Near the middle of the island is a lake about half a mile in diameter, surrounded on every side by a slo ping bank, which rises nearly 600 feet above the le vel of its centre. This lake is called by the inhabi tants the Grand Etang, or Great Pond. It is between 30 and 40 feet deep; and has no other source of sup ply than the rains which fall in its neighbourhood. During a dry season it is sometimes completely emp ty, which must be produced entirely by evaporation, as it has no other outlet whereby it can discharge it self. A few swallows are the only inhabitants of the place. A thick cloud, in general, rests upon its surface, and the atmosphere around is always fog gy and unhealthy.
The rivers of Bourbon find no resemblance in those of any other country. Instead of sheets of water flowing in a level and uniform course, and refreshing the yanks which they embellish, these are torrents, sometimes weak, sometimes strong, tumbling down the sides of the mountains through deep gullet's, which they have formed, or widen ed, during a long succession of ages ; and such is the impetuosity with which they rush through their channels, that huge masses of rock are carried down in their current, whose crash is heard long be fore they appear, and which, accumulating at their junction with the ocean, form at each side of their mouths lofty and impassable ramparts. These tor rents have so furrowed the decli‘ities of the moun tains, that one cannot traverse the island, in a line pa rallel to the horizon, without encountering precipi ces at every step. The sides of their channels, in many places, form an angle of from 45 to 70 degrees, and those of some of the principal rivers are about GOO feet in elevation. The chief rivers are, riviere de St De nis, 7 iviere Seche, riviere de l' Est, nviere du Mat, and riviere des Remparts ; yet none of these are sup plied by springs which issue from the earth, but are indebted entirely to the rains which fall in their neighbourhood, and to the snow and mists, which continually rest upon the summits of the moun tains.
In Bourbon, the towns, and the only appearance of cultivation, are confined entirely to the coast, and its neighbourhood ; the interior is uninhabited, and even uninhabitable. It is divided, according to Dl. Bory, into eleven parishes ; St Denis, St Marie, St Suzanne, St Andre, St Benoit, St Rose, St Jo seph, St Pierre, St Louis du Gaul, St Leu, and St Paul, each having a town of the same name. St De nis is the capital of Bourbon, and the residence of the governor, the supreme council, and other public functionaries. This town is little better than a vil lage. The church is its only edifice, and the houses are low', and built chiefly of wood. The streets are bordered with trees, and covered with large flints ; and resemble, in every respect, many of our com mon roads in Britain. It is divided into the high
and the low quarters ; the latter of which is si tuated at the mouth of the river, and consists merely of a row of shops, possessed by the poorer classes of the inhabitants. The other is built a little behind, at the bottom of the hills, and is inhabited entirely by wealthy colonists. The batteries and public maga zines are well supplied with cannon and military stores, and the ordnance captured last year at this place, and St Paul's, amounted to 120 pieces of cannon of all ca libres, besides a large quantity of shot, shells,cartrid ges, and powder, and about 900 muskets with bayonets.
The town of St Rose lies in the bosom of a small bay, and consists entirely of a few cottages, with the church in the centre. It has a convenient harbour, and is most favourably situated for commerce. Sepa rated from the rest of the island by a torrent often impassable, and living on the declivity of the volcano, at tne very name of which the other islanders trem ble, the inhabitants of this parish have acquired a character analogous to their insulated situation, and have contracted a fierceness of manners, which, how ever, is now beginning to be softened by their inter course with the other parts of the country. They are almost entirely ignorant of the use of money. All their bargains are made in merchandize ; and those who supply them with arrack, blue cloth, flints, pipes, powder, and lead, which are their principal necessa ries, receive in return coffee and honey.
The parish of St Joseph is also, in a manner, se parated from the rest of Bourbon. A furious sea, and inaccessible coasts, and a stony and ungrateful soil, producing only ferns and impenetrable forests, were the obstacles which long opposed every attempt to colonise it. .Barons, or runaway slaves, wild goats, and a few other animals, were of late its only inha bitants : and it was but in 1785 that this parish was first established, and peopled with men of colour. Born free, from father to son, these men look upon themselves as whites. They will not suffer the least reflection upon their complexion, and consider it an unpardonable outrage to be called a man of colour, or a free black. Too proud to stoop to labour, which they think dishonourable, they live chiefly upon the produce of the rivers and the woods ; and habituated to every privation, they are at the same time active, indefatigable, and idle. Just, but severe, towards their slaves, they are inflexible and cruel to the marons when they fall into their power. They are, however, open, full of candour, incapable of de ceit, hospitable, and generous.