BOURBON

BOURBON, ISLE OF. In the Encyclopædia will
be found a pretty full account of the discovery and
settlement of this Island. There has since appeared
the work of M. Bory de St Vincent, which, though
intituled A Voyage to the four principal Isles of
Africa, is, in fact, almost entirely occupied by a
very detailed account of Bourbon. In 1811, also,
an officer attached to the British expedition against
that Island, published an Account of its Conquest,
with an Appendix on its Present State. From these
materials we are enabled to make some important
additions to the information formerly communicated.

Structure
and Aspect. The physical structure of this Isle being the point
on which most new light has been thrown, seems to
merit our first attention. Bourbon does not, like
the Isle of France, consist of a level plain, from
which conical hills arise in detached masses. The
whole Island is as it were one mountain, having its
most elevated points in the centre, and thence slop-
ing gradually down to the sea. This great mountain,
however, is split into two portions, of which the
loftiest, situate in the northern part, is called the
Gros Morne, and its summit, the Piton des Neiges
(Snowy Peak). There is here no present action of
volcanic fire; but the frequent occurrence of deep
valleys or basins, rapid rivers bordered by perpendi-
cular walls of rock, hillocks precipitated into these
valleys and torrents, basaltic prisms often disposed in
regular colonnades, strata thrown into the most irre-

gular positions,—all these, in M. Bory de St Vincent's
opinion, indicate terrible physical revolutions in for-
mer times. The northern mountain is entirely vol-
canic, and the phenomena present themselves in an
extraordinary state of frequency and activity. This
writer not only conceives both these mountains to
be originally volcanic, but the whole Island to have
been thrown up by the action of subterranean fire.
The two mountains appear to him also to have for-
merly composed only one, having an intermediate
summit higher than that of either now is. The vol-
canic agitations, however, having hollowed the in-
ternal part of this great mass, the exterior crust fell
in, and reduced the Island to the shattered state
which it now exhibits. To a great extent, indeed,
it is divided into two portions by an immense hol-
low, bordered with perpendicular walls of rock,
which, after running parallel for seven or eight
miles, form an arch and unite. At the foot of the
volcano is found an immense tract of what the in-
habitants call Brulé "burnt country;" supposed to
have been formed by the lava spreading into a spe-
cies of fiery lake, and then consolidating into the
present surface. It is destitute of all vegetation
whatever; its colour is of the gloomiest black, the
surface broken by holes, crevices, and innumerable
asperities of every description. These, joined to
its hard and brittle consistence, render it impos-
sible to be trod without the severest injury to the
feet. Those of our traveller's attendant negroes
were almost torn to pieces; and his own, though de-
fended by strong shoes, were wounded in several
places.

The streams of Bourbon are mere mountain tor-
rents, which descend from steep to steep, and throw
themselves into the sea. In their descent, they dig
for themselves deep ravines, bordered by lofty, al-
most perpendicular walls. The largest river, how-
ever, that of St Denis, has not a longer course than
seven or eight miles. These deep and foaming tor-
rents, the rude surface of the ground, and the per-
pendicular rents by which it is everywhere broken,
render travelling through Bourbon a most arduous
undertaking. M. Bory de St Vincent was assured,
that his plan of reaching the two principal peaks was
altogether impracticable; but his enterprise, and
love of science, enabled him to surmount all the in-
tervening difficulties.

In the ascent to the summit of the volcanic moun-
tain, the obstacles encountered were truly formi-
dable. Sometimes the sides of nearly perpendicular
rocks were to be climbed; at other times, a road was
to be made by cutting down the bushes and filling
up the crevices; while a mist, which rises every day
from the sea, rendered it impossible to distinguish
his companions at the smallest distance. At length
they reached the summit of the Mamelon central.
The crater here, to which the name of Dolomieu was
given, consists of a cavity forty fathoms in diameter,
and about eighty feet deep, the bottom filled with
confused piles of greyish coloured lava. The sides
showed none of that soft lava which forms a species
of varnish over the interior of other craters; they
consisted of irregular fragments of hard and com-

Bourbon. pact substances. Our author here notices the error of those who expect, when they reach the summit of a crater, to look down into an unfathomable abyss. The fact is, from whatever depth the liquified substances may have ascended, that, when the conflagration ceases, they harden and fill up the opening, so that only a very small void remains. Being led, however, by a sulphureous smell, to the left side of the present crater, they discovered a deep hollow like a tunnel, the walls of which were composed of burning lava; while, beneath, two columns of fiery matter, rising to the height of 120 feet, threw up a bloody light, which shone brightly, even amid the blaze of a tropical noon. This spectacle, accompanied with a sound similar to that of an enormous cascade, filled their minds with terror and admiration.

Our traveller, in ascending, had supposed the Mamelon central the highest peak of the volcanic mountain; but he now discovered, at the distance of about 200 fathoms, a still more elevated point, which, after himself, he named Bory. It is a vast elliptic basin, the largest diameter of which is 120, and the smallest 100 fathoms. The sides rise perpendicularly like walls, and are 200 feet high at their greatest elevation. There were some broken parts, however, by which the travellers could descend into the abyss. They found it tolerably level; but the volcanic ashes with which it was bestrewn, hid the scoriae and other substances which filled it. In the centre was a crevice the depth of which they could not discover. This crater was entirely silent.

The travellers spent the night on the crater Dolomieu; but the tremendous sounds, the blaze of light, and the singularity of their situation, scarcely allowed them to close their eyes. At about 1200 feet beneath, they perceived a stream of lava issuing from the mountain, the outlet, probably, of those liquified substances which they saw fermenting at the bottom of the crater.

The crater is said to have been formed during a violent eruption of the volcano in 1791. In the beginning of June, a burning vapour appeared rising from the summit; then the side of the mountain opened, and a vast torrent of lava rushed into the sea. On the 17th of July, a subterranean noise, like the discharge of cannon, was heard throughout the Island; after which, there rose from the top of the mountain an enormous column of smoke, of a deep black, with white spots interspersed. The inhabitants, who had never before witnessed such a phenomenon, were struck with consternation. Soon, however, the column fell down, and formed a species of arch over the volcano. The falling in of the interior, undermined by the previous discharge, is supposed to have been the cause of the tremendous sound, and of the ultimate opening of the crater.

This is, perhaps, the most active volcano in nature. Since the Christian era, Etna has counted only twenty-seven eruptions; and Vesuvius twenty-four. But a resident at Bourbon assured our author, that, from 1785 to 1802, the mountain had vomited flames at least twice every year, and eight of the streams had entered the sea. The lava, however, scarcely ever issues from the summit of a crater,

but generally from openings far down the mountain, and sometimes almost on a level with the sea. It is remarkable, also, that earthquakes, which so generally desolate volcanic countries, are here unknown, or, at least, so slight, as to occasion no serious inconvenience. The constant escape of the subterraneous fire through the channel of the volcano, may, probably, be the chief cause which prevents it from shaking the surrounding regions. Another usual accompaniment, that of warm springs, is also wanting; and none of the waters are impregnated with any species of gas. No petroleum has been found, nor any metal, except iron.

Our traveller made next an excursion to the Piton des Neiges, which forms the summit of the Gros Morne, the highest mountain in the Island. This undertaking proved still more arduous. The season was favourable; yet, when they were about half-way up, a prodigious rain came on; and the road lay through wet and swampy grounds, which were soon entirely covered with water. The mists became so thick, that nothing could be distinguished. The negroes, accustomed to a milder air, were benumbed; and, refusing to proceed, would have perished with cold, had not the Frenchmen driven them forcibly on, till they came to a spot where they found shelter and refreshment. They spent here two nights; and, on the third day, were able to reach their destination. The view from the summit appeared to our traveller to equal the most majestic scenes of the Alps and the Pyrenees. In the Island beneath, every object was visible as on a map; while, on every side, the immeasurable extent of ocean mingling with the skies, made them feel as if insulated on this spot from the rest of the universe. The thermometer was so low as 8°. Here considerable masses of rock were observed, undermined to such a degree, that a very slight effort was sufficient to throw them down the precipices, where, displacing others, they rolled to a great depth, and caused prodigious havoc. Every part of the mountain, indeed, appears furrowed and shattered by the violent action of the rains, which have already sensibly diminished its magnitude, and are likely more and more to produce that effect.

M. Bory does not appear to have instituted any investigation into the height of these mountains. Professor Jameson, in his Geognosy, estimates that of the Gros Morne at 9600, and that of the volcano at 7680 feet above the level of the sea. The French traveller gives a copious, but not very precise, account of its geological features. The lower part of the Gros Morne is composed of basalt, a substance which abounds in every part of the Island, and which, from the manner in which it is connected with and surrounded by lava, is conceived by our author to have been universally crystallized from a state of fusion. He notices, also, the frequent occurrence of what he calls Trappean lava; though this, as well as much of the basalt, would probably, by the disciple of Werner, be referred to some of the newer formations of Trap. On some of the precipices at the summit of the Gros Morne, there appeared an immense depth of horizontal strata, which

Bourbon might have rendered an igneous origin improbable, had it not been so clearly proved by other phenomena. Large blocks of granite are found in the rivers which flow at the foot of the Gros Morne.

Political and Commercial State.

It is now time to take a view of the political and commercial aspect of Bourbon. By the Revolutionists it was called Reunion; but this name, which was never fully established among us, may be now supposed to have again given place to its ancient appellation. The Island is divided into eleven parishes, St Denis, containing the capital of that name, St Marie, St Susanne, St André, St Benoit, St Rose, St Joseph, St Pierre de la Riviere d'Abord, St Louis du Gaul, St Leu, and St Paul. St Denis can scarcely be called a city; the streets resemble roads in the country, being covered with grass and sand, under which are often concealed sharp pointed stones, which inflict severe wounds on the feet. The houses are built of wood, and are agreeable; they are constructed entirely with a view to coolness. The furniture is slender, and many of the rooms not even carpeted; a deficiency not arising from absolute poverty, but from the difficulty, in this remote situation, of procuring the artificial conveniences of life. The houses in the country are of a peculiar construction, very long, very narrow, and tapering to a point.

The Island is distinguished into the windward and leeward sides; of which the former, descending by a gentle slope, and refreshed by continual breezes, is fertile and smiling; while the latter is comparatively rude, dry, and barren. The torrents, continually washing away the soil, are supposed to augment the sterility. Only a narrow slope, about a league and a half inward from the sea, is under regular cultivation. The interior consists of immense forests, inhabited by a species of fugitive Mulattoes, who live almost in a state of nature. The reports as to the amount of the population are very various. M. Bory understood it, in 1763, to contain 4000 whites, and 15,000 slaves, and supposes that they have not much increased since that time; but the narrator of the expedition in 1811 gives the numbers then at 16,400 Europeans, 3496 free negroes, and 60,450 slaves. The precision of the numbers seems to indicate an actual enumeration.

The staple production of this Island is coffee. The first plants were early brought from Arabia, and soon flourished to such a degree, that the coffee of Bourbon was only second to that produced in the parent district. During the Revolution, the want of a regular market, by diminishing the encouragement to careful cultivation, sensibly lowered the quality. It is still, however, produced in large quantity. Next to it ranks the article of cloves. The clove-tree is of very easy cultivation; the chief disadvantage is the precariousness of the produce. It has been known in one year to yield only 1000 lbs., and in the next 500,000 lbs. Cotton, likewise, has been long a staple of the Island; but a violent hurricane in 1801, and a disease which afterwards made its appearance among the plants, discouraged a number of the planters, who accordingly began to employ their lands in the culture of coffee.

The following is stated to be the total produce of the Island on an average of several years:

1,488,800 piastres.

The imports consist of a great variety of European goods, the regular amount of which is stated at 230,000 piastres, besides a large contraband. Bourbon labours under the serious disadvantage of not possessing a single harbour, nor any roadstead in which vessels can ride with safety. The trade, therefore, can be conducted only through the medium of Mauritius, and is entirely in the hands of the merchants of that Island. (n.)