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expected, objects of great attraction in the Seychelles 

 section of the Mauritius court. 



These curious fruits, some of which have three and 

 even four lobs, but most frequently count only two, are 

 instances of i one of the most wonderful of nature's 

 freaks. 



During his stay in the Seychelles Archipelago where 

 he was sent to report on the defence of these islands 

 general Gordon had ample opportunity of studying the 

 coco de mer, and I have read letters from him, in which 

 he expressed his desire to write a Monograph of the 

 plant and fruit. In one of these letters general Gordon 

 speaks of the lovely Seychelles Islands as having, in his 

 opinion been once the seat of the Garden of Eden of 

 biblic fame, and of course he has not the slightest doubt 

 the coco de mer has been the puzzling forbidden fniit. 



In the mineral Kingdom, we had very fine blocks 

 of building stone, such as our beautiful basaltic bleu 

 stones, and a block of building coral. Mr Th. Pitot de 

 la Beaugeardiere sent a specimen of red stone, suitable 

 for furnaces &c. and a nice collection of eighteen samples 

 of differently coloured clays which are found on as many 

 different strata, lying by each other at Chamarel. These 

 clays, some of which have very bright colours aie all 

 goloured by some iron oxides, 



Mr O, Mayer sent a supply of the mineral water 

 known in Mauritius as " Eau Tielman^"* which, according 

 to carefully made analysis compares favourably with the 

 most reputed European Saline Waters. A sample of 



