The plain over which they passed was a very wide one, seeming to extend
to the very base of the distant mountains of the interior, but our
travellers were mistaken in their ideas about it. The plain was itself
part of the mountain region into which they had already advanced, but by
so gradual an ascent that they had scarcely perceived the rise in the
land--a deception which was increased somewhat by the frequent descents
they had to make when passing over ridges.

On the way Hockins pushed up alongside of Ravonino, who was walking
beside Mark.

"Ravvy," said the seaman, (for to this had he at last curtailed the
guide's name), "where do these fellows fall in wi' the iron to make
their spearheads and other things?"

"In the earth," answered the guide.

"What! D'ee mean to say that you manufacture your own iron in them
parts?"

"Of course we do. Think you that no people can work in iron except the
British? We have plenty iron ore of good quality in the island. One of
our mountains is so full of ore that we call it the iron mountain. It
is named in our language the mountain of Ambohimiangavo."

"An' how d'ee work the ore o' this Am-Ambo-bo-bominable-avo mountain?"
asked the sailor.

"We smelt it, of course. We break the lumps of ore into smallish bits
and spread them on charcoal, layer and layer about, in a hollow in the
ground. This is covered over with a top-dressing of stone and clay.
Then we set it on fire and keep the blast going with wooden bellows,
till the metal is melted and runs in a mass to the bottom of the hole.
This we break into smaller pieces, purify them with more fire, and run
them into bars convenient for use. Our bellows," continued the guide,
"are not like yours, with two boards and leather between. The rats
would soon make short work with these. They are two cylinders formed
from the trunk of a tree, with a piston in each, packed with coarse
cloth, and having valves. An old musket-barrel carries the air to the
furnace, and, by pumping them time about, the blow is kept going
continuously."

"Why, how do _you_ come to know so much about valves, pistons,
cylinders, and such like?" asked Mark.

"You forget that my father was an Englishman," returned the guide, "and,
besides being a trader, was a sort of Jack-of-all-trades. He taught me
many things about which the kinsfolk of my mother know very little. You
must not suppose that because some of us are only half-civilised we can
do