344 Dr. E. P. Wright on Lodoicea sechellarum. 
All, or at least the great majority, of these had been conveyed 
to, and abandoned on, these islands by their masters, who 
thought in this way to stop the spread of leprosy among their 
gangs of slaves. ‘The first effect of these representations was 
the selection of the Isle Curieuse for a leper-establishment, 
and the building of two leper-camps on its western side, at a 
place well sheltered, and where a little stream runs down into 
the sea—that on the right side of the stream for the male, and 
that on the left side for the female lepers. Thither, in Octo- 
ber 1829, George Forbes, an active and intelligent native of 
Scotland, beg appointed as overseer, proceeded, bringing 
with him one leper. In a very short time afterwards the brig 
‘Hebe,’ having visited the different islands inhabited by 
lepers, arrived off Curieuse and landed some two hundred 
more. In Mr. Forbes’s letters of struction, special directions 
are given not to permit the leaves of the Coco de mer to be 
cut, or the nuts to be eaten; and he is desired to plant, once a 
month, all mature nuts found on the ground, at a distance of 
ten paces from each other. Boats were forbidden to land, 
unless in charge of some responsible officer. ‘The lepers were 
not allowed to leave the island. All fish and turtle caught 
were to be divided ; but it was forbidden to eat the tortoise-shell 
turtle, though its shell was to be sent to the Governor. Sar- 
dines were not to be eaten until their heads were taken off and 
they were well cleaned; and, lastly, Mr. Forbes is urgently 
admonished to be kind and forbearing to the unfortunate beings 
placed under his care. 
It is interesting to read over these instructions, and to see 
that even then care was taken to preserve the Coco de mer; 
but as I perceive, from the date of the letter of instruction, 
that Sir W. J. Hooker’s letters and description of the palm 
would have reached the islands just at this very time, I do 
not think I am far wrong in ascribing this care, in a great 
measure, to a desire to meet his wishes ; and here I may add, 
on the testimony of several Civil Commissioners, and as the 
result of my own experience (for, as Acting Government 
Medical Officer, I had the care of Isle Curieuse), that from 1829 
until the present time, for now nearly forty years, Mr. Forbes 
has acted up to the spirit as well as to the letter of his instruc- 
tions, both as regards the beautiful palm-tree and the disease- 
stricken inhabitants of the island. As this island is still 
government property, we may be sure that as long as it keeps 
its head above the encroaching waters of the Indian Ocean, it 
will remain the home, as it is the cradle, of this species. 
It is, however, in Praslin that the Lodotcea is to be seen 
in all its glory. Perhaps the forest easiest to visit is that on 
