NATURE OF ITS SOIL AND THE EXTENT OF ITS CULTIVATION. 
269 
Mr. Stirling next turns to the nature of the 
soil. Unacquainted with the exact quantity 
' of arable land, he concludes that all the 
[ land which is fit for cultivation has been 
made arable by clearing away and cutting 
down the trees. The expenses of clearing 
are very considerable. The land Mr. Stir- 
^ ling saw being cleared was covered with trees 
whose roots appeared to be in possession of 
the whole of the sub-surface, and stems or 
stumps, after the trees had been cut down, 
occupied, two or three feet from each 
other, the surface above ground. The 
brush- wood had been burnt, but the large 
trees were strewed indiscriminately about 
the field which was being prepared. It ap- 
pears that much labour was employed, and 
that the expenses were considerable. Such 
was the profit resulting from the service 
of clearing the land and appropriating it 
for agricultural purposes. Our author con- 
ceives that the quantity of land in culti- 
vation is six thousand English acres : the 
quantity of arable land at present amounts, 
by the French measurement, to a little short 
of fifty thousand, or about six thousand acres 
more than reckoned by the Abbe de la Caille 
eighty years ago. We submit the followingas 
worthy the attention of the authorities here. 
“ Lands were originally granted to indivi- 
duals in small untilled and unreclaimed por- 
tions, to be cleared and brought into cultiva- 
tion, with a certain number of slaves, to be 
paid for from the produce of the ground, at a 
distant date, when the means were afforded 
by the advancement of the tillage, so that set- 
tlers were enabled to cut down the wood, cul- 
tivate the ground, and build houses, mills, 
&c. &c. According to the instructions given 
by the JCast India Company, dated 24th May 
1761, to the Governor of the Isle of France, 
they recommend the division of lands into 
small parcels, among such as chose to be- 
come planters, and to let each follow the beat 
of his genius, whether it be for tilliRg corn, 
breeding horses, bullocks, poultry, planting 
cotton or coffee trees : but to afford facilities 
for shipping, and to reduce the price of labour, 
they particularly recommend the breeding car- 
riage and draught beasts of small kinds. On 
these conditions, joined apparently with that of 
military service of a slight nature, lands were 
distributed to all those who resorted from the 
mother-country to realize an independence-” 
Talking of the food for cattle, our author 
states that the forests and hills, during three 
or four months in the year, supply an abund- 
ance of food for cattle. There are three 
species of grass, which Mr. Stirling believes 
to be of the genera denominated the Cyno- 
sarus, the Festice, and the Bromas. It is 
remarkable, notwithstanding a plentiful sup- 
ply of forage, that cattle do not thrive in the 
island: bullocks, mules, and asses are in con- 
sequence imported from foreign countries. 
On the subject of manufactures and public 
works we have the following. 
“ A country that furnishes nothing but 
its colonial produce, when there are a number 
of inhabitants who are unconnected with the 
proprietors of the soil, would be expected to 
manufacture articles to a considerable extent 
for its own consumption, or to augment by 
their labour the value of foreign importations ; 
and acccording as attention to this subject 
was manifested, we should be inclined to ac- 
knowledge their industry. It may be stated, 
that the Isle of France produces at present 
nothing but colonial produce for exportation. 
The manufactories of sugar are no doubt very 
great, and the number of mills for producing 
it, since the last regulation of parliament in its 
favor, have been increased very considerably. 
There are probably not less than forty sugar- 
mills at work during the season. I have heard 
one bundled and fifty, but this appears to 
exceed the proportion due to the produce. 
Rum is also manufactured, but I am ignorant 
of any data on which to estimate its quantity. 
Ship-building is carried on to a limited extent, 
but the high price of labour and timber pre- 
vent it being undertaken except under favor- 
able circumstances. The boats that are em- 
ployed on the coast of the island are all made 
here. Carts and waggons are likewise manu- 
factured for the use of the colony,” 
There is no nation in the world excelling 
the French in the promotion of science and 
arts. The administration of M. Bourdonnois 
is favourably spoken of. 
“ The French during their administration de- 
serve much praise for the many improvements 
they effected, which tended greatly to the ad- 
vancement of the interests of the proprietors, 
and those of the government. The indefati- 
gable exertions of M. Bourdonnois, for the at- 
tainment of these objects, excites a certain 
degree of astonishment, when we remember 
the innumerable difficulties this laborious 
Governor had to surmount, in bringing this 
island into a state of cultivation ; in overcom- 
ing the torpid indolence of the colonist ; in 
forming a militia ; in making roads, bridges, 
aqueducts, hospitals, piers, and dock-yards, 
fqrrning harbours for the shipping, and in pro- 
viding for the defence of the island, by con- 
structing fortifications and batteries in all 
commanding situations : and this astonish- 
ment is still more augmented when we view 
him, towards the end of his government, 
building vessels and embarking his soldiers 
for India, and, notwithstanding the great im- 
pediments that were put in his way, and the 
disasters he suffered in the voyage, manfully 
