Mauritius

Fauna and Flora.

The present fauna is very limited in ex tent. When first seen by Europeans the island had no mammals ex cept a large fruit-eating bat (Pteropus vulgaris), plentiful in the woods; but several mammals have been introduced. Among these are two monkeys of the genera Macacus and Cercopithecus, a stag (Cervus hippelaphus), a small hare, a shrew-mouse, and the ubi quitous rat. A lemur and one of the curious hedgehog-like Insecti vora of Madagascar (Centetes ecaudatus) have probably both been brought from the larger island. The avifauna resembles that of Madagascar; there are species of a peculiar genus of caterpillar shrikes (Campephagidae), as well as of the genera Pratincola, Hypsipetes, Phedina, Tchitrea, Zosterops, Foudia, Collocalia and Coracopsis, and peculiar forms of doves and parakeets. The Dodo (Didus ineptus) and other flightless birds were quickly exter minated by early immigrants. Remains of large tortoises have been found. The living reptiles are small and few in number. The sur rounding seas contain great numbers of fish; the coral reefs abound with a great variety of molluscs; and there are numerous land shells.

Replacement of forests by sugar-cane has reduced the native flora. The principal timber tree is the ebony (Diospyros ebe neum). Besides this there are bois de cannelle, olive-tree, benzoin (Croton Benzoe), colophane (Colophonia), and iron-wood; the coconut palm, an importation, the (Palma dactylif era latifolia), the latanier (Corypha umbraculifera) and the date palm. The vacoa or vacois (Pandanus utilis), is largely grown. In the few remnants of the original forests the traveller's tree (Urania speciosa), grows abundantly. A species of bamboo is very plentiful in marshy situations. A large variety of fruit is produced, including the tamarind, mango, banana, pine-apple, guava, shad dock, fig, avocado-pear, litchi, custard-apple and the mabolo (Diospyros discolor). Many of the roots and vegetables of Europe have been introduced, as well as some peculiar to the tropics, including maize, millet, yams, manioc, dhol, gram, etc. Small quantities of tea, rice, sago, spices (cloves, nutmeg, ginger, pepper and allspice), cotton, indigo, betel, camphor, turmeric and vanilla are grown. The Royal Botanical Gardens at Pample mousses, which date from the French occupation of the island, con tain a rich collection of tropical and extra-tropical species.

Inhabitants.

The inhabitants consist of two great divisions, European, chiefly French and British, together with numerous half-caste people, Asiatics and Africans. The population of European blood, which calls itself Creole, is greater than that of any other tropical colony; many of the inhabitants trace their descent from ancient French families, and the higher and middle classes are distinguished for their intellectual culture. French is

more commonly spoken than English. The Creole class is, how ever, diminishing, though slowly, and the most numerous section of the population is of Indian blood The introduction of Indian coolies to work the sugar plantations dates from the period of the emancipation of the slaves in 39. In 1846 the total population was 158,462, of these being Indian ; in 1921 the population was 376,68o including 206 in the garrison, 265,884 Indians and 6,82o Chinese. The Indio Mauritians are now dominant in commercial, agricultural and domestic callings, and much town and agricultural land has been transferred from the Creole planters to Indians and Chinese. The tendency to an Indian peasant proprietorship is marked. Many Mauritian Creoles have emigrated to South Africa. The great in crease in the population since 185i has made Mauritius one of the most densely peopled regions of the world, having over 52o persons per square mile. (Pop. Chief Towns.—The capital and seat of government, the city of Port Louis (pop. [1925] 53,708), is on the north-western side of the island, in 2o° 1o' S., 57° 3o' E. at the head of an excellent harbour, a deep inlet about a mile long, available for ships of the deepest draught. This is protected by Fort William and Fort George, as well as by the citadel (Fort Adelaide), and it has three graving-docks connected with the inner harbour, the depths along side quays and berths being from 12 to 28 feet. The trade of the island passes almost entirely through the port. The chief buildings are Government House, the Protestant cathedral, Roman Catholic cathedral, town hall, barracks, public offices, etc. Port Louis is surrounded by lofty hills and its unhealthy situation is aggravated by the difficulty of effective drainage owing to the small amount of tide in the harbour. Though much has been done to make the town sanitary, including the provision of a good water-supply, many people make their homes in the cooler uplands of the interior. Curepipe, 20 m. from Port Louis and at an altitude of 1,800 ft., is a favourite residential town. It was incorporated in 1888. On the railway between Port Louis and Curepipe are other residential towns—Beau Bassin, Rose Hill and Quatre Bornes. Mahebourg is a town on the shores of Grand Port on the south-east side of the island, Souillac a small town on the south coast.