8 WANDERINGS OF A 



At daybreak on the 19th of April we sighted the Seychelle 

 Islands, and were soon at anchor in the Little harbour of 

 Mahe. 



After a long imprisonment on board ship, one feels a 

 schoolboy's longing to take a run on shore, and when the foot 

 touches terra firma for the first time, especially in a new 

 country, how eager are we to be off and see the lions of the 

 place ! 



The desolate and barren appearance of the Seychelles, 

 when viewed from a distance, dies away as you approach. 



Their mountains rise as high as 2000 feet above the level 

 of the sea, and are clothed with verdure to their summits. 

 For the first time we observed the bamboo, cocoa-nut, tamarind, 

 plantain, orange, coffee-plant, mango, date, and sugar-cane, 

 growing in aU their tropical luxuriance. A coral reef sur- 

 rounds the island of Mahe, which is said to be composed of 

 granite, and consequently forms an interesting geological 

 feature compared with other oceanic islands. 



The Seychelles are hkewise famous from being the only 

 locality where the celebrated coco-de-mer (Lodoicea Sechel- 

 larum) is found. This graceful palm attracts the stranger's 

 attention on landing at Mahe, where several may be seen in 

 the centre of the town. It has been introduced into the 

 island of Mauritius, but is said not to produce fruit anywhere 

 except in its native islands. 



During our short stay we were much indebted to our 

 excellent friend M. G., whose delightful retreat on the sea- 

 coast we had the pleasure of visiting. 



On the following morning, after a refreshing bathe in a 

 mountain-stream, and a ramble through our friend's plantain- 

 groves, among the clustering fruit of which I found a turtle- 

 dove {Twrtwr rostratus) sitting on its nest and eggs, we 



