CHAPTER XV 
R^fiUNION 
Reunion surpasses its sister island in size and in its 
varied formation. Seen from the sea under a cloudless 
sky, it presents an imposing aspect. Beginning at Cape 
Bernard in the north it rises quickly from the coast and 
mounts in bold lines to the Piton des Neiges, 10,000 ft. 
high, and then slopes gently off to the south. Generally 
this picture is only to be enjoyed in clear outlines during 
the early morning hours of the dry summer months, for 
during the day the mountains are for the most part 
veiled in mist. 
The shape of the island is an ellipse, with a major axis 
of 44 miles, while its minor axis is only 31^ miles. It lies to 
the south of the 20th parallel and embraces an area of 
750 square miles. The coast-line is comparatively small, 
as the circumference only reaches 129 miles. There are 
no bays cutting deep into the land, so that there is not 
a single harbour; the ships are obliged to anchor in an 
open roadstead, and the landing is rendered more diffi¬ 
cult by the prevailing high winds. An attempt has been 
made very recently to remedy this evil by constructing 
an artificial harbour at the Pointe des Galets. The road¬ 
stead most frequented is that at St. Denis in the north, 
but formerly, when the sea was very rough, the steamers 
would anchor at St. Paul. The beach is almost every¬ 
where covered with shingle or boulders; coral forma¬ 
tions are only found locally. 
The coast plains are only of small extent, the steep 
slopes of the volcanic mountain land seem scored with 
