252 BOTANIC GARDEN. 



place, should he die upon the island ; a fore- 

 boding realized not a very long time after. 



On returning from our visit to the tomb, and 

 dining, we took a walk about the town, and en- 

 tered the small garden, kept in very neat order, 

 dignified by the name of Botanic Garden ; it 

 affords a cool and agreeable promenade, but 

 contains nothing to excite the attention of any 

 one who had previously visited India.* 



News having arrived at the island, of its hav- 

 ing been changed from the Honourable the East 

 India Company's to the King's government, much 

 speculation has been excited in consequence 

 both among the Company's officers and resi- 

 dents. As may be expected, on such a subject, 

 there is a great variety of opinions : the inha- 

 bitants enjoy their own notions, none of which 

 will probably ever be realized. They are daily 

 in expectation of news from England on the 

 subject, to relieve them from suspense. 



Fish is very abundant, and not confined, as I 

 formerly supposed, to albicore, mackarel, boneto, 

 and flying-fish ; but they have a great number of 

 species, (it has been stated amounting to even so 

 many as a hundred and twenty,) consisting of 



* The want of rain for the plantations appears to be much 

 needed ; but next month heavy rain i? expected to fall. 



