Madagascar

Though in XVII and XVIII centuries variety of travellers has visited on Madagascar and the island appears in a number of fascinating romantic products, its geography was known very little. The first a little valuable geographical description of Madagascar has published in 1658 M de-Flakur. As to XVIII century,

' the major travel to depth of island were made by the translator on the French service, a certain Mayer who between 1774 and has crossed 1785 northern part of island to the area occupied by the people sakalava, has visited northern extremity of island and besides has done two travel to province Imerinu (a southern part of the area occupied by the people hova). Its write-offs remained in some respects unsurpassed till the end of XIX century ' (Hevud).

In XIX century till 1865 in geographical research of Madagascar it is impossible to note almost any successes. In 1832 captain V.F.Ouen has photographed coast and has studied narrow strips of territory in the country, and missionaries at east coast of island have collected some data on internal areas. In 1865 there was a crisis. To Madagascar there has arrived A.Grandide-otets and within the next five years has made some travel on island. It has collected more exact material about island, than someone from its predecessors, and has given the first scientific description of the basic lines of its relief. Its work has been continued and added in details by Catholic and Protestant missionaries. From among the last, Mjullens has visited the central Madagascar soon after Grandide-otna; Show in 1874 and 1875 has got into a southeast part of island; not studied areas has reached also in 1876 Sibri; and Sjuel in 1875 has made travel on the West from Antananarivo. In 1873 And the next years Catholic missionaries the Beater and Knees have spent large scientific inspection of province Imeriny and have made its good card, and a number of separate research parties has given a new material about details of structure of coast.

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