I.—MAURITIUS, OR THE ISLE OF FRANCE. NAME.-When taken by the Dutch it was called Mauritius, in honour of their illustrious Prince Maurice. The French called it the Isle of France. SITUATION.-In the Indian Ocean 600 miles E. of Madagascar, surrounded by a coral reef. AREA.-700 square miles. POPULATION.-242,000, the majority negroes; the white inhabitants are chiefly of French descent. Port Louis, the capital, is beautifully situated in the centre of a snug harbour on the N.W., and has a population of 75,000. Mahebourg at the S. E. is the second town of importance. PHYSICAL FEATURES.-Mountainous, with abrupt rocky Chief hills, Brabant and Peter Botte. Climate healthy, but destructive storms are frequent. The valleys are fertile and well watered. coasts. HISTORY, &C.-Discovered by Portuguese in 1507, and called Cerne. Taken by Dutch in 1580. Taken by French in 1728, and called "Isle of France." Taken by English under General Sir Samuel Achmuty in 1810. commercial importance. GOVERNMENT.-Under a Governor and Council. Of great See of a Bishop, whose diocese includes Rodriguez, Seychelle, Amirante, and Chagos islands. SITUATION. 300 miles E. of Mauritius. Lat. 19° 30′ S.; Long. 63° 50' E. AREA.-188 square miles. POPULATION.-250, mostly of French descent; the natives are intensely black, ugly, and extremely lazy. PHYSICAL FEATURES.-Surrounded by coral reefs. Its appearance is striking. A central peak of granite rises from the midst of a group of hills, divided from each other by valleys, running N. and S. GOVERNMENT.-A Dependency of Mauritius. -0 III. SEYCHELLE ISLANDS. SITUATION.-1,000 miles N. of Mauritius, and N. E. of Madagascar. Lat. 3° 40′ to 5° 35′ S.; Long. 55° 15′ to 56° E. AREA. A group of 30 islands. The two chief are Mahé and Praslin. The former contains 48 square miles, and the whole group a POPULATION of 8,000. Victoria, on the E. side of Mahé, is the capital of the group and the seat of Government. PHYSICAL FEATURES.-Surface rocky and surrounded by coral reefs, within which the water is shallow. Climate damp; heat oppressive. Cotton grows luxuriantly. Many good harbours. HISTORY.-Discovered by the Portuguese in the 16th century, and subsequently taken by France. Ceded to Great Britain in 1814. GOVERNMENT.-A Dependency of Mauritius. IV. AMIRANTE ISLANDS. SITUATION.-480 miles N.E. of Madagascar. S.W. of the Lat. between 4 and 6° S.; Long. Seychelle Islands. 54° and 56° E. PHYSICAL FEATURES.-A coral group all small in size, and none elevated more than 25 feet above the sea. Climate, warm. Springs of fresh water. HISTORY, &C.-Ceded in 1814. GOVERNMENT.-A Dependency of Mauritius. V.-CHAGOS -0 ARCHIPELAGO. SITUATION. A group of 29 coral islands in the Indian Ocean, N.E. of Mauritius. Lat. between 7° 39′ and 4° 44′ S.; Long. 70° 50' and 72° 50′ E. AREA. They extend 135 miles in length, and 80 miles in width. The largest island is Diego Garcia, or Great Chagos island, 100 miles S. of the main group. HISTORY, &C.-Taken by English with Mauritius in 1810. VI. TRISTAN D'ACUNHA GROUP. NAME.-After Tristan d'Acunha, who discovered the group in 1506. SITUATION. A group of three islands in S. Atlantic Ocean, about 1,500 miles S.W. of the Cape of Good Hope. AREA. Of small extent. POPULATION.-100. I. TRISTAN D'ACUNHA, the largest of the group, about 20 miles in circuit. Lat. 37° 2' 48" S.; Long. 12° 18′ 39′′ W. PHYSICAL FEATURES: Apparently a solid mass of rock, rising abruptly from the sea, and ascending to the height of 3,000 feet. This mass is surmounted by a dome 8,350 feet high, on the summit of which is the crater of an extinct volcano. The climate is remarkably healthful. C 2.-INACCESSIBLE ISLAND, the most W. of the group. Lat. 37° 16' S.; Long. 12° 52′ W. Of oblong shape, 16 miles by 12 miles, with a rugged surface and a light sandy soil. 3.-NIGHTINGALE ISLAND, the smallest of the group, lies S.E. of Tristan d'Acunha. The "Sailing Directory of the South Atlantic Ocean,' speaking of this group, says, "At present it is the domain of an interesting English people, whose manners, simplicity, and excellence of character remind us strongly of the somewhat similarly placed Pitcairn islanders. They are all members of the Church of England, and from 1852 to 1857 were under the pastoral care of Rev. W. Taylor. H.R.H. the Duke of Edinburgh visited Tristan d'Acunha on the 5th of August, 1867, in the ship Galatea, having Green, the oldest surviving colonist, for pilot The chaplain of the Galatea, the Rev. J. Milner, baptized all the children born since 1857, when Mr. Taylor left. H. R. H. lunched with Green, who is president of the community, before leaving, and to commemorate the visit of royalty Green named the village Edinburgh. |