30 BOTANICAL GARDENS, 



which had fallen during the night brought it out 

 in abundance. 



The Botanical Gardens are close to the church. 

 Among the plants are some magnificent sago palms, 

 almost rivalling those I had seen in New Guinea, 

 during the voyage of the Fly,* and many clove and 

 nutmeg trees, the cultivation of which in the island 

 it had been the intention of Government to intro- 

 duce. Here are some very fine shady walks with 

 ponds of water and rivulets, but although these cool 

 retreats are admirably adapted for solitary rambles 

 and the holding of merry pic-nic parties, I found 

 with regret that the title of botanical had misled me. 



On my return I was not surprised to see in an 

 island colonised by the French — so little outward 

 respect paid to the Sabbath. Many people were at 

 work in the fields, and washerwomen in the streams, 

 ■ — a party of Chinamen were employed roofing a 

 house, and blacksmiths hammered away within gun- 

 shot of the church, while many of the shops and all 

 the taverns were open in the villages. 



On a former occasion I had made an excursion 

 to the summit of La Pouce, a remarkable knob-like 

 peak on the sharp crateriform ridge behind Port 

 Louis. Following a path, leading irom the town 

 directly to Wilhelm's Plains, one crosses a small 



* Narrative of the Surveying Voyage of H.M.S. Fly in Torres 

 Strait, New Guinea, and other Islands of the Asiatic Archipelago. 

 By J. Beete Jukes. 



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