1836.] MAURITIUS. 465 



and sudden upheaval. There appears to me to bo insuperable ob- 

 jections to this view : on the other hand, I can hardly believe, iu 

 this and in some other cases, that these marginal crateriform 

 mountains are merely the basal remnants of immense volcanoes, of 

 which the summits cither have been blown off, or swallowed up in 

 subterranean abysses. 



From our elevated position we enjoyed an excellent view over the 

 island. The country on this side appears pretty well cultivated, 

 being divided into fields and studded with farm-houses. I was 

 however assured that of the whole land, not more than half is yet 

 in a productive state ; if such be the case, considering the present 

 large export of sugar, this island, at some future period when 

 thickly peopled will be of great value. Since England has taken 

 possession of it, a period of only twenty-five years, the export of 

 sugar is said to have increased seventy-five fold. One great cause 

 of its prosperity is the excellent state of the roads. In the neigh- 

 bouring Isle of Bourbon, which remains under the French govern- 

 ment, the roads are still in the same miserable state as they were 

 here only a few years ago. Although the French residents must 

 have largely profited by the increased prosperity of their island, 

 yet the English government is far from popular. 



3rd. In the evening Captain Lloyd, the Surveyor-general, 

 so well known from his examination of the Isthmus of Panama, 

 invited Mr. Stokes and myself to his country-house, which is 

 situated on the edge of Wilheim Plains, and about six miles from 

 the Port. We stayed at this delightful place two days ; standing 

 nearly 800 feet above the sea, the air was cool and fresh, and on 

 every side there were delightful walks. Close by, a grand ravine 

 has been worn to a depth of about 500 feet through the slightly 

 inclined streams of lava, which have flowed from the central 

 platform. 



5th. Captain Lloyd took us to the Kiviere Noire, which is 

 several miles to the southward, that I might examine some rocks 

 of elevated coral. We passed through pleasant gardens, and fine 

 fields of sugar-cane growing amidst huge blocks of lava. The 

 roads were bordered by hedges of Mimosa, and near many of the 

 houses there were avenues of the mango. Some of the views, 

 where the peaked hills and the cultivated farms were seen together, 

 were exceedingly picturesque ; and we were constantly tempted to 

 exclaim, " How pleasant it would be to pass one's life in such quiet 



2 H 



