SEYCHELLES ISLANDS, situated nearly in the center of the Indien ocean, between 40'-5° 35' s. lat., and 55° l5'-56° Ve. long., a group of more than Ut, isles, resting on an extensive bank of sand and coral, and forming the most important of the dependen• cies to the colony of Mauritius. The principal are Mahe. Praslin, Silhouette, La Digne, Curicuse, St. Anne, Aux Cells, Frigate, Marianne, Longue, and Du Sud Est. :Mahe, the most considerable and populous of the group, and the sent of government, is 18 In. long, and from 3 to 5 broad. The islands are mountainous, often ttsing ahrnptly from the sea, and are clothed with the most luxuriant verdure: one of the pinks, named moot Blanc, in Mahe, attains an altitude of 3,0b0 feet. The principal port is Victoria, on the n.e. side of the island of ;Mahe, the houses of which ',sod to he ;mot of wood; but now coral is universally employed. Coral is growing Very rapidly round this group of islands. At fort Victoria, where the soundings w were recently given at 7 fathoms, the coral has piled itself up to within 2+ fathoms of the surface. In the neigh borhood of fort Victoria there is a beautiful church built of coral. Many improvements have been made also in others of these small islands..
The Seychelles islands were known to the early Portuguese navigators, who bestowed on them the-titles of isles de-Masearenhas; subsequently the French renamed them ilex la Bourdonnais, and finally changed their appellation in honor of the count Herault de Seychelles. They were first settled by the French in 1756. Who commenced the cultiva
tion of spices, under circumstances so favorable as to induce a belief in a lucrative com petition with the more easterly colonies of the Dutch. The immunity of the Seychelles iSlands from the hurricanes which periodically visit the neighboring seas rendered them peculiarly, suited for this plopose,- which, however, received a severe blow by the sui cidal destruction of the spice-plants by the French occupants, to prevent their falling into the hands of the English in 1778. The cultivation is now checked by insufficiency of labor. On the cession of WuritidS the Seychelles islands were finally taken posses sion of by Great Britain. The islands produce a large quantity of timber suitable for ship-building purposes; and the Seychelles cocoa-nut, which is indigenous only in the Seychelles islands, and the nuts, leaves, etc., of which are applied to a great variety of domestic purposes by the natives. Sugar is cultivated to a small extent. Cotton flourishes here, but its cultivation has declined since the abolition of slavery. The chocolate plant and vanilla are grown, and tortoise-shell is among the articles of com merce.
The population of the Seychelles islands, as taken at the last census (1871), was 11,082 souls, many of whom are employed in the ship-building yards and factories.—See sir Edward Belcher's Account of the Seychelles; Voyage of H.M.S. Levan and Barracouta, by capt. Owen, R.N.