72 
VISITS TO MADAGASCAR. 
CHAP. III. 
only eminent in his profession, but having extended his in¬ 
quiries to other departments of knowledge. Meteorology 
had engaged much of his attention, and his work on the 
Law of Storms is regarded as a valuable contribution to that 
important branch of nautical science. Loss of health obliged 
him during the following year to leave Mauritius with his 
family for England, where his useful life terminated very 
peacefully soon after his arrival. 
The 9th of November, the Prince of Wales’s birthday, was 
observed as a public holiday in Port Louis, and I accompanied 
two young friends. Lieutenant, now Captain, Gordon and 
Mr. Larkworthy, whom I often met at Dr. Thom’s, on an 
excursion to the Pouce, a lofty mountain with a sort of 
thumb-shaped summit, which rises immediately behind Port 
Louis. We set out very early in order to secure the ad¬ 
vantage of the coolness of the morning. Some natives carried 
our provisions: I took a large tin case for specimens of plants, 
and my companions each a portfolio for sketching. On leaving 
the town, we passed along a path that reminded me some¬ 
what of excursions among the Pyrenees. After a time we 
entered upon the woody base of the mountain, when the 
road became more steep, but not difficult, affording oc¬ 
casionally good halting-places, with openings in the trees 
through which we obtained most charming views of the rich 
valley, with its villas, cottages, and gardens, the citadel, 
the town, the port, and the batteries which guard its en¬ 
trance, the lines of stately shipping ranged along the sides 
of the harbour, with the wide blue ocean stretching far away 
beyond; on the other side of our path, the bold, steep 
piles of dark ferruginous volcanic rock, diversified along its 
different strata by tufts of grass and stunted shrubs, rose 
several hundred feet above our path. Amongst these rocks 
in several places the monkeys which inhabit the mountain 
could be seen springing from branch to branch with great 
