MISCELLANIES. 



623 



Three only of the islands are 

 inhabited, Mahe, Praslin, and La 

 Digue. 



Mahe, naitied after Monsieur 

 Mahe de la Bourdonnais, is tlie 

 largest, most populous, and of 

 course best cultivated of the 

 whole J it is sixteen or seventeen 

 miles in length, and generally 

 about four broad. It has two 

 good harbours ; that of Mahe on 

 the N.E. side of the island, where 

 is the principal, indeed, the only 

 village, and the residence of the 

 commandant ; and another on the 

 S. W. side, both perfectly secm-e. 

 Its population amounts to about 

 2,648 persons. 



Praslin (from the minister of 

 that name), is the next island, in 

 size and population, to that of 

 Mahe ; and it has an excellent 

 harbour on its north side, shel- 

 tered by the Isle Curieuse. The 

 population of this island amounts 

 to 261 persons. 



La Digue, so called from a 

 ship of that name, has only 

 seventy-one inhabitants. 



These three islands are high 

 and rocky, and, generally speak- 

 ing, poor, steril, and barren, save 

 only where a small valley or 

 sheltered glen may have secured 

 the soil from being washed down 

 its steep declivities, by the heavy 

 rains, in the wet season. 



There are about six decked ves- 

 sels belonging to the inhabitant* 

 of these islands ; the largest 

 about eighty, and the smallest 

 about twenty tons ; by means of 

 which they exchange tlieir j)ro- 

 ductions with the inliabitants of 

 the Isles of France and Bourbon, 

 and trade to Madagascar ami the 

 Mozambique coast, and occasion- 

 ally to either coast of India. 



To give an idea of the presen 

 state of the population and culti- 

 vation of these islands, at one 

 view, I transcribe a general re- 

 turn for the last year : — 



AVliite Population. — Men, 

 97 J Women, .59 ; Boys, 

 107 ; Girls, 77 340 



Free People of Colour. — 

 Men, IS; Women, 39; 

 Boys, 54; Girls, 30 . . 141 



Slaves. — Males, 3,533; Fe- 

 males, 2,533 6,066 



Total . . . 6,547 



Cultivation. — Acres in provi- 

 sions, 2,432 ; ditto in cotton, 

 2,720 ; ditto in sugar canes, 220 ; 

 total, 5,3/2. — Feet in coffee, 

 4,000; ditto in cloves, 3,000; 

 total, 7,000. 



Cattle, &c. — Horned cattle, 

 300; sheep, 200; goats, 150; 

 hogs, 800; total, 1,450. Besides 

 turkeys, geese, ducks, fowls, 

 pigeons, vegetables and fruit in 

 great abundance. 



You may purchase stock at the 

 following prices : — four fowls a 

 Spanish dollar ; two ducks a 

 Spanish dollar ; eight turkeys 

 for twelve dollars ; a sheep for 

 four to six dollars. Good beef 

 wa8 killed and sold, ten pounds, 

 for one Spanish dollar. 



These islands do not appear fit 

 for tlie cultivation of any article 

 of export but cotton, and but for 

 very little of that. There is not 

 an acre of level ground upon the 

 whole island, and hardly any soil ; 

 it is all motmtainous, full of 

 rocks and trees, and tlie heavy 

 rains wash down the mountains 

 the principal part of the mould. 



The annual produce of cotton 



upon 



