MAURITIUS  , an See also:

• ISLAND (O.E. ieg =isle, +land')

island and See also:

• BRITISH

British See also:

• COLONY (Lat. colonia, from colonus, a cultivator)

colony in the See also:

• INDIAN

Indian Ocean (known whilst a See also:

• FRENCH
• FRENCH, DANIEL CHESTER (1850– )
• FRENCH, NICHOLAS (1604-1678)

French See also:

• POSSESSION
• POSSESSION (Lat. possessio, possidere, to possess)

possession as the fle de See also:

• FRANCE
• FRANCE, ANATOLE (1844– )

France) . It lies between 570 18' and 570 49' E., and 19° 58' and 20 32' S., 550 M . E. of See also:

• MADAGASCAR

Madagascar, 2300 M. from the Cape of See also:

• GOOD, JOHN MASON (1764-1827)

Good See also:

• HOPE, ANTHONY
• HOPE, THOMAS (c. 1770-1831)

Hope, and 9500 M. from See also:

• ENGLAND
• ENGLAND, THE CHURCH OF

England via See also:

• SUEZ

Suez . The island is irregularly elliptical—somewhat triangular—in shape, and is 36 m. See also:

• LONG, GEORGE (1800-1879)
• LONG, JOHN DAVIS (1838– )

long from N.N.E. to S.S.W., and about 23 M. broad . It is 130 M. in circumference, and its See also:

• TOTAL

total See also:

• AREA

area is about 710 sq. m . (For See also:

• MAP
• MAP (or MAPES), WALTER (d. c. 1208/9)

map see MADAGASCAR.) The island is surrounded by See also:

• CORAL

coral reefs, so that the ports are difficult of See also:

• ACCESS (Lat. accessus)

access . From its mountainous See also:

• CHARACTER (Gr. xapareri7p, from xap&crew, to scratch)

character Mauritius is a most picturesque island, and its scenery is very varied and beautiful . It has been admirably described by Bernardin de St See also:

• PIERRE

Pierre, who lived in the island towards the See also:

• CLOSE
• CLOSE (from Lat. clausum, shut)
• CLOSE, MAXWELL HENRY (1822-1903)

close of the 18th See also:

• CENTURY (from Lat. centuria, a division of a hundred men)

century, in See also:

• PAUL
• PAUL (PAULUS)

Paul et Virginie . The most level portions of the See also:

• COAST (from Lat. costa, a rib, side)

coast districts are the See also:

• NORTH
• NORTH, BARONS
• NORTH, MARIANNE (1830—1890)
• NORTH, ROGER (1653-1734)
• NORTH, SIR THOMAS (1535?-16o1?)

north and north-See also:

• EAST
• EAST, ALFRED (1849- )

east, all the See also:

• REST (O. Eng. rest, reste, bed, cognate with other Teutonic forms, e.g. Ger. Rast, Riiste, rest, and probably Gothic Rasta, league, i.e. resting or stopping place)

rest being broken by hills, which vary from 500 to 2700 ft. in height . The See also:

• PRINCIPAL

principal See also:

• MOUNTAIN (0. Fr. montaigne; popular Lat. montanea, an adjectival form from the classical mons, montis, whence Eng. " mount," a form usually used along with the name of an individual mountain, e.g. Mt Everest)
• MOUNTAIN, THE (La Montagne)

mountain masses are the north-western or Pouce range, in the See also:

• DISTRICT

district of See also:

• PORT

Port See also:

• LOUIS
• LOUIS (804–876)
• LOUIS (893–911)
• LOUIS, JOSEPH DOMINIQUE, BARON (1755-1837)
• LOUIS, or LEWIS (from the Frankish Chlodowich, Chlodwig, Latinized as Chlodowius, Lodhuwicus, Lodhuvicus, whence-in the Strassburg oath of 842-0. Fr. Lodhuwigs, then Chlovis, Loys and later Louis, whence Span. Luiz and—through the Angevin kings—Hungarian

Louis; the See also:

• SOUTH
• SOUTH, ROBERT (1634–1716)

south-western, in the districts of See also:

• RIVIERE, BRITON (1840- )

Riviere Noire and Savanne; and the south-eastern range, in the See also:

• GRAND

Grand Port district, In the first of these, which consists of one principal See also:

• RIDGE (a word. common to many Teutonic languages, meaning " back," whether of a man or an animal, cf. German Rucke)
• RIDGE, WILLIAM PETT (1864- )

ridge with several lateral spurs, overlooking Port Louis, are the singular See also:

• PEAK, THE

peak of the Pouce (2650 ft.), so called from its supposed resemblance to the human thumb; and the still loftier Pieter Botte (2685 ft.), a tall See also:

• OBELISK (Gr. b/3EXivrcos, diminutive of OEMs, a spit)

obelisk of See also:

• BARE

bare See also:

• ROCK
• ROCK (O.Fr. rake, Sp. rota, Ital. rocca; possibly from a Lat. form rupica, from rupes, rock)
• ROCK, DANIEL (1799–187t)

rock, crowned with a globular See also:

• MASS (O.E. maesse; Fr. messe; Ger. Messe; Ital. messa; from eccl. Lat. missa)
• MASS, IN

mass of See also:

• STONE
• STONE (0. Eng. shin; the word is common to Teutonic languages, cf. Ger. Stein, Du. steen, Dan. and Swed. sten; the root is also seen in Gr. aria, pebble)
• STONE, CHARLES POMEROY (1824-1887)
• STONE, EDWARD JAMES (1831-1897)
• STONE, FRANK (1800-1859)
• STONE, GEORGE (1708—1764)
• STONE, LUCY [BLACKWELL] (1818-1893)
• STONE, MARCUS (184o— )
• STONE, NICHOLAS (1586-1647)

stone . The highest See also:

• SUMMIT

summit in the island is in the south-western mass of hills, the Piton de la Riviere Noire, which is 2711• ft. above the See also:

• SEA (in O. Eng. sae, a common Teutonic word; cf. Ger. See, Dutch Zee, &c.; the ultimate source is uncertain)
• SEA, COMMAND OF THE

sea . The south-eastern See also:

• GROUP

group of hills consists of the Montagne du Bambou, with several spurs See also:

• RUNNING

running down to the sea .

In the interior are extensive fertile plains, some 1200 ft. in height, forming the districts of Moka, Vacois, and Plaines Wilhelms; and from nearly the centre of the island an abrupt peak, the Piton du Milieu de See also:

• FILE

file rises to a height of 1932 ft . Other prominent summits are the Trois Mamelles, the Montagne du See also:

• CORPS (pronounced as in French, from which it is taken, being a late spelling of tors, from Lat. corpus, a body; cf. " corpse ")

Corps de Garde, the See also:

• SIGNAL

Signal Mountain, near Port Louis, and the Morne See also:

• BRABANT
• BRABANT, NORTH

Brabant, at the south-See also:

• WEST
• WEST, BENJAMIN (1738-1820)
• WEST, NICHOLAS (1461-1533)

west corner of the island . The See also:

• RIVERS
• RIVERS, ANTHONY WOODVILLE, or WYDEVILLE, 2ND EARL (c. 1442—1483)
• RIVERS, EARL
• RIVERS, RICHARD SAVAGE, 4TH EARL (c. 1660—1712)

rivers are small, and none is navigable beyond a few See also:

• HUNDRED

hundred yards from the sea . In the dry See also:

• SEASON (0. Fr. seson, seison, mod. saison, Lat. satio, sowing time, the spring, from serere, to sow; in Late Lat. the word is found with its present meaning, the spring being considered as particularly the season of the year)

season little more than See also:

• BROOKS, CHARLES WILLIAM SHIRLEY (1816-1874)
• BROOKS, PHILLIPS (1835-1893)

brooks, they become raging torrents in the wet season . The principal stream is the Grande Riviere, with a course of about 10 m . There is a remarkable and very deep See also:

• LAKE
• LAKE, GERARD LAKE, 1ST VISCOUNT (1744-1808)

lake, called Spicilegium Veterae analecta Musaeum italicum Co!iectio nova patrum graecorum See also:

• THESAURUS (Gr. B17o-avp6s)

Thesaurus novus anecdotorurn Veterum scriptorum collectio De antiquis ritibus Martene and See also:

• DURAND, ASHER BROWN (1796-1886)
• DURAND, GUILLAUME (d. 1334)
• DURAND, GUILLAUME (GUILLELMUS DURANDUS)

Durand Martene and Durand ecclesiae- Martene (Final See also:

• FORM (Lat. forma)

form) d'Achery See also:

• MABILLON, JOHN (1632-1707)

Mabillon Mabillon See also:

• MONTFAUCON, BERNARD DE (1655-1741)

Montfaucon 1655-1677 13 In 4t° 1675-1685 4 in 8°O 1687-1689 2 in 4to 1706 2 1717 5 1724-1733 9 1690-1706 1736-1738 4 1668-1701 9 1703-1739 6 1729-1733 5 Grand Bassin, in the south of the island, it is probably the See also:

• EXTINCT

extinct See also:

• CRATER

crater of an See also:

• ANCIENT
• ANCIENT (also spelt ANTIENT; derived, through the Fr. ancien, old, from the late Lat. antianum, from ante, before)

ancient See also:

• VOLCANO

volcano; similar lakes are the See also:

• MARE

Mare aux Vacois and the Mare aux See also:

• JONES
• JONES, ALFRED GILPIN (1824-1906)
• JONES, EBENEZER (182o-186o)
• JONES, ERNEST CHARLES (1819-1869)
• JONES, HENRY (1831-1899)
• JONES, HENRY ARTHUR (1851- )
• JONES, INIGO (1573-1651)
• JONES, JOHN (c. 1800-1882)
• JONES, MICHAEL (d. 1649)
• JONES, OWEN (1741-1814)
• JONES, OWEN (1809-1874)
• JONES, RICHARD (179o-1855)
• JONES, SIR ALFRED LEWIS (1845-1909)
• JONES, SIR WILLIAM (1746-1794)
• JONES, THOMAS RUPERT (1819– )
• JONES, WILLIAM (1726-1800)

Jones, and there are other deep hollows which have a like origin . See also:

• GEOLOGY (from Gr. yp7, the earth, and Abyor, science)

Geology.—The island is of volcanic origin, but has ceased to show signs of volcanic activity . All the rocks are of See also:

• BASALT

basalt and greyish-tinted lavas, excepting some beds of upraised coral . Columnar basalt is seen in several places . The remains of ancient craters can be distinguished, but their outlines have been greatly destroyed by denudation . There are many caverns and steep ravines, and from the character of the rocks the ascents are rugged and precipitous . The island has few minerals, although See also:

• IRON [symbol Fe, atomic weight 55.85 (0=16)]

iron, See also:

• LEAD
• LEAD (pronounced iced)

lead and See also:

• COPPER (symbol Cu, atomic weight 63.1, H=1, or 63.6, O = 16)

copper in very small quantities have in former times been obtained .

The greater See also:

• PART

part of the See also:

• SURFACE

surface is composed of a volcanic See also:

• BRECCIA

breccia, with here and there See also:

• LAVA

lava-streams exposed in ravines, and sometimes on the surface . The commonest lavas are dolerites . In at least two places sedimentary rocks are found at considerable elevations . In the See also:

• BLACK
• BLACK, ADAM (1784-1874)
• BLACK, JEREMIAH SULLIVAN (1810–1883)
• BLACK, WILLIAM (1841-1898)

Black See also:

• RIVER

River Mountains, at a height of about 1200 ft., there is a See also:

• CLAY (from O. Eng. claeg, a word common in various forms to Teutonic languages, cf. Ger. Klei)
• CLAY, CASSIUS MARCELLUS (1810-1903)
• CLAY, CHARLES (1801–1893)
• CLAY, FREDERIC (1838–1889)
• CLAY, HENRY (1777–1852)

clay-See also:

• SLATE (properly CLAY SLATE; in M. Eng. slat or sclat, from O. Fr. esclat, a small piece of wood used as a tile; esclater, to break into pieces, whence modern Fr. eclat, the root being seen also in Ger. schleissen, to split)

slate; and near Midlands, in the Grand Port group of mountains, a chloritic schist occurs about 1700 ft. above the sea, .forming the See also:

• HILL
• HILL (0. Eng. hyll; cf. Low Ger. hull, Mid. Dutch hul, allied to Lat. celsus, high, collis, hill, &c.)
• HILL, A
• HILL, AARON (1685-175o)
• HILL, AMBROSE POWELL
• HILL, DANIEL HARVEY (1821-1889)
• HILL, DAVID BENNETT (1843–1910)
• HILL, GEORGE BIRKBECK NORMAN (1835-1903)
• HILL, JAMES J
• HILL, JOHN (c. 1716-1775)
• HILL, MATTHEW DAVENPORT (1792-1872)
• HILL, OCTAVIA (1838– )
• HILL, ROWLAND (1744–1833)
• HILL, SIR ROWLAND (1795-1879)

hill of La Selle . This schist is much contorted, but seems to have a See also:

• GENERAL
• GENERAL (Lat. generalis, of or relating to a genus, kind or class)

general See also:

• DIP (Old Eng. dyppan, connected with the common Teutonic root seen in " deep ")

dip to the south or south-east . See also:

• EVIDENCE (Lat. evidentia, evideri, to appear clearly)

Evidence of See also:

• RECENT

recent See also:

• ELEVATION

elevation of the island is furnished by masses of coral See also:

• REEF (1)

reef and See also:

• BEACH

beach coral rock See also:

• STANDING

standing at heights of 40 It. above sea-level in the south, 12 ft. in the north and 7 ft. on the islands situated on the See also:

• BANK

bank extending to the north-east.' See also:

• CLIMATE

Climate.—The climate is pleasant during the cool season of the See also:

• YEAR

year, but oppressively hot in summer (See also:

• DECEMBER (Lat. decent, ten)

December to See also:

• APRIL

April), except in the elevated plains of the interior, where the thermometer ranges from 70° to 80° F., while in Port Louis and on the coast generally it ranges from 90° to 96° . The mean temperature for the year at Port Louis is 78.6° . There are two seasons, the cool and comparatively dry season, from April to See also:

• NOVEMBER (Lat. novem, nine)

November, and the hotter season, during the rest of the year . The climate is now less healthy than it was, severe epidemics of malarial See also:

• FEVER (Lat. febris, connected with fervere, to burn)

fever having frequently occurred, so that See also:

• MALARIA

malaria now appears to be endemic among the non-See also:

• EUROPEAN

European See also:

• POPULATION (Lat. populus, people; populare, to populate)

population . The rainfall varies greatly in different parts of the island . See also:

• CLUNY, or CLUGNY

Cluny in the Grand Port (south-eastern) district has a mean See also:

• ANNUAL

annual rainfall of 145 in.; See also:

• ALBION
• ALBION (in Ptolemy 'A)wviw; Lat. Albion, Pliny 4.16[301,102)

Albion on the west coast is the driest station, with a mean annual rainfall of 31 in . The mean monthly rainfall for the whole island varies from 12 in. in See also:

• MARCH
• MARCH (1) (from Fr. marcher, to walk; the earliest sense in French appears to be " to trample," and the origin has usually been found in the Lat. marcus, hammer; Low Lat. marcare, to hammer; hence to beat the road with the regular tread of a soldier: cf.
• MARCH, AUZIAS (c. "1395-1458)
• MARCH, EARLS OF
• MARCH, FRANCIS ANDREW (1825– )

March to 2.6 in. in See also:

• SEPTEMBER (Lat. septem, seven)

September and See also:

• OCTOBER

October .

The Royal See also:

• ALFRED

Alfred See also:

• OBSERVATORY

Observatory is situated at Pamplemousses, on the north-west or dry See also:

• SIDE
• SIDE (mod. Eski Adalia)

side of the island . From See also:

• JANUARY

January to the See also:

• MIDDLE

middle of April, Mauritius, in See also:

• COMMON

common with the neighbouring islands and the surrounding ocean from 8° to 30° of See also:

• SOUTHERN

southern See also:

• LATITUDE (Lat. latitudo, latus, broad)

latitude is subject to severe cyclones, accompanied by torrents of See also:

• RAIN (O.E. regn; the word is common to Teutonic languages, cf. Ger. Regen, Swed. and Dan. regn; it has been connected with Lat. rigare, to wet, Gr. 13pixeav)

rain, which often cause See also:

• GREAT

great destruction to houses and plantations . These hurricanes generally last about eight See also:

• HOURS, CANONICAL

hours, but they appear to be less frequent and violent than in former times, owing, it is thought, to the destruction of the ancient forests and the consequent drier See also:

• CONDITION (Lat. condicio, from condicere, to agree upon, arrange; not connected with conditio, from condere, conditum, to put together)

condition of the See also:

• ATMOSPHERE (Gr. fir µ6r, vapour; orkaipa, a sphere)

atmosphere . See also:

• FAUNA

Fauna and See also:

• FLORA

Flora.—Mauritius being an oceanic island of small See also:

• SIZE

size, its See also:

• PRESENT

present fauna is very limited in extent . When first seen by Europeans it contained no mammals except a large See also:

• FRUIT (through the French from the Lat. fructus; frui, to enjoy)

fruit-eating See also:

• BAT

bat (Pteropus vulgaris), which is plentiful in the See also:

• WOODS, LEONARD (1774-1854)
• WOODS, SIR ALBERT (1816-1904)

woods; but several mammals have been introduced, and are now numerous in the uncultivated region . Among these are two monkeys of the genera Macacus and Cercopithecus, a See also:

• STAG (0. Eng. stagga, a Norse word, cf. Icel. steggr, steggi, a male animal, cf. Steggander, a drake; it is usually referred to stigan, to climb, to mount, but this is doubtful)

stag (Cervus hippelaphus), a small See also:

• HARE
• HARE, SIR JOHN (1844– )

hare, a See also:

• SHREW

shrew-See also:

• MOUSE

mouse, and the ubiquitous See also:

• RAT (a word common to Teut. and Rom. languages; probably first adopted in Teut.; the ultimate origin is not known; Skeat suggests the root rad-, to scratch; cf. Ger. Ratte, Dan. rotte, Fr. rat, &c.)

rat . A See also:

• LEMUR (from Lat. lemures, " ghosts ")

lemur and one of the curious See also:

• HEDGEHOG, or URCHIN

hedgehog-like Insectivora of Madagascar (Centetes ecaudatus) have probably both been brought from the larger island . The avifauna resembles that of Madagascar; there are See also:

• SPECIES

species of a See also:

• PECULIAR

peculiar genus of See also:

• CATERPILLAR

caterpillar shrikes (Campephagidae), as well as of the genera Pm/insole, See also:

• FLY (formed on the root of the supposed original Tent. fleugan, to fly)

Fly psipetes, Phedina, Tchitrea, See also:

• ZOSTEROPS

Zosterops, Foudia, Colloculia and Coracopsis, and peculiar forms of doves and parakeets . The living See also:

• REPTILES (Lat. Reptilia, creeping things, from reptilis; ref ere, to creep; Gr. Ep7rety, whence the term " herpetology," for the science dealing with them)

reptiles are small and few in number . The surrounding seas contain great See also:

• NUMBERS, BOOK OF
• NUMBERS, PARTITION OF

numbers of See also:

• FISH (O. Eng. fist, a word common to Teutonic languages, cf. Dutch visch, Ger. Fisch, Goth. fisks, cognate with the Lat. piscis)
• FISH, HAMILTON (1808-1893)

fish; the coral reefs abound with a great variety of molluscs; and there are numerous See also:

• LAND

land-shells . The extinct fauna of Mauritius has considerable See also:

• INTEREST

interest . In common with the other Mascarene islands, it was the See also:

• HOME
• HOME, DANIEL DUNGLAS (1833-1886)
• HOME, EARLS OF

home of the See also:

• DODO (from the PortugueseDhudo, a simpleton)

dodo (Didus inept us); there were also Aphanapteryx, a species of See also:

• RAIL

rail, and a See also:

• SHORT, FRANCIS JOB (1857– )

short-winged See also:

• HERON (Fr. heron; Ital. aghirone, airone; Lat. ardea; Gr. ipw&bs: A.-S. hragra; Icelandic, hegre; Swed. hager; Dan. heire; Ger. Heiger, Reiher, Heergans; Dutch, reiger)

heron (See also:

• ARDEA

Ardea .megacephala), which probably seldom flew .

The defenceless condition of these birds led to their extinction after the island was colonized . Considerable quantities of the bones of the dodo and other extinct birds—a rail (Aphanapteryx), and a short-winged heron—have been discovered in the beds of some of the ancient lakes (see Dono) . Several species of large fossil tortoises have also been discovered; they are quite different from the living ones of See also:

• ALDABRA

Aldabra, in the same zoological region . Owing to the destruction of the primeval forests for the formation of See also:

• SUGAR

sugar plantations, the indigenous flora is only seen in parts of the interior plains, in the river valleys and on the hills; and it is not now easy to distinguish between what is native and what has come from abroad . The principal See also:

• TIMBER

timber See also:

• TREE (0. Eng. treo, treow, cf. Dan. tree, Swed. Odd, tree, trd, timber; allied forms are found in Russ. drevo, Gr. opus, oak, and 36pv, spear, Welsh derw, Irish darog, oak, and Skr. dare, wood)
• TREE, SIR HERBERT BEERBOHM (1853- )

tree is the See also:

• EBONY (Gr. E(3evos)

ebony (Diospyros ebeneum), which grows to a considerable size . Besides this there are bois de cannelle, See also:

• OLIVE (Olea europaea)

olive-tree, See also:

• BENZOIN

benzoin (Croton Benzoe), colophane (Colophonia), and iron-See also:

• WOOD, ANTHONY A2 (1632-1695)
• WOOD, JOHN GEORGE (1827—1889)
• WOOD, MRS HENRY [ELLEN] (1814—1887)
• WOOD, SEARLES VALENTINE (1798—188o)

wood, all of which are useful in See also:

• CARPENTRY

carpentry; ' See Geog . Journ . (See also:

• JUNE

June 1895), p . 597.the coco-See also:

• NUT
• NUT (0. Eng. knutu, cf. Dutch noot, Ger. Nuss; allied with Gael. cno; it is not of the same form as Lat. nux)

nut See also:

• PALM (Lat. palma, Gr. iraX6.jn )
• PALM, JOHANN PHILIPP (1768-1806)

palm, an importation, but a tree which has been so extensively planted during the last hundred years that it is extremely plentiful; the palmiste (See also:

• PALMA, JACOPO (c. 1480-1528)
• PALMA, or PALMA DE MALLORCA
• PALMA, or SAN MIGUEL DE LA PALMA

Palma dactylifera latifolia), the latanier (Corypha umbraculifera) and the date-palm . The vacoa or vacois, (Pandanus utilis) is largely grown, the long tough leaves being manufactured into bags for the export of sugar, and the roots being also made of use; and in the few remnants of the See also:

• ORIGINAL

original forests the traveller's tree (Urania speciosa), grows abundantly . A species of See also:

• BAMBOO

bamboo is very plentiful in the river valleys and in marshy situations . A large variety of fruit is produced, including the See also:

• TAMARIND

tamarind, See also:

• MANGO

mango, See also:

• BANANA

banana, See also:

• PINE (Lat. Pinus, Gr. srlrur)

pine-See also:

• APPLE (a common Teut. word, A.S. aepl, aeppel, O.H.G. aphul, aphal, apfal, mod. Ger. Apfel)

apple, See also:

• GUAVA (from the Mexican guayaba)

guava, See also:

• SHADDOCK (Citrus decumana)

shaddock, fig, avocado-See also:

• PEAR (Pyrus communis)

pear, See also:

• LITCHI

litchi, custard-apple and the mabolo (Diospyros discolor), a fruit of exquisite flavour, but very disagreeable odour .

Many of the roots and vegetables of See also:

• EUROPE

Europe have been introduced, as well as some of those peculiar to the tropics, including See also:

• MAIZE, or INDIAN CORN

maize, See also:

• MILLET (Fr. millet; Ital. miglietto, diminutive of miglio= Lat. mille, a thousand, in allusion to its fertility)
• MILLET (or MILE), JEAN FRANCOIS (c. 1642–1679)
• MILLET, FRANCIS DAVIS (1846- )
• MILLET, JEAN FRANCOIS (1814–1875)

millet, yams, manioc, dhol, See also:

• GRAM

gram, &c . Small quantities of See also:

• TEA (Chinese cha, Amoy dialect t€)

tea, See also:

• RICE (Greek 6p6 a, Latin oryza, French riz, Italian riso, Spanish arroz, derived from the Arabic)
• RICE, EDMUND IGNATIUS (1762-1844)
• RICE, JAMES (1843-1882)

rice and See also:

• SAGO

sago, have been grown, as well as many of the spices (See also:

• CLOVES

cloves, See also:

• NUTMEG (from " nut," and O. Fr. mugue, musk, Lat. muscus)

nutmeg, See also:

• GINGER (Fr. gingembre, Ger. Ingwer)

ginger, See also:

• PEPPER
• PEPPER, WILLIAM (1843–1898)

pepper and allspice), and also See also:

• COTTON
• COTTON (Fr. coton; from Arab. qutun)
• COTTON, CHARLES (163o–1687)
• COTTON, GEORGE EDWARD LYNCH (1813–1866)
• COTTON, JOHN (1585–1652)
• COTTON, SIR ROBERT BRUCE

cotton, See also:

• INDIGO (earlier indico, from Lat. indicum, the Indian sub-stance or dye; the Sans. name was niti, from nila, dark blue, and this through Arab. al-nil, annil, gives " aniline ")

indigo, betel, camphor, See also:

• TURMERIC (from Fr. terre Write, turmeric, Lat. terra merita, deserved, i.e. excellent earth; Skeat suggests that it is a barbarous corruption, perhaps of Arabic karkam, kurkum, saffron or curcuma)

turmeric and See also:

• VANILLA

vanilla . The Royal Botanical Gardens at Pamplemousses, which date from the French occupation of the island, contain a See also:

• RICH, BARNABE (c. 1540-1617)
• RICH, CLAUDIUS JAMES (1787-1821)
• RICH, JOHN (1692-1761)
• RICH, PENELOPE, LADY (c. 1562–1607)
• RICH, RICHARD, 1ST BARON RICH (1490?-1567)

rich collection of tropical and extra-tropical species . Inhabitants.—The inhabitants consist of two great divisions, those of European See also:

• BLOOD

blood, chiefly French and British, together with numerous See also:

• HALF

half-See also:

• CASTE (through the Fr. from Span. and Port. casta, lineage, Lat. cast us, pure)

caste See also:

• PEOPLE

people, and those of See also:

• ASIATIC

Asiatic or See also:

• AFRICAN

African blood . The population of European blood, which calls itself See also:

• CREOLE (the Fr. form of criollo, a West Indian, probably a negro corruption of the Span. criadillo, the dim. of criado, one bred or reared, from criar, to breed, a derivative of the Lat. creare, to create)

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 See also:

• ENGLISH

English . The Creole class is, however, diminishing, though slowly, and the most numerous See also:

• SECTION
• SECTION (Lat. sectio, cutting, secare, to cut)

section of the population is of Indian blood . The introduction of Indian coolies to See also:

• WORK

work the sugar plantations See also:

• DATES

dates from the See also:

• PERIOD
• PERIOD (Gr. irepioSos, a going or way round, circuit, aepi, round, and &Sis, way, road)

period of the emancipation of the slaves in 1834–1839 . At that See also:

• TIME (0. Eng. Lima, cf. Icel. timi, Swed. timme, hour, Dan. time; from the root also seen in " tide," properly the time of between the flow and ebb of the sea, cf. O. Eng. getidan, to happen, " even-tide," &c.; it is not directly related to Lat. tempus)
• TIME, MEASUREMENT OF
• TIME, STANDARD

time the negroes who showed great unwillingness to work on their See also:

• LATE

late masters' estates, numbered about 66,000 . See also:

• IMMIGRATION (from Lat. in, into, and tnigrare, to depart)

Immigration from See also:

• INDIA
• INDIA, FRENCH

India began in 1834, and at a See also:

• CENSUS (from Lat. censere, to estimate or assess; connected by some with centum, i.e. a count by hundreds)

census taken in 1846, when the total population was 158,462, there were already 56,245 See also:

• INDIANS, NORTH AMERICAN

Indians in the island . In 1851 the total population had increased to 180,823, while in 1861 it was 310,050 . This great increase was almost entirely due to Indian immigration, the Indian population, 77,996 in 1851, being 192,634 in 1861 .

From that year the increase in the Indian population has been more See also:

• GRADUAL (Med. Lat. gradualis, of or belonging to steps or degrees; gradus, step)

gradual but steady, while the non-Indian population has decreased . From 102,827 in 1851 it See also:

• ROSE
• ROSE (Rosa)
• ROSE, GEORGE (1744-1818)
• ROSE, HUGH JAMES (1795—1838)
• ROSE, WILLIAM STEWART (1775-1843)

rose to 117,416 in 1861 to sink to 99,784 in 1871 . The figures for the three following census years were: 1881 . 1891 . 1901 . Indians 248,993 255,920 259,086 Others . i s o,881 114,668 111,937 Total . • 359,874 370,588 371,023 Including the military and crews of See also:

• SHIPS

ships in See also:

• HARBOUR (from M.E. hereberge, here, an army; cf. Ger. Heer and -beorg, protection or shelter. Other early forms in English were herberwe and haiborow, as seen in various place names, such as Market Harborough.. The French auberge, an inn, derived through

harbour, the total population in 1901 was 373,3361 This total included 198,958 Indo-Mauritians, i.e. persons of Indian descent See also:

• BORN, IGNAZ, EDLER VON (1742–1791)

born in Mauritius, and 62,022 other Indians . There were 3,509 See also:

• CHINESE, JAPANESE AND

Chinese, while the remaining Io8,847 included persons of European, African or mixed descent, Malagasy, See also:

• MALAYS

Malays and Sinhalese . The Indian See also:

• FEMALE

female population increased from 51,019 in 1861 to 115,986 in 1901 . In the same period the non-Indian female population but slightly varied, being 56,070 in 1861 and 55,485 in 1901 . The Indo-Mauritians are now dominant in commercial, agricultural and domestic callings, and much See also:

• TOWN

town and agricultural land has been transferred from the Creole planters to Indians and Chinese . The tendency to an Indian See also:

• PEASANT (O. Fr. paysant, Mod. paysan; Lat. pagensis, belonging to the pagus or country; cf. " pagan ")

peasant proprietorship is marked .

Since 1864 real See also:

• PROPERTY

property to the value of over £1,250,000 has been acquired by Asiatics . Between 1881 and 1901 the number of sugar estates decreased from 171 to 115, those sold being held in small parcels by Indians . The See also:

• AVERAGE

average See also:

• DEATH

death-See also:

• RATE

rate for the period 1873–1901 was 32.6 per 1000 . The average See also:

• BIRTH (a word common in various forms to Teutonic languages from the root of the verb " to bear ")

birth-rate in the Indian community is 37 per too(); in the non-Indian community 34 per See also:

• I000

I000 . Many Mauritian Creoles have emigrated to South See also:

• AFRICA
• AFRICA, ROMAN

Africa . The great increase in the population since 1851 has made Mauritius one of the most densely peopled regions of the See also:

• WORLD

world, having over 520 persons per square mile . See also:

• CHIEF (from Fr. chef, head, Lat. caput)

Chief Towns.—The See also:

• CAPITAL (i.e. capital stock or fund)
• CAPITAL (Lat. caput, head)

capital and seat of See also:

• GOVERNMENT
• GOVERNMENT (0. Fr. governement, mod. gouvernement, O. Fr. governer, mod. gouverner, from Lat. gubernare, to steer a ship, guide, rule; cf. Gr. xv(3epvav)

government, the See also:

• CITY (through Fr. cite, from Lat. civitas)

city of Port Louis, is on the north-western side of the island, in 20° to' S., 57° 30' E. at the See also:

• HEAD (in 0. Eng. heafad; the word is common to Teutonic languages; cf. Dutch hoofd, Ger. Haupt, generally taken to be in origin connected with Lat. caput, Gr. KerbOvi7)
• HEAD, SIR EDMUND WALKER, BART
• HEAD, SIR FRANCIS BOND, BART

head of an excellent harbour, a deep inlet about a mile long, available for ships of the deepest See also:

• DRAUGHT (from the common Teutonic word " to draw "; cf. Ger. 7'racht, load; the pronunciation led to the variant form " draft," now confined to certain specific meanings)

draught . This is protected by Fort See also:

• WILLIAM
• WILLIAM (1143-1214)
• WILLIAM (1227-1256)
• WILLIAM (1J33-1584)
• WILLIAM (A.S. Wilhelm, O. Norse Vilhidlmr; O. H. Ger. Willahelm, Willahalm, M. H. Ger. Willehelm, Willehalm, Mod.Ger. Wilhelm; Du. Willem; O. Fr. Villalme, Mod. Fr. Guillaume; from " will," Goth. vilja, and " helm," Goth. hilms, Old Norse hidlmr, meaning
• WILLIAM (c. 1130-C. 1190)
• WILLIAM, 13TH

William and Fort See also:

• GEORGE
• GEORGE, 8TH MARQUESS OF TWEEDDALE (1787-1876)
• GEORGE, HENRY (1839—1897)
• GEORGE, LAKE
• GEORGE, SAINT (d. 303)

George, as well as by the citadel (Fort See also:

• ADELAIDE
• ADELAIDE (Ger. Adelheid) (931-999)

Adelaide), and it has three graving-docks connected with the inner harbour, the depths alongside quays and berths being from 12 to 28 ft . The See also:

• TRADE (O. Eng. trod, footstep, from tredan, to tread; in M. Eng. the forms teed, trod and trade appear, the last in the sense of a beaten track)
• TRADE, BOARD OF

trade of the island passes almost entirely through the port . Government See also:

• HOUSE
• HOUSE (O. Eng. hiss, a word common to Teutonic languages, cf. Dut. huis, Ger. Haus; in Gothic it is only found in gudhiss, a temple; it may be ultimately connected with the root of " hide," conceal)

House is a three-storeyed structure with broad 2 The total population of the colony (including dependencies) on the 1st of January 1907 was estimated at 383,206 . verandas, of no particular See also:

• STYLE
• STYLE (from Gr. a-6'1ms, a column; a different word from that used in literature, see below)

style of See also:

• ARCHITECTURE (Lat. architectura, from the Gr. ap)(LTEKrwv, a master-builder)

architecture, while the See also:

• PROTESTANT

Protestant See also:

• CATHEDRAL

cathedral was formerly a See also:

• POWDER (through O. Fr. puldre, modern poudre, from Lat. pulvis, pulveris, dust)

powder See also:

• MAGAZINE

magazine, to which a See also:

• TOWER (Lat. turris; Fr. tour, clocker; Ital. torre; Ger. Thurm)

tower and See also:

• SPIRE

spire have been added . The See also:

• ROMAN

Roman See also:

• CATHOLIC (Gr. KcaBoXuK6s, general, universal)

Catholic cathedral is more pretentious in style, but is See also:

• TAWDRY

tawdry in its interior .

There are, besides the town-See also:

• HALL
• HALL (generally known as SCHWABISCH-HALL, tc distinguish it from the small town of Hall in Tirol and Bad-Hall, a health resort in Upper Austria)
• HALL (O.E. heall, a common Teutonic word, cf. Ger. Halle)
• HALL, BASIL (1788-1844)
• HALL, CARL CHRISTIAN (1812–1888)
• HALL, CHARLES FRANCIS (1821-1871)
• HALL, CHRISTOPHER NEWMAN (1816—19oz)
• HALL, EDWARD (c. 1498-1547)
• HALL, FITZEDWARD (1825-1901)
• HALL, ISAAC HOLLISTER (1837-1896)
• HALL, JAMES (1793–1868)
• HALL, JAMES (1811–1898)
• HALL, JOSEPH (1574-1656)
• HALL, MARSHALL (1790-1857)
• HALL, ROBERT (1764-1831)
• HALL, SAMUEL CARTER (5800-5889)
• HALL, SIR JAMES (1761-1832)
• HALL, WILLIAM EDWARD (1835-1894)

hall, Royal See also:

• COLLEGE (Collegium)

College, public offices and See also:

• THEATRE (BEarpov, " a place for seeing," from OeacOae)

theatre, large See also:

• BARRACKS (derived through the French from the Late Lat. barra, a bar)
• BARRACKS, CAMP

barracks and military stores . Port Louis, which is governed by an elective municipal See also:

• COUNCIL (Lat. concilium, from cum, together, and the root cal, to call)

council, is surrounded by lofty hills and its unhealthy situation is aggravated by the difficulty of effective drainage owing to the small amount of See also:

• TIDE (O. Eng. lid, cf. Ger. Zeit, time or season, connected with root of Sanskrit a-diti, endless)

tide in the harbour . Though much has been done to make the town sanitary, including the See also:

• PROVISION (Lat. provisio)

provision of a good See also:

• WATER

water-See also:

• SUPPLY (through Fr. from Lat. supplere, to fill up)

supply, the death-rate is generally over 44 per 1000 . Consequently all those who can make their homes in the cooler up-lands of the interior . As a result the population of the city decreased from about 70,000 in 1891 to 53,000 in 1901 . The favourite residential town is Curepipe, where the climate resembles that of the south of France . It is built on the central See also:

• PLATEAU (a French term, older platel, for a flat piece of wood, metal, &c., from plat, flat)
• PLATEAU, JOSEPH ANTOINE FERDINAND (1801-1883)

plateau about 20 M. distant from Port Louis by rail and 180o ft. above the sea . Curepipe was incorporated in 1888 and had a population (1901) of 13,000 . On the railway between Port Louis and Curepipe are other residential towns—Beau Bassin, Rose Hill and Quatre Bornes . Mahebourg, pop . (1901), 4810, 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 . See also:

• INDUSTRIES

Industries.—The Sugar Plantations: The See also:

• SOIL

soil of the island is of considerable fertility; it is a ferruginous red clay, but so largely mingled with stones of all sizes that no plough can be used, and the See also:

• HOE (through Fr. houe from O.H.G. houwd, mod. Ger. Haue; the root is seen in " hew," to cut, cleave; the word must be distinguished from " hoe," promontory, tongue of land, seen in place names, e.g. Morthoe, Luton Hoo, the Hoe at Plymouth, &c. ; this is t
• HOE, RICHARD MARCH (1812-1886)

hoe has to be employed to prepare the ground for cultivation .

The greater portion of the plains is now a vast sugar See also:

• PLANTATION (Lat. plantare, to plant)

plantation . The See also:

• BRIGHT, JOHN (1811-188g)
• BRIGHT, SIR CHARLES TILSTON

bright See also:

• GREEN, A
• GREEN, ALEXANDER HENRY (1832—1896)
• GREEN, DUFF (1791—1875)
• GREEN, JOHN RICHARD (1837—1883)
• GREEN, MATTHEW (1696-1737)
• GREEN, THOMAS HILL (1836-1882)
• GREEN, VALENTINE (1739–1813)
• GREEN, WILLIAM HENRY (.1825–1900)

green of the sugar See also:

• FIELDS, JAMES THOMAS (1817-1881)

fields is a striking feature in a view of Mauritius from the sea, and gives a peculiar beauty and freshness to the prospect . The soil is suitable for the cultivation of almost all kinds of tropical produce, and it is to be regretted that the prosperity of the colony depends almost entirely on one See also:

• ARTICLE (from Lat. articulus, a joint)

article of See also:

• PRODUCTION (Lat. productionem, from producere, to pro-duce)

production, for the consequences are serious when there is a failure, more or less, of the sugar See also:

• CROP (a word common. in various forms, such as Germ. Kropf, to many Teutonic languages for a swelling, excrescence, round head or top of anything; it appears also in Romanic languages derived from Teutonic, in Fr. as troupe, whence the English " crupper "

crop . See also:

• GUANO (a Spanish word from the Peruvian huanu, dung)

Guano is extensively imported as a manure, and by its use the natural fertility of the soil has been increased to a wonderful extent . Since the beginning of the loth century some See also:

• ATTENTION (from Lat. ad-tendo, await, expect; the condition of being " stretched " or " tense ")

attention has been paid to the cultivation of tea and cotton, with encouraging results . Of the exports, sugar amounts on an average to about . 95% of the total . The quantity of sugar exported rose from 102,000 tons in 1854 to 189,164 tons in 1877 . The competition of See also:

• BEET

beet-sugar and the effect of bounties granted by various countries then began to tell on the production in Mauritius, the average crop for the seven years ending 1900-1901 being only 150,449 tons . The See also:

• BRUSSELS (Fr. Bruxelles, Flem. Brussel)

Brussels Sugar See also:

• CONVENTION (Lat. conventio, an assembly or agreement, from convenire, to come together)
• CONVENTION, THE NATIONAL

Convention of 1902 led to an increase in production, the average annual See also:

• WEIGHT

weight of sugar exported for the three years 1904-1906 being 182,000 tons . The value of the crop was likewise seriously affected by the causes mentioned, and by various diseases which attacked the canes . Thus in 1878 the value of the sugar exported was £3,408,000; in 1888 it had sunk to £1,911,000, and in 1898 to £1,632,000 .

In 1900 the value was £1,922,000, and in 1905 it had risen to £2,172,000 . India and the South African colonies between them take some two-thirds of the total produce . The See also:

• REMAINDER, REVERSION

remainder is taken chiefly by Great See also:

• BRITAIN (Gr. Hperavuml vi7vot, Bperravia; Lat. Britannia, rarely Britannia)

Britain, See also:

• CANADA

Canada and Hong-See also:

• KONG

Kong . Next to sugar, See also:

• ALOE

aloe-fibre is the most important export, the average annual export for the five years ending 1906 being 184o tons . In addition, a considerable quantity of See also:

• MOLASSES

molasses and smaller quantities of See also:

• RUM
• RUM (according to Skeat, a corruption of Malay brum or bram; the adjective " rum," i.e. " queer," being a distinct word, in Gipsy rem)

rum, vanilla and coco-nut oil are exported . The imports are mainly rice, See also:

• WHEAT
• WHEAT (Triticum)

wheat, cotton goods, See also:

• WINE (Lat. vinum, Gr. oivos)

wine, See also:

• COAL

coal, hardware and haberdashery, and guano . The rice comes principally from India and . Madagascar; See also:

• CATTLE (Norman Fr. catel, from Late Lat. capitale, wealth or property, a word applied in the feudal system to movable property and particularly to live stock, and surviving in its wider meaning as " chattel " or " chattle ")

cattle are imported from Madagascar, See also:

• SHEEP
• SHEEP (from the Anglo-Saxon sceap, a word common in various forms to Teutonic languages; e.g. the German Schaf)

sheep from South Africa and See also:

• AUSTRALIA

Australia, and frozen See also:

• MEAT

meat from Australia . The average annual value of the exports for the ten years 1896-1905 was £2,153,159; the average annual value of the imports for the same period £1,453,089 . These figures when compared with those in years before the beet and See also:

• BOUNTY (through O. Fr. bontet, from Lat. bonitas, goodness)

bounty-fed sugar had entered into severe competition with See also:

• CANE

cane sugar, show how greatly the island had thereby suffered . In 1864 the exports were valued at £2,249,000; in 1868 at £2,339,000 in 1877 at £4,201,000 and in 188o at £3,634,000 . And in each of the years named the imports exceeded £2,000,000 in value .

Nearly all the aloe-fibre exported is taken by Great Britain. and France, while the molasses goes to India . Among the See also:

• MINOR
• MINOR (Lat. for smaller, lesser)
• MINOR, ROBERT CRANNELL (1839-1904)

minor exports is that of bambara or sea-slugs, which are sent to Hong-Kong and See also:

• SINGAPORE (Malay, Singapiira, i.e. " The City of the Lion")

Singapore . This See also:

• INDUSTRY (Lat. industria, from indu-, a form of the pre, position in, and either stare, to stand, or struere, to pile up)

industry is chiefly in Chinese hands . The great See also:

• MAJORITY (Fr. majorite; Med. Lat. majoritas; Lat. major, greater)

majority of the imports are from Great Britain or British possessions . The currency of Mauritius is rupees and cents of a See also:

• RUPEE (Hindustani rupiya, from Sanskrit rupya)

rupee, the Indian rupee (=16d.) being the See also:

• STANDARD
• STANDARD, BATTLE OF THE

standard unit . The metric See also:

• SYSTEM

system of weights and See also:

• MEASURES

measures has been in force since 1878 . Communications.—There is a See also:

• REGULAR

regular fortnightly steamship service between See also:

• MARSEILLES

Marseilles and Port Louis by the Messageries Maritimes, a four-weekly service with See also:

• SOUTHAMPTON
• SOUTHAMPTON, EARL OF
• SOUTHAMPTON, HENRY WRIOTHESLEY, 3RD EARL OF (1J73—1624)

Southampton via Cape Town by the See also:

• UNION
• UNION (known locally as Union Hill and officially as Town of Union)

Union See also:

• CASTLE
• CASTLE (Lat. castellum, a fort, diminutive of castra, a camp; Fr. chateau and chdtel)

Castle, and a four-weekly service with See also:

• COLOMBO

Colombo See also:

• DIRECT

direct by the British India Co.'s boats . There is also frequent communication with Madagascar, See also:

• REUNION

Reunion and See also:

• NATAL

Natal . The average annual See also:

• TONNAGE

tonnage of ships entering Port Louis is about 750,000 of which five-sevenths is British . See also:

• CABLE (from Late Lat. capulum, a halter, from capere, to take hold of)
• CABLE, GEORGE WASHINGTON (1844– )

Cable communication with Europe, via the See also:

• SEYCHELLES

Seychelles, See also:

• ZANZIBAR

Zanzibar and See also:

• ADEN

Aden, was established in 1891, and the Mauritius section of the Cape-Australian cable, via See also:

• RODRIGUEZ (officially RODRIGUES)

Rodriguez, was completed in 1902 . See also:

• RAILWAYS

Railways connect all the principal places and sugar estates on the island, that known as the Midland See also:

• LINE

line, 36 See also:

• MILES, NELSON APPLETON (1839— )

miles long, beginning at Port Louis crosses the island to Mahebourg, passing through Curepipe, where it is 1822 ft. above the sea . There are in all over 120 miles of railway, all owned and worked by the government .

The first railway was opened in 1864 . The roads are well kept and there is an extensive system of tramways for bringing produce from the sugar estates to the railway lines . See also:

• TRACTION (Lat. trahere, to draw)

Traction engines are also largely used . There is a See also:

• COMPLETE

complete telegraphic and telephonic service . Government and See also:

• REVENUE
• REVENUE (0. Fr. revenu, from revenir, to return)

Revenue.—Mauritius is a See also:

• CROWN

crown colony . The See also:

• GOVERNOR (from the Fr. gouverneur, from gouverner, O. Fr. governer, Lat. gubernare, to steer a ship, to direct, guide)

governor is assisted by an executive council of five See also:

• OFFICIAL (Late Lat. QJicialis, for class. Lat. apparitor, from officium, office, duty)

official and two elected members, and a legislative council of 27 members, 8 sitting ex officio, 9 being nominated by the governor and ro elected on a moderate See also:

• FRANCHISE (from 0. Fr. franchise, freedom, franc, free)

franchise . Two of the elected members represent St Louis, the 8 rural districts into which the island is divided electing each one member . At least one-third of the nominated members must be persons not holding any public See also:

• OFFICE (from Lat. officium, " duty," " service," a shortened form of opifacium, from facere, " to do," and either the stem of opes, " wealth," " aid," or opus, " work ")

office . The number of registered See also:

• ELECTORS (Ger. Kurfursten, from Kilren, O.H.G. kiosan, choose, elect, and Furst, prince)

electors in 1908 was 6186 . The legislative session usually lasts from April to December . Members may speak either in French or English . The average annual revenue of the colony for the ten years 1896-1905, was £608,245, the average annual See also:

• EXPENDITURE

expenditure during the same period £663,606 .

Up to 1854 there was a surplus in See also:

• HAND
• HAND (a word common to Teutonic languages; cf. Ger. Hand, Goth. handus)
• HAND, FERDINAND GOTTHELF (1786-185r)

hand, but sit ce that time expenditure has on many occasions exceeded income, and the public See also:

• DEBT (Lat. debitum, a thing owed)

debt in 1908 was £1,305,000, mainly incurred however on reproductive See also:

• WORKS

works . The island has largely retained the old French See also:

• LAWS

laws, the codes See also:

• CIVIL

civil, de See also:

• PROCEDURE (Fr. procedure, from Lat. procedere, to go for-ward)

procedure, du See also:

• COMMERCE
• COMMERCE (Lat. commercium, from, cum, together, and rnerx, merchandise)

commerce, and d'instruction criminelle being still in force, except so far as altered by colonial ordinances . A supreme See also:

• COURT
• <