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T I : H ' '
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C H A P T E R X X I I I .
M a u ritiu s , b e a u tifu l a p p e a r a n c e— H in d o o s— C a p e o f G o o H o p e— S t.
H e le n a— G e o lo g y— H is to ry o f c h an g es in v e g e ta tio n , p ro b a b le c a u se
o f e x tin c tio n o f lan d -sh e lls— A s c e n s io n— G r e e n H i l l— C u rio u s in c ru s ta tio
n s o f c a lc a re o n s m a t t e r o n tid a l ro c k s— B a h ia— B r a z il— S p le n d o u r
o f tro p ic a l sc en e ry— P e rn am b u c o— S in g u la r r e e f— A z o re s— S u p p o s e d
c r a te r— H in ts to c o lle c to rs— R e tro s p e c t o f th e m o s t im p re ss iv e p a rts o f
tile vo y ag e .
M A U R I T IU S TO E N G L A N D .
A p r i l 2 9 t h .— In the morning we passed round the
northern extremity of the Isle of France. From this point
of view the aspect of the island equalled the expectations
raised by the many well-known descriptions of its beautiful
scenery. The sloping plain of the Pamplemousses, scattered
over with houses, and coloured bright green from the large
fields of sugar-cane, composed the foreground. The brilliancy
of the green was the more remarkable, because it is
a colour which generally is only conspicuous from a very
short distance. Towards the centre of the island, groups of
wooded mountains rose out of this highly-cultivated plain ;
their summits, as so commonly happens with ancient volcanic
rocks, being jagged into the sharpest points. Masses
of white clouds were collected around their pinnacles, as if
for the sake of pleasing the stranger’s eye. The whole island,
with its sloping border and central mountains, was adorned
with an air of perfect elegance : the scenery, if I may use
such an expression, appeared to the senses harmonious.
I spent the greater part of the next day in walking about
the town, and visiting different people. The town is of
considerable size, and is said to contain 30,000 inhabitants ;
the streets are very clean and regular. Although the island
has been so many years under the English government, the
general character of the place is quite French: Englishmen
i i i f
May, 1836. mausuttu,s. 5 7 1
speak to their servants in French, and the shops are all
French; indeed I should think that Calais or Boulogne was
much more Anglefied. There is a very pretty little theatre,
in which operas are excellently performed, and are much
preferred by the inhabitants to plays. We were also surprised
at seeing large booksellers’ shops, with well-stored shelves;—
music and reading bespeak our approach to the old world of
civilization; for in truth both Australia and America may be
considered as new worlds.
One of the most interesting spectacles in Port Louis,
is to observe the various races of men which may be met
in walldng the streets. Convicts from India are banished
here for life ; at present there are about 800, and they are
employed in various public works. Before seeing these
people, I had no idea that the inhabitants of India were
such noble-looking figures. Their skin is extremely dark,
and many of the older men had large mustaches and beards
of a snow-white colour; this, together with the fire of their
expressions, gave them quite an imposing aspect. The
greater number have been banished for murder and the
worst crimes; others for causes which can scarcely be considered
as moral faults, such as for not obeying, from superstitious
motives, the English laws. These men are generally
quiet and well-conducted ; from their outward conduct, their
cleanliness and faithful observance of their strange religious
enactments, it was impossible to look at them with the same
eyes as on our wretched convicts in New South Wales.
Besides these prisoners, large numbers of free people are
yearly imported from India: for the planters were afraid
that the negroes, when emancipated, would not work. From
these causes the Indian population is here very considerable.
M a y 1s t . — Sunday. I took a quiet walk along the sea-
coast to the northward of the town. The plain in that part
is quite uncultivated; it consists of a field of black lava,
smoothed over with coarse grass and bushes, the latter
being chiefly mimosas. Captain FitzRoy, before arriving
here, said he expected the island would have a character