~ ^12 ~ 



vingstone In f d'owinfj no ihe sballoAv riv^-rs during 

 r»>rtHin seasons, in the regions of So'th Africa which 

 the >p'e^rHipil traveller has again returne(l to vi>-it, 



MrH. H«:rb<t, a gprinan botanist wis sent to our Is- 

 land by the Goven nunt of Rio Jinieiro, to procure 

 rane tops for tlie purpose of making plantations iu dif- 

 ferent parts of the Brasilian Empire. On the obsrrva- 

 tiou made to him by your Secretary, that by trking 

 cane tops at Mauritius, he would incur tlie ri-k »if in- 

 Irnducing the Borer into Bi-Hzil, (without decreasing 

 the number hnre.) Mr Hfnb>t proceeded to Reunion iu 

 a sliip frtiijhted by his Govprument, and from thence, 

 sailed to Rio Janeiro with his cargo. 



H** bad brought with him from Brazil, in glass cases 

 a pretty con.siderHble number of plants, both fruit bear- 

 ins; sind ornHmental completely n' w to Mauritius and 

 whifh were deposit- d by him at the Pampleniousses 

 gardens. Amongst which we wi'l notice the " CitrlU' 

 dnrica palinata." a p;i!m of which the leaves, before 

 thpy are open, are used fir the manufacture of tlse hats 

 called " I'^uama," a Bo7nbnx u^ which, thp fruit is eaten 

 roasted like cbestnots. and th»' " Lecythis major " very 

 like the Brazd nut and bearing a vety good fruit. 

 Amongst the flower shrubs we could cite the Alluman- 

 da and the Bignonia violacca. 



The So'iety has been set sible of the advantages 

 wbirh the island mi^ht derive from keeping regular 

 roinmunications with Brazil, a country so rich in all 

 kiuds of plants, and has offered to Mr Herbst the title 

 (f Correspfuidiug Member which he has a'cepteil, i ro- 

 mi^imr i<^> introduce into Mauritius, by evtry opportunity 

 such fruit trees as W' do not yet poss ss 



On au occasion of «uch solemnity, we must not omit 

 to w 1 ome the ar ival of a man who, at a <li.sastrou8 

 peri>d' for oiir staple arfile of cu tivatiou, generously 

 cme fo wird lo our as!«i>jf 'iice Our Plaivicrs still re- 

 momber the cruel necessity which compelled them, be- 

 twpeo 184i) aTid 1850, to yi^e uj) the cultivation of the 

 wh'fe Ci\\>' which was rliseasp<l, and the embarassment 

 in wh-eh they f umd themselves in finding cuttings of 

 other kinds of canes to be substituted to the <liseased 

 ones. 



