ronT LOUIS. 83 



morning'^ with bright sunshine^ smooth water^ a 

 g'eiitle trade wind^ and an unclouded sky. The view 

 was very beautiful^ and quite equalled my expecta- 

 tions^ based^ thoug'h they were^ upon the g-lo wing- 

 descriptions of La Pierre. The extremes of the island 

 are low^ but the centre is occupied by the partially 

 wooded crest-like ridg*e^ rug'g'ed and pinnacled^ con- 

 nectino- La Pouce with the famous Peter Botte. 

 Viewed in a mass^ the country looked burnt up^ of a 

 dull yellowish red hue^ — the hig-her hills were dark 

 g-reen^ and the lower grounds partially so. To the 

 left was the fertile plain of Pamj)lemousses^ even 

 now^ in the beg*inning* of winter^ one mass of g'reen 

 of various degrees of intensity. As we approached 

 we beg'an to make out more distinctly the sug*ar 

 plantations^ the gToves of cocoa-nut trees and 

 casuarinas^ the features of the town^ and the dense 

 mass of shipping* in the harbour. We hove to off 

 the Bell Buoy (denoting' the outer anchorag^e)^ for 

 the steamer which towed us to our berth abreast of 

 Cooper's Island. 



The harbour of Port Louis is of singular forma- 

 tion. It is entered by a narrow passage or break 

 in the coral reef surrounding the island, leading into 

 a larg'e basin^ the central portion only of which has 

 sufficient water for shipping. The bottom is mud^ 

 which^ they say^ is fast accumulating^ especially 

 in a small bight called the Trou Fanfaron^ where a 

 few 3^ears ago a line-of-battle ship could float_, but 



VOL. I. D 



