14* (GENERAL REMARKS ON THE PHYSICAL 
feet. From the south-west corner of the island, separated from the 
end of the Black Biver range by only a narrow gulley, the Savanne 
range of hills strikes due east, and runs parallel with the shore at a 
short distance from it for a length of ten miles, reaching a height of 
2429 feet. The third range is an irregularly-branched small group of 
hills situated on the opposite or east side of the central plateau, north 
of Grandport, the second largest town of the island. This range 
reaches a height of 2404 feet. Besides these there are many isolated 
rounded peaks, like the Biton du Milieu de l’lsle, which rises from the 
very middle of the central plateau. There are two small lakes on the cen- 
tral plateau, called the Grand Bassin and Mare aux Yacoas. There are 
half-a-dozen streams that reach a length of ten or twelve miles, and 
run from the central plateau to the sea in the broad open spaces 
between the three main hill-ranges and innumerable rivulets that break 
down the short steep mountain-valleys and are often entirely destitute 
of water in the dry season. At Port Louis and in the low country the 
average annual temperature is 78° Fahr. The average daily range is 
from 70° at sunrise to 86° in the middle of the afternoon. The extremes 
in the shade registered during many years are 61 and 90°. The general 
vegetation of the island is consequently of a decidedly tropical 
character, the south temperate element being only faintly represented 
on the peaks by such plants as Phylica mauritiana , the Philippia 
heaths, Pellcea hastata , and the three species of Helichrysum. Amongst 
more widely-spread indigenous temperate types we may mention 
Nephrodium Filix-mas , P ter is longifolia and cretica , Cardamine hirsuta, 
Juncus effusus , Cerastium glomeratum , Convolvulus arvensis , Plant ago 
major and lanceolata. In orography and botany Mauritius offers a 
decided contrast to both Bourbon and Madagascar, where the highest 
peaks are in the centre of the island, rising to a height of 10,000 or 
12,000 feet, with the snow lying upon them for many months. The 
warmest and wettest season of the year is from November to April, 
the time of the north-west monsoon, the comparatively cool and dry 
season being from May to October, when the wind blows from the 
south-east. The rain is very irregular from year to year and very dif- 
ferent in quantity in different parts of the island. The average rain- 
fall at Grandport, on the east coast, is said to be 146 inches, at Labour- 
donnais 63 inches, and at Port Louis only 38 inches. The difference 
between the longest and shortest days is 2| hours. Unfortunately so 
far as botany is concerned the value of land in Mauritius for sugar 
