THE

DUBLIN REVIEW.

JANUARY, 1880.

ART. I.-MAURITIUS.

1. Sub-Tropical Rambles in the Land of the Aphanapteryx. Personal Experiences, &c., in and around the Island of Mauritius. By NICHOLAS PIKE. London: Sampson Low, Marston, Low and Searle. 1873.

2. An Account of the Island of Mauritius and its Dependencies. By a late OFFICIAL RESIDENT. London: Published by the Author. 1842.

IT

is proposed to describe an island belonging to the British Crown, which lies about twenty degrees south of the Equator and some five hundred miles eastward of Madagascar. It is a very small island; not forty miles at its greatest length, nor thirty-five at its greatest breadth; but for its fertility, wealth, large exports, dense population, and important naval position, it deserves to be considered by England as what its own inhabitants have long proudly styled it, "the gem of the Indian Ocean." It especially merits the regard of English Catholics. Here the Catholic religion was recognised, protected, and its ministers salaried by the English Government more than a quarter of a century before the Act of Emancipation gave the same religion, in England itself, permission to prosper, if it could. When the island was taken by the English in 1810, the language of the colonists and their customs were French; they themselves were mainly of French origin, and, it need scarcely be added, their religion was Catholic. In the supreme moment of surrender they were so far true to the traditions of their race, that they stipulated in Article VIII. of the Terms of Capitulation, for the preservation of "their religion, their laws, and their customs." And on their side, the VOL. XXXIV. NO. 1. [Third Series.]

B

captors granted the Article unconditionally, and have honestly abided by the concession. An account of this Anglo-French colony can scarcely fail to be interesting. The history of the vicissitudes and present state of religion will, however, be reserved for a succeeding article, and the present one will be devoted to a sketch of the island itself, physically and socially.

Of the two books at the head of the article, the second has been placed there because it affords a ready test of the marvellously rapid social and commercial improvement made in Mauritius during the thirty years since its publication, rather than for its present value. Mr. Pike's volume is the most recent if not the only one, entirely devoted to Mauritius, in the English book market. The more ancient of these two works is a thin, unambitious looking octavo of 180 pages, in plain, sombre, brown binding; the newer, a bright-covered volume of more than 500 pages, with a plentiful supply of good engravings; a difference typical, it is not fanciful to think, of the prosperity of the island when each author wrote of it. Mr. Pike, who was American Consul for some years at Port Louis, is a naturalist, and on the fauna and flora of the island and kindred subjects is a valuable informant. He is a facile, chatty writer, easy to read and generally well-informed, always well-intentioned, and without the suspicion of bigotry. He has made, however, several conspicuous omissions on the subject of the prevailing religion. At the proper place, one or two of his unintentional mistakes (none of them of grave moment) will be referred to and corrected.

As an introduction to the island and to Mr. Pike simultaneously, the reader will be pleased to arrive in the company of the latter at Port Louis, the capital.

Day dawned on January, 12, 1867, bright and clear, and the sun rose brilliantly in a cloudless sky, as we hove in sight of Mauritius. On nearing the land, the fields of waving canes, topes of cocoas, and groves of casaurinas, gave a pleasing impression of the place; but when approaching Port Louis harbour the beauty of the view is unsurpassed and no easy task to describe.

The varied character of the ranges of basaltic hills reminded me of the far-famed Organ Mountains in South America. The city of Port Louis lies in an extensive valley; and as we approached the Bell Buoy, the outermost anchorage for ships, a glorious scene presented itself. In the far distance was the world-known Pieter Both Mountain; just behind the city rose the bold sweep of the mountain peak called the Pouce, to the height of 2847 feet, wooded to its summit; to the east lay the gentle slopes of the Citadel Hill, bastion crowned; to the west, abrupt and rugged, the steep cliff called Long Mountain Bluff reared its

signal-topped head (whence vessels are seen and signalled far out at sea)-all formed an entourage few cities can boast, and rendered it, when viewed from the sea, the most picturesque in the world (p. 55).

Port Louis city covers an area of ten square miles, and has a population of 65,800 in round numbers. It is the capital; also the residence of the English Governor, of the Catholic Bishop of Port Louis, and of the Anglican Bishop of Mauritius; the centre of such life and activity as there is in the island, whether civil or military, commercial or fashionable. It is built, as has been said, in a valley, on either hand of which is a range of hills that runs eastward from the shore; these form together an irregular triangle with the base to the sea, and unite as at the apex in the lofty Pouce Mountain. This last has its name from a striking resemblance to an upturned thumb. The city lies in the plain below, in a compact mass of streets that run, American fashion, in straight lines and cross each other at right angles, and stretches its more well-to-do houses in straggling lines up the hill-sides around. Towards the sea it surrounds part of the large bay which forms its magnificent natural harbour, offering ample anchorage for the fleet of heavy-burdened ships of all nations that are constantly entering or leaving it. The harbour is entered through the coral reefs that surround the whole island by a channel of from 30 to 40 feet deep, and well marked out by buoys; and from its noble granite quay the sugar produce of the island is shipped to every quarter of the world, and exports from almost all parts are brought hither for the sustenance and comfort of its inhabitants. Lying, as Port Louis does, almost half-way across the vast Indian Ocean, its harbour is frequently sought by eastward or homeward bound vessels as a place of revictualling, or a refuge from the dreaded tropical hurricanes, or a dock for repairing actual injuries inflicted by them. And although the shorter route to India and the East by way of the Suez Canal has lessened both this commercial importance of Port Louis and the military value of the island as a fortress for guarding the water thoroughfare between Europe and the East, yet it has only lessened them. The importance of Mauritius in these respects remains such that it is still true, as it was formerly, that the island must always be the possession of the Power which is supreme at sea.

Only a few points of a specially characteristic nature concerning Port Louis need be mentioned here. When the untravelled Englishman first lands on its wide quay, the picture presented by the vast crowd of human beings is as new and fantastic to him as the bizarre outlines of the volcano-shaped mountains in the distance beyond: an active, busy, noisy mass of almost every colour, nationality, and costume under the sun;

French and English and their descendants, Creoles and Coolies, Arabs and Cinghalese, Africans and the Malagasy, Indians of every caste and race, and a plentiful sprinkling of quaint Chinese. This heterogeneous mixture obtains over all the island, and is a fact which should be borne in mind when we consider its social and religious condition. The streets of the city are macadamized and clean, with raised footpaths; several streams from the mountains behind run through some of them to the sea, small enough in dry weather, but when much overfilled after heavy rains often doing damage to property within reach. Mr. Pike complains very loudly of the nastiness to eye and nose of the drains which run through the streets uncovered, and makes the grave charge that they form germ beds of fever infection in dry, hot seasons. Mauritians deny the first accusation :"but open drains can scarcely, on any supposition, be supposed conducive to health. Little can be said of the architectural beauties of any of the houses, churches, or public buildings on the island. Older structures are chiefly of wood, and were built with more reference to needs and means than to style. Many newer houses and churches are of stone or brick, and the universal Z-shaped bars to the hurricane shutters on the houses are a conspicuous object to a stranger's eye. The Catholic Cathedral, in Government Street, has a large clock, the finest in Port Louis, whose solemn striking can be heard to almost every limit of the great city.

The shops next attract notice. How can this little island provide purchasers and wealth to buy all the conveniences and luxuries of European produce here exposed to sale? There are several streets, but perhaps pre-eminently one, the Chaussée, where the shops look very gay and are elegantly fitted in French style, and contain valuable stores of goods; those of the jewellers are particularly resplendent with objects of bijouterie, gold, silver, gems, and, above all, the diamond, the darling ornament of the Creole. Here, also, may be bought dresses, silks, hosiery, and elegancies of the toilette in latest Parisian fashion, and plainer necessities of clothing and use down to common English calico. Pianos, latest-improved machinery, furniture, ornaments, toys-all are in Port Louis in abundance. Stores of various kinds are numerous, and some of them large, clean, and plentifully supplied; but many of the small provision stores are strangely dirty and odorous. Many of the stores offer a most amusing variety of goods; "for instance, in your ironmonger's you may order a ream of writing-paper with your saucepans, and seeds for your garden with the spade to dig it." In the Chinese stores any kind of provisions or drink may be bought, the former retailed in the smallest possible quantities to suit

small means; salt fish, wine, oil, rice, lard, and a thousand other domestic necessities. It is the fault of his goods, and not his own, that John's store is often unpleasantly strong to the nose of a passer-by. Out of these business localities, away in the more leisurely suburbs, in the newer streets at the west end, in the better-built and tree-shaded avenues that stretch up the hillsides, "in every angle of every street you will find John Chinaman in his one or at most two rooms, which serve for house and shop, with the inevitable rows of sardines, olive oil, porter, and Warren's blacking."

Port Louis has a theatre, whither a French company comes once a year; and a race-course, where horse races are held also once a year, 'on three days during a week, and generally now in the month of July. The course is the large Champ de Mars, once a volcano crater, now a beautiful grassy plain extending to the mountains, and as circled within them, presenting somewhat the appearance of a gigantic amphitheatre. Pretty cottages and larger villas, the residences of officials, merchants, and others, are scattered over the declivities, nestling picturesquely among the numerous and beautiful tropical trees. The last day of the races is a great fête day of the city-the greatest after New Year's Day-and the animated, varied, strange scene which the gathering of that day presented to the observant eye of the American Consul forms very pleasant reading in his book. But he speaks disparagingly of the horses :

I doubt if the racing was ever much to boast of. It is true that for years fresh blood from Europe, the Cape, and Australia, has been imported; but, like the human race, the equine degenerates rapidly here (p. 83). The jockeys (save the mark! for only one I have seen who knew anything about riding) are dressed in such fantastic colours, it is enough to make the quietest horse shy when he is mounted, in astonishment at such a flutter of silks and ribands (p. 85).

But these two are the only items in the festa which were disappointing; the gentry in their private carriages, towns-people in hired vehicles, Indians in donkey carts, the great mass of people of every sort on foot, all flocked to the great plain to see and to enjoy themselves. The great display of fashion among the ladies and "elegants of all colours," enforced his admiration. The scene of enjoyment was gay and noisy; confectioners, fruit - sellers, and vendors of ice were there in abundance, and a motley crowd of young and old "Indians in native costume," or sometimes no costume, or in a soldier's cast-off red coat, shrill-voiced women, policemen melting in the burning sun as they shouted or cleared the course. In the centre of the course all kinds of games, swings, merry-gorounds, and even Aunt Sally of Western renown, amused the