, will not accept our toil, though we work day after day, it profits not.

Taiza Zanbarre zahai fimaita. Who is this God? I never faw him.

Re toomooranbon re ampooras tootoolle oolla tanne tootoolle abi manfwandre vooel reak raa vinanguès hazes abets. He dwells in heaven; he is the father of all men of all the earth, the fun, the moon, the fea, the beasts, the rivers, the trees, the plants.

Zaa tea mizandri zaa itandri rawon ampanguinaira. I would fain fee him. I fhould be very glad of it.

Anno ite abi tootoo awerer fibiti amni tangue anni dola ampanzac tai Manafia. Thou feeft him every where; haft thou not feen him in the hand of our priest at Manafia?

Zaa ite oola ampanzac ampoo warre famboorre amni tangue booroo booroo feofhe maffaifai vaque ahelin amnifingue ahelin fik mosne minon ampanguinaira zaa fihiti zanbarre. I have feen your priest talk, and take in his hands a round white thing, which he broke and put into a cup of wine, which he drank; but I saw not God.

Samme famme oola vaza biti ampanguinaira. If thou wert a man of the faith, thou wouldst see him directly.

Zaha

Zaha teakko. I confent to it. Tomoira ampanguinaira oola amponfae awiote antan annaeirez. Wait, in a little while you will have priests in your land, who will teach you.

Zaba raswoo. I fhall be glad of it. Ampoorras zaha rez baiza an ommez annabaee. Father, I hunger, where fhall I find to eat?

Annak mis akobo lahe vooffe tamanne mafafai attoole farra angondri offe romonne. Son, I have many cocks, capons, hens, chickens, eggs, calves, sheep, goats, and

milk.

Zaa thea ro ako voofi awo. I defire only two capons.

Quelle quelle amini oolo abi. So fo, that is little for you all.

Manfwandre ambone zaa thea mande mitif voorre fecque auranne amni varre. When the fun is high, I will kill ducks in the water, where thy rice grows. Maninye matte voorre. Wherewith wilt thou kill them?

Amili ampingare lawa fenoo auli bachie. With a long gun, full of powder and lead. Oowee mande zathea ombe anyo. When goeft thou? I will go with thee.

Amarai ampie. To-morrow early. Abo amaraiampiffe fi mandai anyon. Why to-morrow early, canft thou not to-day? Ato mandai. Come, let us go.

Mize avorroo roandri. See these birds, fir.

Anno tomoire zaa mifix. Stir not, I am going to fire.

:

I have

Zaa mitenne firi voorre matte. heard how many birds are dead? Zai voonon vale. I have killed eight. Ize vale marmare. Eight! that is many. Accorre roandri fitea aviotte hiane voorre. Now, fir, wilt thou not come and eat of them?

Teako lili voofe annivoorre allai raz. Į agree to it. Cut the neck, that the blood may come out.

Zaa lili voofe allai voole allai anfinai awali ani aze lave. I have cut the necks; pluck them, gut them, fpit them on a cane, and turn them.

Zannok ben manfok enharrez fitia hin. Son, the meat is roafted, fhall we eat?

Zaa teako. I confent.

Ato ambanne anniffice. Let us fit on these mats.

Sos hen manfok. It is nicely roafted. Atao minon fiq tantelle minon farakoo ano. Let us drink wine. I drink thy health.

Zai koo. And I thine.

Vinfi ben ondooe in twato foofhe narre aronnon voaguembe onces mamy voannio,

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Hin ko malak oola mabai famboorre fuie. We will eat fome. I will fend men to také fish.

Ife marmare fuie an, winangue. Are there many fifth in your river? Marmare. Many.

Ooaira. Whither goeft thou? Miraa oola mahai famboole fuie. I am to fee for my men to take fish. Toomooaire zaa thea mandeano. will go with thee.

Stay, I

Atoo mande han. Let us go then. Ize winangue. Here is the river. Ize oole mahai famboole fuie. Here are the men ready to take fifh.

Ize maroo toli faya anni foole. Here are many lines faftened to a net.

Samboorre fuie enetoc. They are to take the fish.

Abo oole fimatao voy omban winangue. The men are bold, for all the crocodiles, venturing into the river.

Ize ef famboorre tali. Here's an end; they are taking in the lines.

Aho marre fuie. Ah! how many fish. Miraa lanzaa. Look! Reckon. Maninye ef tootole fuie. do with all this fish?

What fhall we

Vas famboorre tea anno fuie toomoira zabai amilioo labi. I know not. Take what thou wilt, the reft I fhall divide among my people.

I

Zaa filea famboorre fuie anno tampon ondeve anno mitondre antrangue anno. will not take any of this fifh; your flaves fhall carry what you choose to your houfe.

So abigo. Well faid!

Mandai allhoa vabai ombe ampanguinaira. Go before, I fhall be there in a little while.

Zahai laffo falame. I will go then, farewel,

To

Vol. II.]

Haller's Defcription of the Swiss Alps.

To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine.

SIR,

The following admirable topographical piece, prefixed by the illuftrious HALLER to his treatife on Swifs Plants, not having, as I believe, yet appeared in an English dress, I am induced to offer it to your mifcellany, under the perfuafion that its intrinfic merit, and the intereft excited by the country of which it treats, will render it acceptable to your readers, notwithstanding the various accounts, by other writers, which have appeared relative to the fame part of Europe.

THE TOPOGRAPHY AND NATURAL HISTORY OF THE SWISS ALPS.

By the late BARON HALLER. WHAT is called Switzerland, contains the thirteen allied cantons; the country of the Grifons, the Valais and other allied states, and the fubjects of the free ftates. The extent of the whole country is not confiderable, containing about four degrees of longitude, and the fpace between the 46th and 48th degree of latitude.

The whole of Switzerland may be divided into two parts; of which the Cifalpine is the greatest, and contains the principal states: the Tranfalpine confifts entirely of fubject districts, torn from the Milanefe.

Switzerland proper is fituated to the north of the Alps, and among their very fummits. Its general boundaries are, to the fouth, that very long chain of Alps which runs from the Leman-lake, between the Valais and the vallies of Aouft, Seffia, Antigoria, and others, to mount Furca; and thence from mount Gothard, through mount Lucmainer and Adulla, between the free Grifons and their fubject allies, thence between the Valtelline and Engadina, and fo to the Bormian ridge. This chain of Alps is indeed here and there somewhat depreffed, fo as to afford paffages towards Italy; but even thefe vallies are very much elevated, and are real craggy alps; nor did ever wheel find a way from Switzerland to Italy. This line, which is nearly one hundred leagues in length, I ufually call the fouthern alpine chain. It is not, however, one fimple ridge; for others, either parallel, or variously connected with it, and rifing to nearly an equal height, run from east to west.

From the neighbourhood of the Lemanlake, and especially from the barriers of the Valais, commences the northern chain

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of alps, which firft runs fouthwards, then directly east, dividing the Valais from Bern, and coalefcing with the fouthern chain in mount Furca., But from mount Gothard, which is connected with Furca by other alps, another chain begins, nearly in the fame direction, named Crifpalt, feparating firft the canton of Uri, and then that of Glaris, from the Grifons. This chain fubfides about then rifes again into very craggy fummits Sargens, into hills of moderate height; it between St. Gall and Toggenburg; and with gentler elevations between these diftricts and the Rhine, is continued to the lake of Conftance.

From each of thefe principal chains, the northern and fouthern, fhorter ridges, but frequently of great height, run in a different direction; from the former, generally towards the north and weft; from the latter, towards the fouth and east.

The principal alps from the fouthern chain run between Savoy and Piedmont, and fe fouth-eastwards to the fea, as far as the mouth of the Var. Some of these

are of ftupendous height. A shorter ridge runs due fouthwards into Aoust, and divides into many branches, feparating the narrow vallies of this district. A confiderable one alfo proceeds from mount Furca, and defcends by Domo d'Offela and the Lago Maggiore into the duchy of Milan. To the north the fame high chain fends out many ridges, but shorter ones, into the principal valley of the Valais, intercepting portions of it, like branches.

Beyond the Furca, in the country of the Grifons, fo multiplied and various are the ridges which run from the great alpine chain, that they can fcarcely be defcribed in words. Of thefe many are exceedingly wild and lofty, particularly thofe that run eastwards about Bormio and the Valtelline.

The northen ridge of the alps pushes many branches into the canton of Bern, and thence into Underwald, Uri, Glaris, and Schwitz.*

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Some of the alps are infulated, and detached from all others, every where furrounded with lakes or vallies, as fome ridges between Bern and Friburgh, and mount Rigi, in Schwitz.

Thefe are the Alps. To the north and weft Switzerland is separated from Alface

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and Franche Comté by Mount Fura, a much lower chain, and more refembling the mountains of other countries; yet fplit here and there into feveral ridges, parallel or inclined towards each other, between which are interpofed the vallies of Neufchatel, Bienne, and the bishopric

of Bafil.

The country between the Alps and mount Jura approaches nearer to a plain, yet is rendered unequal in parts by rifings and hilly tracts. Nor is there any where in Switzerland a large extent of plain, from whence no mountains may be dif cerned. The most level are fome parts of the canton of Zurich, and the larger fubalpine vallies.

The face of the Alps appears to me not fufficiently known; I fhall therefore briefly defcribe it, as I have obferved it in many journeys through its regions.

The Alps are entirely of a rocky nature, in most places naked about the fummit, with a middle girdle of pasture, and the roots cloathed with woods of fir.--Though from a diftance they appear composed of pyramids far detached all round from the neighbouring mountains, yet in reality they are ridges, fome parts of which are more elevated than the rest. Their height has not been accurately determined. That of the mountain Dent de Midi alone has been found to be 8161 feet above the level of the Rhone, by J. Gamaliel de Roverea, late engineer at the Bern falt-works. But this mountain lofes all its fnow almost every year, and is the extreme and lower termination of the fouthern chain. By an experiment of Loys, the Montagne Maudite, in Savoy, rifes 13,440 feet above the Leman-lake; and the fame, or more, is the height of Mount Schreckhorn, Sylvio, the mountains above Gothard, Septimus, and the Grifon ridges above Bormio. For Micheli's calculation of 2,760 perches for the height of mount Gothard, depends upon an uncertain bafis between Arburg and the Alps. The Alps, therefore, in general rife to about 16,000 Paris feet above the fea; for the Leman-lake has an elevation of 1000 or 1,200 from the fea *.

Great part of the Alps appears covered with fnow, which in many ridges is eternal. That which is feen is not, however, fnow. A perpetual ice forms the cruft which covers the declivities of the Alpine fummits, as with a breast-plate.

Upon this the fnow is feated, Hence the inhabitants rightly name Gletscher what we in German call fnowy mountains. This ice in fome places covers a breadth of a thoufand perches and more. Its under furface, which faces the rock or fand, is generally hollow; and froin this vault drops of water diftil on all fides, most copioufly in the fummer heats, when a rivulet fprings from every mafs of ice. Such is the origin of the Rhine and Rhone, in the fource of which I have formerly quenched my thint; of the Aar and Rus. To thefe waters, deftined to the production of rivers, acceffions are occafionally made, when the fnows melt from the warmth of the air or the heat of the fun; a circumstance which principally happens from fudden ftorms attended with thunder, or fouth-wefterly winds, to the great terror and peril of the neighbouring inhabitants.

A third caufe of the rivers is the rain diftilling from the clouds, whenever they are fuddenly taken up from the middle ridge of the Alps, and diffolved into a dewy fhower on the fummits of the mountains; a phenomenon which I have feveral times witneffed. The conflux of these waters into rivulets is aided by the peculiar ftructure of the Alps. The rocks which tower aloft are grooved by innumerable trenches, which are inclined planes, meeting at various angles.--Through thefe, firmly wrought in a ftony channel, the waters from the heavens defcend, and below the fummits of the Alps unite either into a lake, of which thefe mountains contain a vast multitude in their vallies, or into a rivulet. A stream thus formed, augmented from fimilar fources, flows through the upper vallies in a fhallow channel; but as it defcends lower, where the mountain has a more earthy foil, it digs itself a deep bed among the precipices; from whence rufhing in repeated cataracts, and often dashed into mift by its fall, it at length gains the valley. Here it brings down stones torn from the mountains, and overspreads it with a gravelly coat, till at last it is either fwallowed up in foine more extensive lake, or is loft in a larger river. This is the common ftructure of the Alps, whereby they generate rivers, by the junction of waters from liquified ice, melting fnow, and rain and mift.

The alpine lakes, for the most part, pour off their waters by torrents proceeding from them. From fome, how

Sir G. Shuckborough makes Mont Blanc, ever, the water fteals away through imperceptible chinks. Of this kind is the

in Savoy, 15,662 feet.

lake

Vol. II.]

Haller's Defeription of the Swiss Alps,

lake of Jura, not an inconfiderable one, but three leagues in length, which I have obferved upon the ipot not to difcharge its waters by any torrent, but filently to lose them by chinks in its ftony bed. In other lakes I do not deny that there are manifeft whirlpools, Indeed, I have myfelf feen, near Roche, the waters of the torrent called 'Eaufroide fink beneath the rocks with a vifible whirlpool, and murmur away at a diftance under my feet and frequently, on comparing rivers with themselves, I have been convinced that they have loft a great part of their water in their defcent to the plains; as in the latter, the quantity of water was much lefs than might have been expected from the conjoined torrents; lefs, indeed, than it had been above the junction of many rivulets which fell into the main ftream. If the Aar, near Interlac, be compared with the Aar at Bern, where it may be forded under the old hofpital, it will be found to contain much more water before it has received the Cander, the Simm, the Rotach, the Sull, and the Gurb, torrents of no inconfiderable magnitude.

It must not, however, be omitted, that the use of the fub-alpine lakes is twofold; one, and the most evident of which, is to exhale part of the water flowing from the mountains; the other, to break that immenfe velocity with which the torrents fufh down a fall of fo many thousand feet. For the Aar flows with no greater fwiftnefs from the lake Thun towards Bern, than it would have done if it had taken its rife in that lake. By both thefe means the violence of the Alpine ftreams is checked, which is much more dangerous to their neighbours when no lake receives them.

I have spoken of the icy breaft-plate of the Alps, poffeffing the whole extenfive tract beneath their fummits. But there are alfo other valt males filling the icy vallies, which to the fouth have the loftieft ridges of mountains, fhading them from the folar rays; though thefe icy tracts are likewife found on the fouthern face of the Alps. Thefe vallies often for the space of feveral leagues, nay, even one or two days journey, are filled with ice, which is fpread over the fubjacent rock or fand, and by them as by a nucleus is figured, fo as to reprefent an angry fea congealed with all its waves. A valley of this kind is continued from the Alps above the valley of Lauterbrunnen, to that valley which emits the Aar, to the hofpital of Grimful, a length of near 14 leagues. Another of equal length

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from the valley of Bagnes towards Viege is intercepted between two ridges of the. fouthern Alps. And there are many val lies filled with an icy lake of the fame kind, interfperfed among the Alpine chains; not, indeed, fo connected as to form one icy fea, as our late friends Chriftian, the phyfician, and J. George Altmann, the Greek profeffor, have af ferted in their writings. For the firftmentioned lake is terrainated on this fide Grimful; and if its extent be traced as far as pofiible, is certainly interrupted in the Alps of Gemmi.

From thefe icy lakes amidst the Alpine crags, where in places the mountainous range is broken by a little ravine, continuous icy declivities defcend into the inhabited plain, Strangers ufually vifit thefe under the idea of rivers of ice, two of which may be feen in the valley of Grindel, and a third near them as foon as you crofs the height of Schiedek. From declivities of this kind, fpringing from the icy lakes, rivers also proceed, as that of Lutfchin, in Grindel.

The chains of Alps are ufually compofed of many ridges, of which the middle are the higheft. From thefe, on each fide, towards the plain, others run generally parallel to the principal. In this manner the vallies in which ice is depófited are formed.

The inferior Alpine cliffs, especially towards the weft, are in various parts compofed of a fpecies of Schiftus. The highest fummits confift of rock compounded of mica, quartz, and a fofter matter, called Geifberger. The lower regions are cloathed with calcarious ftones, marbles of all kinds, and other hard ftones, which furnifh to the rivers the round calcarious ftones which they roll down. Concretions of flints are mingled, cemented together by a very hard matter. Whetstone is generally found on the hills. The Alpine vallies contain fand, which, however, is never found in the fummits, and feems produced from the comminution of the rock by water. Crystals are generally contained in the quartz, and are met with in the' higheft Alps.

The Alpine earth is tenacious, black, with fmall fandy and ftony particles: in the Valais it is frequently interiperked with filvery mica: in other refpects it is not unlike marsh earth, which, however, is ufually more tenacious, and purcly earthy, without pebbles. Indeed, a great part of the Alps and of other mountains is marshy.

The

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