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" Royal Botanical Garden a, 

 20tli May 1875. 



" To the Honcrahle the Colonial Secretary Office. 



Sir, 



" The Islands of tbe Seyctelles group whicli I visited in 

 1871 and 1874 are Mahe, Praslin, Silhouette, La Digue, Feli- 

 cite, Curieuse, Aux Fregates, St. Anne and aus Cerfs. 



"LA similarity of soil, climate, and products prevailing 

 throughout the group renders a particular description of any 

 one of the Islands unnecessary. However any thing peculiar 



to any of them, aad not existing in others, will be alluded to. 



" 2. Situated as these Islands are, almost under the Equa- 

 tor, the climate although warm is healthy. Indeed, no bet- 

 ter station could be chosen for a Sanitarium for the crews of 

 naval vessels on the East Coast of Africa. 



" 3. In some localities of Mahe especially those of the 

 Cascade valley, and at the top of the Barbaron Pass (about 6 

 miles from Port Victoria and in full view of its harbour), at 

 an elevation of 1500 feet above the sea, the climate is delight- 

 ful. 



" 4. The seasons are divided in two, — The warm, and wet 

 one, during the northwest monsoon, which blows ftom Oc- 

 tober to April, and the comparatively cool and dry one, from 

 April to October, during the south-east trade wind. The 

 rainfall during the year is about 96 inches, the. greater por- 

 tion of which falls during the northwest monsoon, Ifc is es- 

 pecially heavy when that wind comes in contact over the la- 

 lands with the south-east trade-wind. 



" 5. The Islands of the group rise suddenly from the sea, 

 and appear as if they were the mountain peats of a submer- 



