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battery, or that which stands nearest the passage into the 

 harbour, consists of a loose embankment of madrepore, and 

 mounts upwards of tliirty pieces of ordnance (thirty-six 

 pounders) on traversing-carriages ; and on its right flank is a 

 battery of six thirteen-inch mortars. Fort-Blanc, on the 

 opposite side of the entrance, and at the distance of about five 

 hundred yards, is equally well pi'ovided. If to these we add 

 the boom already mentioned, and an easterly wind constantly 

 blowing out of the harbour, we may regard the success of 

 any naval attack on Port-Louis as extremely doubtful. 



" A person who shall arrive at Port-Louis directly from 

 Capetown will be tempted to draw a comparison not very 

 favourable to the capital of Mauritius. The contrast is 

 indeed obvious. The houses in Port-Louis rarely Consist of 

 more than one floor, and are constructed of wood. The 

 planks, rough from the saw-pit, are laid horizontally, with 

 their edges over-lapping, and nailed to the frame-work. The 

 roofs are covered with shingles, which, in the course of a 

 season, become of a greyish-black colour. The walls are 

 painted with yellow-ochre, or left without any colouring; in 

 the latter case, they soon assume the same dismal hue as the 

 roof. Each house is surrounded with a clumsy palisade, 

 and retires a few fathoms from the street. The latter are 

 generally straight, but very narrow, and for the most part 

 merely traced, without any attempt having been made to 

 pave, gravel, or clear them of the stones with which they are 

 copiously encumbered. The police, so far as regards the 

 cleanness of the town, appears to have been much neglected 

 before our arrival; nor is there any material reform in that 

 particular to be expected in a hurry. The consequence is, 

 that in passing along the less frequented streets a person must 

 keep a sharp look-out ; otherwise he will stand a good chance 

 of stepping over the ankles into something that ought not to 

 be there. 



" Port-Louis is situated, like Capetown, in a valley, sur- 

 rounded on three sides by mountains. The valley is divided 

 by a small stream into two equal parts ; that on the left side, 

 called the Champ de Lort, is planted with a grove oi' Acacia 



