30 BOTANICAL GARDENS. 



which had fallen durino* the nio-ht brou^fht it out 

 in abundance. 



The Botanical Gardens are close to the church. 

 Among" the plants are some mag-nificent sag'o palms^ 

 almost rivalling' those I had seen in New Guinea^ 

 during' the voyag-e of the Fl}^^* and many clove and 

 nutmeg" trees^ the cultivation of which in the island 

 it had been the intention of Government to intro- 

 duce. Here are some very fine shady walks with 

 ponds of water and rivulets^ but althoug'h these cool 

 retreats are admirably adapted for solitary rambles 

 and the holding" of merry pic-nic parties^ I found 

 with reg-ret that the title of botanical had misled me. 



On my return I was not surprised to see in an 

 island colonised by the French — so little outward 

 respect paid to the Sabbath. Many people were at 

 work in the fields^ and washerwomen in the streams^ 

 — a party of Chinamen were employed roofing* a 

 house^ and blacksmiths hammered away within g*un- 

 shot of the churchy while many of the shops and all 

 the taverns were open in the villa g"es. 



On a former occasion I had made an excursion 

 to the summit of La Pouce^ a remarkable knob-like 

 peak on the sharp crateriform ridg"e behind Port 

 Louis. Following' a path^ leadhig- from the town 

 directly to AVilhelm's Plains^ one crosses a small 



* Narrative of the Surveying Voyage of H.M.S. Fly in Torres 

 Strait, New Guinea, and other Islands of the Asiatic Archipelago. 

 By J. Beete Jukes. 



