1836.] APPEARANCE OP MAURITIUS. 463 



CHAPTER XXI. 



MAURITIUS TO ENGLAND. 



Mauritius, beautiful appearance of Great crateriform ring of Mountains 

 Hindoos St. Helena History of the changes in the Vegetation Cause 

 of the extinction of Land-shells Ascension Variation in the imported 

 Eats Volcanic Bombs Beds of Infusoria Bahia Brazil Splendour 

 of Tropical Scenery Pernambuco Singular Reef Slavery Return to 

 England Retrospect on our Voyage. 



April 29</i. In the morning we passed round the northern end of 

 Mauritius, or the Isle of France. From this point of view the 

 aspect of the island equalled the expectations raised by the many 

 well-known descriptions of its beautiful scenery. The sloping 

 plain of the Painpleruousses, interspersed with houses, and coloured 

 by the large fields of sugar-cane of a bright green, composed the 

 foreground. The brilliancy of the green was the more remarkable, 

 because it is a colour which generally is conspicuous only from a 

 very short distance. Towards the centre of the island groups of 

 wooded mountains rose out of this highly cultivated plain ; their 

 summits, as so commonly happens with ancient volcanic rocks, 

 being jagged into the sharpest points. Masses of white clouds were 

 collected around these pinnacles, as if for the sake of pleasing the 

 stranger's eye. The whole island, with its sloping border and 

 central mountains, was adorned with an air of perfect elegance : 

 the scenery, if I may use such an expression, appeared to the sight 

 harmonious. 



I spent the greater part of the next day in walking about the 

 town and visiting different people. The town is of considerable 

 size, and is said to contain 20,000 inhabitants; the streets are very 

 clean and regular. Although the island has been so many years 

 under the English Government, the general character of the place 

 is quite French : Englishmen speak to their servants in French, 



