1836.] APPEARANCE OF MAURITIUS, 483 



CHAPTER XXI. 



MAURITIUS TO ENGLAND. 



Mauritius, beautiful appearance of Great crateriform ring of Mountains- 

 Hindoos St. Helena History of the changes in the vegetation Cause of 

 the extinction of land-shells Ascension Variation in the imported rats 

 Volcanic Bombs Beds of infusoria Bahia Brazil Splendour of tro- 

 pical scenery Pernambuco Singular Reef Slavery Return to Eng- 

 land Retrospect on our voyage. 



April 29th. In the morning we passed round the northern end 

 of Mauritius, or 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, interspersed with houses, 

 and coloured by the large fields of sugar-cane of a bright green, 

 composed the foreground. The brilliancy of the green was the 

 more remarkable, because it is a colour which generally is con- 

 spicuous only 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 these 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 sight 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 20,000 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 speak to their servants 

 in "French, and the shops are all French ; indeed I should think 

 that Calais or Boulogne was much more Anglified. There is a 



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