Narrative of the surveying voyages of his majesty's ships Adventure and Beagle (vol.3)

May, 1336. Mauritius, 571 speak to their servants in French, and the shops are all French ; indeed I should think that Calais or Boulogne was much more Anglefied. There is a very pretty little theatre, in which operas are excellently performed, and are much preferred by the inhabitants to plays. We were also surprised at seeing large booksellers' shops, with well-stored shelves ; music and reading bespeak our approach to the old world of civihzation ? for in truth both Australia and America may be considered as new worlds. One of the most interesting spectacles in Port Louis, is to observe the various races of men which may be met in walking the streets. Convicts from India are banished here for life ; at present there are about 800, and they are employed in various public works. Before seeing these people, I had no idea that the inhabitants of India were such noble-looking figures. Their skin is extremely dark, and many of the older men had large mustaches and beards of a snow-white colour ; this, together with the fire of their expressions, gave them quite an imposing aspect. The greater number have been banished for murder and the worst crimes ; others for causes which can scarcely be con- sidered as moral faults, such as for not obeying, from super- stitious motives, the English laws. These men are generally quiet and well-conducted ; from their outward conduct, their cleanhness and faithful observance of their strange religious enactments, it was impossible to look at them with the same eyes as on our wretched convicts in New South Wales. Besides these prisoners, large numbers of free people are yearly imported from India: for the planters were afraid that the negroes, when emancipated, would not work. From these causes the Indian population is here very considerable. May 1st. — Sunday. I took a quiet walk along the sea- coast to the northward of the town. The plain in that part is quite uncultivated ; it consists of a field of black lava, smoothed over with coarse grass and bushes, the latter being chiefly mimosas. Captain FitzRoy, before arriving here, said he expected the island would have a character