-i;
the southern extremity of the island are continuous with a long
reef, extending in a southerly direction for a distance of sixteen
miles, and partially dry at low tide. A t its southern termination
are three small islets, or rather sand-cays, which arc termed
collectively Cerf Islands.
Providence Island belongs to two Seychelle gentlemen; viz.,
Mr. Dupuys and Dr. Brookes, for whom it is managed by an
elderly Frenchman named Hoyaeux. The population consists
of Hoyaeux, with his wife and nephew, and a gang of negroes,
male and female, amounting in all to thirty-four. The houses of
the settlement are situated on either side of a broad avenue which
traverses the middle of the island from east to west. The only
landmg-place is at the western end of this avenue, opposite to
which we were anchored ; and even here it was always somewhat
dangerous, and m bad weather quite impracticable to effect a
landing, on account of the rollers which broke over the outer edge
cf the fringing reef The latter forms the nearest approach to a
“ barrier reef” which I have yet seen in these waters ; excepting
that at Alphonse Island, which we had not time to examine
carefully. The depth of water over its general surface is not
more than a fathom at low tide ; while at its outer edge, which
IS marked by the line of breakers, the depth is only a foot or
so less.
1 he produce of the island consists of cocoa-nut oil and green
turtle. The greater part of the island is covered with cocoa-nut
plantations, young and old, for which the soil seems admirably
suited. I noticed that here the cocoa-nuts had been planted in
the surface soil, and not in pits as at Poivre and Des Roches ; and
on my making a remark to that effect. Monsieur Hoyaeux, the
manager, explained to me the reason. It has been found by
experience that cocoa-nuts will not thrive on any of these islands
unless they are so planted that the roots may be enabled to reach
the bed of coral into which the sea-water penetrates. Hence it
follows that when nuts are planted on any but very low coral
Edible Turile— Common Plants. 233
islands it has been found advisable to put them at the bottom of
basin-shaped excavations some three or four feet in depth, so that
the roots may have a chance of reaching the moist coral beneath.
Providence Island being sufficiently low by nature, it was not
necessary to make these excavations.
Green turtle are captured in great numbers during the month
of April, when the females come up on the beaches to deposit
their eggs. A turtle pond near the settlement contained, at the
time of our visit, no less than eighty, all of large size. In connection
with this pond a portion of the sandy inner beach was
wattled in, so as to serve as a hatching-ground for the captured
turtle. As soon as the young ones have become sufficiently
strong to take care of themselves, they are turned adrift into the
open sea. In this way the young turtle escape the danger, which
they are otherwise exposed to when of a tender age, of being
destroyed by predatory sea-birds ; and thus the maintenance of
the stock is favoured. It is a curious thing that young turtle
seem to have a difficulty about, or a strong disinclination to,
diving beneath the surface of the water. One almost always sees
them floating in the ponds, instead of groping about the bottom '
as the adults do.
The indigenous fauna and flora were almost identical with those
of the Amirantes, except that there were no land-birds as at Isle
des Roches. Monsieur Hoyaeux very kindly supplied me with
the creole names of the trees, shrubs, and one or two herbaceous
plants. Among these were the “ Bois Blanc” {Hernandia peltatd),
“ Sauve Souris ” (a low tree with long dark green leaves), “ Bois
Cu Cu ” (a tree with drupaceous fruit, having a curved hook at
the apex), “ Veloutier Taba c ” {Tournefortia argentea, a seaside
bush of the family Apocynacece, the leaves of which are sometimes
smoked instead of tobacco), and the “ Veloutier Blanc” {Sccevola
Koenigii, a very common seaside bush of the family Goodeniacece).
Some of the bushes and Casuarina trees (called “ Cedre ” by the
creoles) were overrun with a parasitic creeping plant, Cassyilia