MAURITIUS, ITS DISCOVERY. 



107 



CHAPTER IV 



MAURITIUS, ITS DISCOVERT. GEOLOGICAL FORMATION AND PHYSICAL ASPECT. PRODUCTION OF SUGAR. EFFECT ON AGRICULTURE 



OF THE ABOLITION OF SLAVERY. COOLIES. POPULATION OF THE ISLAND. STATE OF FEELING BETWEEN ENGLISH AND 



FRENCH RESIDENTS. HOSPITABLE TREATMENT OF THE EXPEDITION. DESCRIPTION OF PORT LOUIS. GRAND PORT PAUL 



AND VIRGINIA. FACTS ON WHICH ST. PIERRE FOUNDED HIS STORY. TOMBS OF PAUL AND VIRGINIA. BUILT BY AN ECCENTRIC 



FRENCHMAN. CYCLONES. THEIR PROBABLE CAUSES. INTEREST FELT IN THEM AT MAURITIUS. DEPARTURE OF THE 



MISSISSIPPI FROM PORT LOUIS. HER COURSE THENCE TO POINT DE GALLE, ISLAND OF CEYLON. REASONS FOR TAKING IT. 



POINT DE GALLE, DESCRIPTION OF. GREAT RE.NDEZVOUS OF STEAMERS.— DIFFICULTY OF PROCURING FUEL THERE. AMERICAN 



CONSUL. THOUGHTS ON CONSULAR SYSTEM. — EARLY KNOWLEDGE OF CEYLON. ITS SEVERAL EUROPEAN POSSESSORS. 



CLIMATE. SALUBRITY. CAUSES OF ITS DIMINISHED PROSPERITY. PRODUCTIONS. VALUE OF COCOA-NUT PALM. — PEARL 



FISHERY. IMMENSE NUMBERS OF ELEPHANTS. GREAT SLAUGHTER OF THEM. BOA CONSTRICTOR, POPULATION OF CEYLON. 



PHYSIQUE OF CINGALESE, MALABARS, AND MAHOMMEDANS IN THE ISLAND. RELIGIOUS CONDITION. BUDDHISM. PILGRIMAGE 



TO THE TEMPLES. INTERCOURSE WITH A SIAMESE NAVAL OFFICER AT CEYLON. COMMODORe's LETTER TO THE SECOND KING 



OF SIAM. DEPARTURE FROM CEYLON. PASSAGE THROUGH THE STRAITS OF MALACCA. ARRIVAL AT SINGAPORE. 



ACARENHAs, a Por- 

 tuguese comman- 

 der, discovered 

 Mauritius, with 

 its neighboring 

 island of Bourbon, 

 in 1505, and the 

 \— whole group was 

 then named the 

 i:^ Mascarenhas islands. Tliu Portuguese took formal possession of 

 Mauritius in 1545, but appear to have formed no settlement. In 1598, 

 the Dutch surveyed it and gave to it its present name, in honor of Maurice, the Stadtholder 

 of the Netherlands. They, however, did not settle the island until after they had formed an 

 establishment at the Cape in 1640 ; and then they fixed themselves on the shore at Port Grand. 

 In 1708, from causes not now known, they abandoned the island, and from this time up to 

 1715 its only inhabitants were a few negroes, who had been brought there by the Dutch as 

 slaves, and who, having escaped from their masters, concealed themselves in the mountain 

 forests. In the year last named (ITIS) the French took possession and formed a settlement 

 at Port St. Louis, giving to the island the new name of the "Isle of France." They kept 

 undisturbed possession until 1810, when it was taken from them by the British ; and since the 

 peace of 1814, these last have retained it. 



