Most of the houses
are built of earth or clay; but those belonging to the city must, by
royal decree, be constructed of planks, or at least of bamboo. They are
all of a larger size than the dwellings of the villagers; are much
cleaner, and kept in better condition. The roofs are very high and
steep, with long poles reared at each end by way of ornament. Many
houses, and sometimes groups of three or four houses, are surrounded by
low ramparts of earth, apparently for no other purpose than to separate
the courtyards from the neighbouring tenements. The streets and squares
are all very irregularly built: the houses are not placed in rows, but in
clusters,--some at the foot of the hill, others on its slopes. The royal
palace crowns the summit.
Madame Pfeiffer expressing her surprise at the number of
lightning-conductors that everywhere appeared, was informed that perhaps
in no other part of the world were thunderstorms so frequent or so fatal.
She was told that, at Antananarivo, about three hundred people were
killed by lightning every year.
The interior of the town was in appearance exactly like one of the
suburbs, except that the houses were built of planks or of bamboo.
At the time of Madame Pfeiffer's visit, the sovereign of Madagascar was
Queen Ranavala, memorable for her sanguinary propensities, her hatred of
Europeans, and her persecution of the Christian converts.
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