— 347 — ' 



to see other medical men follow their example and im- 

 pari to the public the result of their labours. 



His Excellency also wished, according to the desire 

 expressed by the Secretary, at the suggestion of the 

 Hon. Mr E. Dupont, to see an edifice raised in the 

 town of Port Louis, which might at the same time ans- 

 wer the purposes of a Museum and Public Library. 



Yet, His Excellency inquires and puts it to the 

 members seated round the table, how it is that the iii- 

 habitants of a wealthy colony like Mauritius, do not' 

 contribute to the erection of such an establishment, 

 thus assisting an useful and interesting Institution 

 which it is their duty to support. His Excellency 

 Would wish to see more union and more unanimity 

 upon this point amongst the colonists. 



His Excellency acknowledged the utility of planting 

 trees to shade the sea shore, the cocoa-nut tree for in- 

 stance, as suggested by the Secretary, and refers the 

 question for the consideration of the Surveyor-General, 

 who is present at the meeting. His Excellency then 

 proposes the adoption of the Report. 



The Honorable Mr Fropier, Vice-President, replies 

 in a few words to His Excellency, and endeavours to 

 explain the causes which had hiiherto prevented the 

 planters from doing everything by themselves alone ; 

 these causes are attributable to the still uncertain posi- 

 tion of wealth of many of them, wealth recently acquired, 

 and which reductions in the crop, in the price of su- 

 gars, and other circumstances might compromise at any 

 moment. He also attributes these causes to the necessity 

 in which the planters found themselves of paying a 

 considerable debt which weighed on the colony, or fill- 

 ing the coffers of the Treasury, entirely emptied ten 

 years ago, of defraying the expenses of Immigration, 

 and to costly creations. He also attributes them to the 

 edification of numerons churches and chapels belong- 

 ing to diff'erent creeds, the cost of which was defrayed 

 by individuals, to charitable institutions and schools 

 established entirely by private contributions.. 



The Honorable Vice-President laid much stress 

 upon the necessity of possessing an Establishment ap- 

 propriated to the use of the Society, and alludes to the 



