232 RESEARCHES ON 
time, surrounded this important subject, and materially tended to im- 
pede the march of its improvement. 
Introduction. 
During the last two years, having sought to keep an exact account of 
the different modifications which the juice of the cane undergoes during 
the process for the extraction of sugar as practised in this colony, we 
have insensibly been led to extend our researches to the plant itself, and 
have step by step investigated all those questions relative to its history. 
We propose then, in a brief sketch, to reproduce the notes we have col- 
lected on those points which most deserve the notice of the planter. 
But before specifying the results of our observations we do not think 
that a few words on the early development of sugar industry will be out 
of place. 
The sugar cane, originally from those regions now named India and 
Indo-China, has there been exclusively cultivated from the highest anti- 
quity to the middle of the thirteenth century, at which period the 
Asiatic merchants trading in sugar began to penetrate into those countries 
situated beyond the Ganges, whence was brought this precious plant, 
which from that time was not long in spreading into Arabia, Syria, and 
Egypt It was introduced into Cyprus and Sicily at the end of the fol- 
lowing century ; from thence it was spread to Madeira and the Canaries, 
and, at a later period, became in Spain, and even in the South of France, 
the object of especial culture. Imported into the islands of St. Thomas 
and St. Domingo, at the beginning of the sixteenth century, it grew there 
so rapidly, and produced such results, that in a few years a considerable 
number of sugar plantations were established in these colonies. 
It was about two centuries and a half after these first and successful 
efforts, that is about 1750, the sugar cane was first introduced into 
Mauritius. The cultivation of this plant was at first limited to some 
few estates, and carried out on a small scale, and made but indifferent pro- 
gress, remaining for a long time nearly stationary. But sixty years later, 
its cultivation being better appreciated, became greatly developed, and 
by degrees was substituted for most of those crops formerly cultivated. 
It is now the only one which is carried out on large estates, of which it 
constitutes, under present circumstances, the surest and most remunera- 
tive resource. 
It is generally thought that the first cane planted in Mauritius was 
that commonly called the white cane, and which is indigenous to the 
islands of the Pacific. This cane is one of the most juicy and saccha- 
rine that we possess, formed for a long time the greater part of the 
plantations established in the different localities of Mauritius but the 
disease which attacked it about twenty years ago, compelled the planters 
to restrict its use. Numerous varieties of cane have since been intro- 
duced into the island, they have been cultivated and propagated with 
every care, but they have not all offered the same chances of success. 
