or Isle of France, an island lying in Mauritius, the Indian Ocean, between 57° 17' and 57° 46' E. Long and 19° 58' and 20° 32' S. Lat. It lies 400 miles E. of the island of Madagascar, and 120 miles N.E. of the island of Bourbon, 2327 miles from the Cape of Good Hope, and 9500 miles from England via Sauez and Aden. It extends from N. to S. 36 miles, from E. to W. 32 miles; comprising an area of 432,680 superficial acres, or 676 square miles. Its form is elliptical; the greatest diameter of the oval is 63,780 yards, and its breadth 44,248. The island is encircled by a belt of coral reefs, which makes the approach to it dangerous.

Mauritius is one of the most romantic and picturesque-looking islands in the Eastern Hemisphere. The northern is more elevated than the southern extremity; the land rises gradually from the shore to the interior. The centre of the island is intersected by a chain of mountains, with spurs radiating to the coast. There are three principal ranges of mountains, varying from 1800 to 2800 feet in height above the level of the sea, and for the most part covered with timber. The form of many of these mountains is grotesque and singular; the great chain called the Pouce, the summit of which is 2484 feet high, is so named from its supposed resemblance to the human thumb. On the same chain is a mountain called the Peterbute, 2520 feet in height, which has been frequently ascended, and is terminated by an obelisk or spire of naked rock, on the top of which reposes an immense globular mass of stone, larger than the point of the pyramid on which it is balanced. The mountains abound in curious caverns of considerable extent. Both the appearance of the island and the nature of its material indicate volcanic origin. In the centre of the island is an elevated plateau called Vacoas or Vacois, 1200 feet above the level of the sea; in the middle of this plain is a mountain of sugar-loaf form called Piton du Milieu, 1812 feet high. There are other mountainous ranges which slope down gently towards the sea, which are named Faience, Grand Port, Corps de Garde, Savanne, Riviere Noire, Rempart, and Pouce.

The Rivers Tamarin and Rempart run parallel to each other, receiving as affluents the lesser streams which flow around the Lake Vacoas. In the rainy season they are overwhelming torrents, which, in their course to the sea, form very beautiful cascades; in the dry season they are little more than brooks. The other rivers are the Latanier, Plain Wilhem, Moka, Great and Little Black River. One of the natural curiosities of the island is the lake called Mare aux Vacoas or Vacois, named from the vacoas (Pandanus utilis) by which it is encircled. It is surrounded by many acres of marshy and swampy ground, as its name implies, through which many streams, flowing into its centre, form a lake, which is well stocked with cray-fish, prawns, and cels of enormous size, and a small red fish called damarie, originally brought from China. Another freshwater lake is the Grand Bassin, a circle whose diameter is somewhat less than half a mile, surrounded by precipitous rocks rising perpendicularly from their base to a considerable height. In the most elevated of the central tracts, a league further E. than the Grand Bassin, is a lake called Mare aux Jones.

Geologically the island presents all the appearances of volcanic origin. The rocks rise in strata from the shore to the centre of the island, upon whose plain stand out many rocky mountains composed of ferruginous rocks and a greyish lava, which, when decomposed, produce a soil of an argillaceous description, intermingled with oxide of iron. It has been surmised that there is some cavernous communication with the island of Bourbon, as the eruptions of its mountains are sensibly perceptible at Mauritius. From its volcanic formation, it abounds with numerous caverns, ravines, and rugged precipices. It contains some iron mines, which were once extensively wrought. The climate is salubrious and agreeable, but at certain periods of the year rather hot. The heat, however, is moderated by the sea-breeze. At all times the temperature of the elevated districts, especially of Plain de Willems, is pleasant and refreshing, the thermometer varying from 70° to 80° Fahr.; while below, in Port Louis, it varies from 90° to 96°. There are four seasons at the Mauritius: the first commences in May, accompanied by rain and winds from the S.E.; the second with September or October;—the sun at this time approaching the zenith, causes squalls and winds till December, when the third season begins; this is terminated in March, when the fourth or last season commences, lasting about eight weeks. In the third season, namely, from December to March, the island is often visited by violent and most destructive hurricanes, accompanied by torrents of rain and gusts of wind, shifting round all the points of the compass, and causing great damage to the shipping, houses, and sugar plantations. These gales of wind last about eight hours; but of late years they have been less frequent and violent than heretofore, arising from the greater dryness of the atmosphere, in consequence of the island having been cleared of its forests.

The soil of this island is in many places very rich and fertile, of a reddish colour, highly impregnated with iron. The surface of the ground is covered with large stones, which render the use of a plough impracticable, so that it is prepared for crops by the hoe. In many districts of the island it is composed of mould, clay, and marshy plains, and is throughout generally highly productive and fertile. The chief, and it may be said the only, production of the island is sugar. Coffee and rice are grown, but in small quantities, not sufficient for the consumption of the colony. Indigo, cotton, and spices, have been successfully cultivated. An agricultural society was formed in 1853 at the Mauritius by the principal planters, with the view of improving the culture of the sugar-cane. Guano is extensively used as a manure, of which 25,707 tons were imported within the year 1856. The fertilizing power of this manure in the production of sugar is said to be almost fabulous, converting, as it by magic, sterile wastes into luxuriant plantations. The government botanical gardens at Pamplemousse are as remarkable for their varied productions as their beauty, wherein the rarest and richest plants of the East have been raised. In the vegetable and animal kingdoms there is not anything remarkable, with the exception of the fine ebony, and the dodo, a large unwieldy bird inhabiting only the Mauritius and Bourbon, but now wholly extinct.

The live stock of the island in 1854 consisted of 12,339 horses, 12,907 horned cattle, 17,076 sheep and goats. In 1854 the extent of land under each kind of crop was,—sugar-cane, 92,277 acres; maize, 6082; manioc, 5154; potatoes, 218; coffee, 125; fruits and vegetables, 8541; total in crops, 167,989 acres. Of forest land, 66,790 acres; pasture, 52,390 acres; uncultivated, 54,390. It may be observed that the staple produce of the colony is sugar. The total export of sugar in 1855 was 102,000 tons; indicating a steady and considerable annual increase. The exportation of tortoise-shell was 1648 lbs.; of ebony, coffee, cloves, cotton, indigo, so small as to be scarcely worth notice. The principal imports consist of provisions and grain; cattle and rice from Madagascar and India; horses from the Cape of Good Hope; ponies from Batavia; mules from France and Spain; sheep from Bombay and the Cape of Good Hope. Earthenware, machinery, furniture, hardware, piece goods, wines, &c., are largely imported. The total estimated value of imports in 1854 was L1,492,788; of exports for the same year, L1,246,400. The following table exhibits a view of the import and export trade of Mauritius, as carried on with Great Britain, the British Colonies, America, and other countries, during the year 1854:

| | Ships | Tons | Mts. | Ships | Tons | Mts. | |----------------|-------|------|-----|-------|------|-----| | Great Britain | 64 | 299,669 | 1,461 | 167 | 69,178 | 3,015 | | British Colonies| 287 | 112,120 | 7,863 | 213 | 89,046 | 6,547 | | United States | 2 | 1,350 | 39 | | | | | Other foreign states | 223 | 5,210 | ... | 192 | 46,478 | 3,198 | | Total | 576 | 418,379 | 9,363 | 572 | 195,702 | 12,760 |

Two lighthouses have been completed,—the main light on Flat Island, with a subsidiary one at Cannonier Point. Two mast-lights have also been erected to guide ships into the harbour. A new road has been constructed leading from Mahebourg through the valley of the Cent Gaudettes, connecting Grand Port and Moka, which will shorten the distance between the two capitals of the island 5 or 6 miles, passing by the Piton du Milieu de l'Isle, through the forest of Trois Ilots and Moka, opening up large tracts of virgin land hitherto untilled and inaccessible. The main roads of the colony repaired by government are good; but the bye roads, from inefficient management, are in a very unsatisfactory condition. At present no railroads or canals have been constructed.

The government of the island, as at present constituted, is vested in a governor, aided by an executive council, of which the colonial secretary, procureur or advocate-general, and the second officer in command of Her Majesty's troops, are ex officio members. There is also a legislative council, consisting of seven official and seven non-official members; the former comprising the three executive members above spoken of, and the collector of customs, auditor-general, treasurer and collector of internal revenues; the latter seven non-official members are chosen from the chief landed proprietors of the island, and submitted to Her Majesty in council for approval and confirmation. By the 8th article of the capitulation it was stipulated that the inhabitants should preserve their religion, laws, and customs; and by virtue of this provision the authority of the Code Civile, the Code de Procédure, the Code du Commerce, and the Code d'Instruction Criminelle, except in so far as altered by the charter of justice of April 13, 1831, have since been recognised in the island. By that charter a court of appeal was reconstituted, and a supreme court of civil and criminal justice established, presided over by three justices. There is also a petty court, from which there is no appeal, for the trial of trivial crimes and offences.

The total revenue amounted in 1855 to L348,452; the expenditure to L317,839; leaving a surplus revenue of L30,613. There has accumulated during the last five years an aggregate surplus revenue of L161,915, showing that the finances of the colony are in a very satisfactory condition.

With respect to the religious and educational condition of the colony, considerable progress has been made of late years; but much remains yet to be done before it can be considered to be in a satisfactory state. There is at Port Louis, the capital of the island, a royal college, attended on an average by 284 scholars, and the fees paid by them amount to L2587. The total cost of this establishment in 1855 was L4129, L1600 of which is contributed by government. The annual grant estimated for schools in 1857 is L8798, exclusive of the royal college grant, which amounts to L7016; the expense of sending two pupils to England, instead of one, accounting for the increase when compared with grants of former years. There are at the government schools 1860 scholars; at private schools, 2235; at the schools of the Christian Knowledge Society, 89; at the Roman Catholic schools, 908. The religious condition of the colony is not favourably reported of by the recently appointed Protestant bishop. There are but six clergymen of the Established Church, and two ministers of Protestant denominations; while the Church of Rome Mauritius has provided a bishop and thirteen priests paid out of the colonial treasury. The great influx of heathen population introduced into the colony by the employment of coolies from India, and the unequal immigration of the sexes, have tended very much to demoralize the social condition of the island. A newspaper of the Mauritius, dated Nov. 3, 1853, thus comments on this evil state of society:—“The third criminal assizes of this year commenced on the 17th of October. The calendar presented an alarming amount of crime on the part of the Indian population, and some instances of great atrocity. The most fearful social consequences must ensue upon any long-continued neglect of the moral and religious welfare of this immense branch of our population.”

The island is divided into nine districts, namely, Port Louis, Pamplemousse, Placé, Rivière du Rempart, Grand Port, Savanne, Moka, Plain de Wilhems, and Black River. The Mauritius was discovered by the Portuguese in 1507, called by them Ilha do Cerne, supposing it to be the Cerné of Ptolemy. They kept possession of it nearly the whole of the sixteenth century. The first who made any settlement in it were the Dutch, in the year 1598, when they changed the name from Cerné to Mauritius, in honour of their Prince Maurice. Being occupied in the pursuit of wealth in the East, it was abandoned by them in 1710, and was afterwards taken possession of by the French in 1721, who called it Île de France. The first regular settlement took place in 1735 under Monsieur de la Bourdonnais, who introduced manufactures and the culture of the sugar cane, cotton, and indigo, and engaged himself in raising public edifices, making roads, and clearing the forest with which the island, when first visited, was covered. Upwards of half a century elapsed before the French duly appreciated the value of their new acquisition, the foundation of its prosperity having been laid by the governor above named, who fixed a port on the N.W. of the island as the seat of its present capital, Port Louis. He was succeeded by Monsieur de Poivre, who, notwithstanding the jealousy of the Dutch, brought from the distant isles in the Eastern Archipelago, and introduced into the colony, the clove, nutmeg, and various other spice trees. The Isle of France was for a long time during the war a source of great mischief to our merchant vessels and Indiamen. The position of the island in the eastern seas, and the facility with which sorties might be made from it upon our traders by French men-of-war and privateers, determined the British government upon an expedition for its capture, which was effected in 1810. At the peace in 1814 the possession of the island was ratified, since which the Mauritius has continued annexed to the British Empire.

The population of the Mauritius and its various dependencies, consisting of different races and every conceivable form of admixture springing from these, amounted, by the census taken in 1851, to 120,331 males, 61,482 females; of whom, in 1854, 60,350 were employed in agriculture, 5322 in manufactures, and 5419 in commerce. The number of births in 1854 was 5683; deaths, 14,398; marriages, 610.

The island of Rodrigue, the Seychelles Islands, Diego Garcia, and others belong to Mauritius. Rodrigue is situated about 300 miles to the eastward of Mauritius, in S. Lat. 19. 13. It is 26 miles in length by 12 in breadth, and consists of a succession of verdant hills. Although the valleys are almost full of rocks and stones, there still remains a considerable portion of fertile soil, which is cultivated by colonists from the Mauritius. The vegetation is luxuriant, the climate salubrious, and the water clear. There is abundance of fish around the island, but some of them are poisonous at certain seasons, when feeding on the coral plant. The Seychelles or Mahé Islands are situated between the parallels of S. Lat. 4. and 5. There is nothing interesting regarding their history. The lepers from the Mauritius are sent to Mahé. When Mauritius capitulated to Britain they were taken possession of as a dependency of that colony, which keeps there a civil commissioner, assisted in his duties by subordinates. There is a petty civil and criminal court held for trial of causes and offences. The social condition is not favourably reported of by the present commissioner in his report to the governor of the Mauritius. This dependency is a great expense to the colony of Mauritius.

The names of the principal islands, with the number of acres in each, are as under:

| Names | Acres | |-------------|-------| | Mahé | 30,000| | Praslin | 8,000 | | Silhouette | 5,700 | | La Digue | 2,000 | | Carriacou | 1,000 | | St Anne | 500 | | Cerf | 400 | | Frigate | 300 |

Total number of acres, 50,120.

There are a number of other smaller islands, all resting on an extensive bank of sand and coral, which also surrounds them to a great extent. Mahé, the principal island and seat of government, is 16 miles in length, and from 3 to 5 in breadth, with a very steep and rugged granite mountain running through the centre. The vegetation on this, as well as on many others of the group, is extremely luxuriant; and amongst their productions are various spices, such as the cinnamon, clove, &c. The town of Mahé is situated on the N. side of the island; its population has varied very little for the last thirty years, and may be estimated at about 7000. These dependencies are visited by whaling vessels for water, hogs, goats, &c., with which some of the uninhabited islands abound. The most remarkable vegetable production is the coco de mer, so called because the nuts were found on the coast of Malabar long before the place of their growth was known. 50,000 have last year been planted by an enterprising Frenchman; and there is little doubt that, if labour was more abundant, and means of communication were constructed, the Seychelles might be made a valuable dependency to the Mauritius. Tortoiseshell is exported from these islands. A gale of wind is unknown in these tranquil seas; but the ocean breezes are constant, thus tempering the rays of a vertical sun. Diego Garcia is situated about four degrees further E., and is one of those numerous coral islands with which these seas abound. It contains abundance of turtle; and has a few residents from the Mauritius.