CO885-(11-12) — Page 325

248

6

We have great pleasure in acknowledging our indebtedness to Mr. René Viader, M.B.E., Second Assistant Colonial Secretary. whose services as secretary we were so fortunate as to have placed at our disposal. Mr. Viader's ability and industry were invaluable to us in our work.

We wish also to express our appreciation of the efficient help given to us by Miss Blackburn, who acted as our confidential typist.

We have the honour to be.

LONDON,

>

23RD DECEMBER, 1931.

Sir,

Your obedient servants,

IVO D. ELLIOTT, N. G. LOUGHNANE,

Financial Commissioners.

CHAPTER I.-INTRODUCTORY. Mauritius is an island in the Indian Ocean, lying 500 miles east of Madagascar, between 19° 50′ and 20° 31′ S. latitude.

Its area comprises 460,800 acres (720 square miles), of which about one-third is rocky and mountainous land which has not been brought under cultivation, but is partly covered by natural forest. More than one-third of the island is over 1,000 feet in elevation, and the mountain ranges include twelve peaks of a height of more than 2,000 feet. These natural features divide the island into five sections. (i) The coastal plain, which at Port Louis itself is a very narrow strip between the sea and the mountains, widens to the north and east and forms the administrative districts of Pamplemousses and Riviere du Rempart, between which there is no natural boundary. (ii) On the south-west the coastal strip, together with the hills which are the western edge of the central plateau, forms the sparsely populated and largely uncultivated Black River district. (iii) The central plateau, comprising the districts of Plaines Wilhems and Moka, is bounded on almost all sides by mountains, forest, and uncultivated land, this section contains the townships which serve as suburbs to Port Louis, but in spite of their encroachment contains a large area under sugar cane. (iv) On the south side of the watershed are the administra- tive districts of Savanne and Grand Port forming, in fact, a single area between the sea and the mountains or forests on the edge of the central plateau. (v) On the east the table-land declines to the coastal district of Flacq, which is cut off by mountains from Grand Port on the south and from Riviere du Rempart on the north by a large area of scrub jungle. It will be observed that three of these five sections are divided each into two administra- tive districts.

Of the cultivated land 156,000 acres is devoted to the growth of the sugar cane, which forms the principal industry of the Colony.

2. The rain distribution is remarkably unequal and in certain parts, particularly of the Black River district on the south-west of the island, the average annual rainfall is inadequate for sugar cultivation.

The climate is on the whole fairly healthy, even for Europeans, except in parts of the low-lying districts round the coast which tend to become oppressive during the hotter months of the year. During the four months from December to March there is a liability to cyclones which sometimes cause serious damage to pro- perty of all kinds, including the growing sugar cane. A. certain amount of damage by cyclones occurs every year, but fortunately those which come sufficiently near to the island to be felt in their

13271

A 4

!

TTTTT

JUBLIC PECORD OFFICE

Reference -

C.O.882/12

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BF REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-

COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON