of the Seychelles Archipelago. 339 



At 8 A.M. we rounded the north end of St. Anne's, the largest 

 of a chain of small islands which form the south-east side of 

 the harbour, and came to anchor about four miles from Port 

 Victoria. 



Mr. Geoffrey Nevill (well known as a conchologist, and who 

 had come from Mauritius with me in order to collect the shells 

 and plants of these islands) and I soon after went on shore with 

 Mr. Swinburne Ward, the Civil Commissioner, who had come 

 off to the steamer, and landed at the jetty. 



The town of Port Victoria is peculiar ; the streets, which ex- 

 tend along the sea-wall, are simply well-made broad footpaths, 

 separating the different " compounds " of the inhabitants. 'These 

 must be a great improvement on the old muddy tracks, over- 

 grown with weeds and encumbered with stones, which existed 

 before Mr. Ward's reign. Most of the houses are mere wooden 

 boxes, each standing in its own dirty enclosure or " compound." 

 Through the middle of the town, down a narrow valley, a 

 small stream flows to the sea from the foot of the Trois Freres, 

 a mountain immediately behind the town. During the hurricane 

 I before mentioned, a great landslip occurred near its source, 

 and, sweeping down the narrow channel, brought an avalanche 

 of earth and mud, with enormous rocks and trees, upon the 

 houses by its side, overwhelming some, overturning others, and 

 causing a frightful loss of life and property : for days dead 

 bodies were being dug out from the mass, and many known to be 

 lost were never recovered. 



A similar landslip occurred at the same time about a mile to 

 the south-east, bearing down on a house and carrying some of 

 the unfortunate inhabitants even out to sea, and there burying 

 them below high-water mark in mud of the consistency of hasty- 

 pudding. The same hurricane blew down many cocoa-nut 

 trees and destroyed provision-grounds, and, it is said, killed 

 a great many birds. It was not, however, without its good 

 effects, as it showed the necessity for widening the bed of the 

 stream, clearing the paths of the stones and weeds which 

 encumbered them, and giving a proper outlet for the waters. 

 All these works have now been done. By passing a law 

 compelling the inhabitants to contribute either money or labour 



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