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seemed to be of great antiquity. I noticed the same land-birds
as at Du Lise, but there was an addition in the occurrence of the
Madagascar crow. Lrigate-birds were numerous all over the
island, and, strange to say, were frequently to be seen perching
on the branches of tall forest trees. In using the word
forest for the first time whilst speaking of these islands, I should
add that a great portion of Glorioso was covered with a dense
growth of virgin forest, upon Avhich the clearing operations of
the colonists had made comparatively feeble inroads. I need
scarcely add that our proximity to the great island of Madagascar
was rendered apparent by the above-mentioned novelties'’as to
fauna and flora which we encountered on our voyage southward.
The greater portion of the circumference of the island is fringed
by a broad reef of dead coral and coral sandstone, on which rests
m many places a thin coating of mud or sand. This platform
of reef, and also the sandy beach proper, together exhibited
examples of a good many shells, most of which, however, were
dead specimens. We saw representatives of the genera Conns,
Turbinella, Fusns, Cyproea, Trivia, Nassa, Natica, Neritina, Haliotis,
Dohnm, and Oliva. Besides these shells there was little else to
be seen, except fragments of organpipe coral {Tubipora musica),
and the bleached tests of an Echinus, a species of Hemiaster {?).
On the morning of the 8th of May we were again under way
and sailing for Mozambique Island, which is about five hundred
miles from Glorioso. On the evening of the loth we passed
within a few miles of Mayotta, one of the Comoro Islands, and
had a fine view of its high volcanic hills,— a sight peculiarly
grateful to eyes now for some time accustomed to seeing land
only m the shape of low coral islands. As we passed to the
eastward, the shadow cast by the western declining sun on the
face of the island brought out the outline of its hills in the form
of a bold silhouette.
May I2tn, about midday, looking to the westward we saw a
great flat-topped hill appearing above the horizon. This was our
first view of the east coast of Africa, and proved to be Table
Mountain, a hill two thousand feet high, and situated some twelve
or fifteen miles inland. Being of such a height it was visible to
us from a distance of fifty miles, when nothing was to be seen
of the coast itself or of the intervening lowlands. Shortly before
dusk we steamed up to the north side of Mozambique Island,
and anchored for the night in an open roadstead, whence, on the
following morning, we moved into the inner anchorage.
Mozambique Island has been in the possession of the Portuguese
since the middle of the fifteenth century. About the year 1505
they commenced to build a large fort on the northern extremity
of the island. It was designed on a scale of great magnitude,
and although constructed entirely of stone, and entailing an
immense amount of labour, was completed within a period of
about seven years. Having then by means of this stronghold
established themselves securely and made this island a base of
operations for further conquests, they began to annex nominally
a great extent of territory along the neighbouring coast of Lastern
Africa. Lor the next two hundred years, or thereabouts, most
of the trade of the coast passed through Mozambique, and the
position was therefore of great importance, both in a commercial
and political point of view. The produce consisted of ivory,
cocoa-nut oil, india-rubber, gold, amber, and calumba root. Of
late years Zanzibar has monopolized most of the Last African
trade, and, consequently, Mozambique has been losing its importance,
and has now almost ceased to be a centre of commercial
industry. Indeed, the only African export of any moment which
now passes through Mozambique is india-rubber, which is said to
be of good quality, and of which large supplies are forthcoming.
The coast tribes have never properly fraternized with the
Portuguese, and although a large force of troops is maintained
at the fort, the few colonists who now reside on the mainland are
practically at the mercy of the natives. A t present, a large tribe,
the Macolos, hostile to the Portuguese, and numbering about
16