94 VISITS TO MADAGASCAE. cuap. iv. 



place, in Indian costume, met us as we approached, and gave 

 us a cordial welcome, which was repeated by his wife, a Mau- 

 ritian lady of French parentage ; and after our walk we were 

 glad to rest ourselves in some large cane arm-chairs, standing 

 ahout under the trees in front of the house. While seated 

 here refreshing ourselves with a cup of tea and its accom- 

 paniments, which Mrs. Kelsey's forethought had provided, a 

 servant brought us a large basket full of pine apples, and 

 soon afterwards quite a hamper full of ripe peaches, which 

 made an agreeable addition to our breakfast. I then ex- 

 plored the garden in front of the house, which was almost 

 enclosed on three sides with roses in full bloom. The pretty 

 little noisette rose, felicite perpetuelle, was conspicuous 

 amongst them, as was another, like Devoniensis, only paler. 

 In this mountain garden I found the Clerodendron faleata 

 in splendid bloom, with blue hydrangeas, China asters, agera- 

 tum, kaliopsis, Liliwm longiHora, Brompton stocks, verbenas, 

 heliotropes, and many other familiar plants. 



Beyond the garden to the west was a terrace, also bordered 

 \vith roses, which commanded a fine view of the valley along 

 which we had travelled, with the stream winding its way to 

 the sea, the woods, plantations, and dwellings spread over the 

 plain, and the wide ocean beyond. Our host next led us 

 through his plantation of fruits and spices. The latter con- 

 sisted chiefly of cloves. During the early part of the French 

 occupation of Mauritius great attention was given to the 

 introduction and culture of spices ; and though the changes 

 that have since taken place in the commercial intercourse 

 with the spice-growing islands of the East have rendered their 

 production in Mauritius less important and profitable, a few 

 plantations are still to be seen.* The trees, about twenty feet 

 high, were many of them in full blossom. The parasite vanilla 

 was here cultivated as an article of commerce, for the sake of 

 the perfume it supplies. Passing down the mountain side 



