^Si' ^ 



ST. LOUIS, MAURITIUS. 



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 rats — Volcanic bombs — Beds 

 of infusoria — Bahia, Brazil — Splendour of tropical scenery — Pernambuco — 

 Singular reef — Slavery— Return to England — Retrospect on our voyage. 



April 2gt/L — 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 Pamplemousses, 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 



2 L 



