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. recently quitted. The low ground, for several miles inland, 
was covered with trees of varied foliage, enclosing fields of 
maize, manioc, and sugar-cane, and garnished with clumps 
of cocoa and date palms, waving their pensile fronds over 
the general level of the wood. The interior presented to 
the eye a broken range of mountains, covered with lofty 
trees, and shooting up into rugged peaks, which, obscured 
from time to time by the passing clouds, gave the whole 
. ` Scene a most picturesque effect. 
* As we approached within sight of Port-Louis, we observed 
thewhite flag waving over the batteries that guard the entrance 
of the harbour, which led us to conjecture that some nego- 
. ciation was going on between the contending parties; and 
we learned by our first communication with the shore, that 
the enemy had capitulated about two o'clock that morning. 
The terms of this capitulation are sufficiently well known 
and I shall offer no remark on them. Amongst the troops 
they excited but one sentiment, and that not very flattering 
to the parties concerned. With an army of 16,000 regular, 
well-disciplined troops, opposed to a handful of men, not one 
tenth its numerical force, and of these one-balf consisting of 
seamen and deserters, we might, without any charge of pre- 
sumption, have looked for an unconditional surrender. ' — 
© The harbour of Port-Louis is situated in lat. 20° 9" south, 
and 57» 29" east longitude. It is of considerable size. There 
were at least one hundred sail of various descriptions at 
anchor within the boom at the time we disembarked, wa 
did not take place until the 10th December, after matters 
had been arranged for the embarkation of those troops which 
Were to return to India... sir t 
= “ Towards the sea, the defences of Port-Louis are eX 
tremely formidable. On the left hand, as you enter the 
~ barbour, stands the Ile aux Tonneliers, about half a mile » 
length, and rising no higher than a few feet above the level. 
_of the water. | It is merely a bank of coral thrown up by the 
E = wd and reduced by attrition to a pulverulent state. Two 
NES me » erected at the. extreme. points of the island, arè — 
Connected by a stone parapet en crenillaire. . The. 
