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SEYCHELLES.

Mauritius, 960 miles distant; as there is only a monthly mail, one month must elapse before an answer Appendix No. 4, can be given, and should the question be one which the Mauritius Government have to refer to the Imperial Government, then four months must elapse, even if the letters were answered by return of post.

The interests of Seychelles are completely separated from those of the Mauritius; the latter contributes nothing to the Seychelles, and few of the Governors of the Mauritius ever have visited it.

Although the Seychelles groups spread over a large expanse, some of the isles being 600 miles from Mahé, the Seychelles Government has never been provided with any steam-vessel or tug in order to visit these isles, who, consequently, pay no taxes to the Seychelles Government No advantage, either pecuniarily or administratively, can be derived by placing the Seychelles under the Mauritius Govern- ment, while great delay and unnecessary interference takes place, the Mauritius is a declining, the Seychelles are a rising, Colony.

to

It would seem, therefore, that there would be no disadvantage in moving the "London Seychelles, and in separating the Seychelles from the Government of the Mauritius; the appeals in the higher Courts of Seychelles might be referred to the Chief Justice of Mauritius. The extra cost of administrating the Government would be 1,8007. a-year beyond the cost of administration as it now exists, viz. :-

A Governor

A Chief Justice

A Colonial Secretary

An Auditor

A District Magistrate and Stipendiary..

Total

so that the extra expense would be 1,7957. per annum.

وو

£

£

1,500 instead of

880

800

600

500

300

225

J

400

25

3,500

21

1,705

It may be expected that the Political Resident at Zanzibar will oppose, on political grounds, the removal of the "London," and it is sure that the Sultan and his people will be strongly opposed to the loss of such a vessel, but, in reality, with the exception of the telegraph being at Zanzibar, and the power to say "that the Imperial Government is acting actively against the Slave Trade," which the Returns from the "London" would scarcely corroborate, there is no reason for stationing the "London" in the water of an alien State. The stationing of that store-ship there is an anomaly. The principle would be opposed by the Imperial Government were any other nation to act on it, and place a similar vessel at Madagascar or Bankok.

It may be urged also that the Seychelles are of French origin; this is far less so than at Mauritius, and as the isles are so far apart, no combination would be possible among the French inhabitants against the Government. In the Mauritius, there are two partics, the French and Indian populations,

to consider.

A capital position for a dock exists near the Victoria Pier, where a rent in the reef gives a deep gully of some length, in which there is 30 feet of water close up to the town.

(Signed)

C. G. GORDON.

Seychelles, September 15, 1881.

No. 67.

War Office Memorandum on the Defence of the Seychelles.

Of the twenty-nine islands which combine to form the group in the Indian Ocean known as the Seychelles, Mahé is the largest and most populous, its length and breadth being about 16 and 4 miles respectively, and its population comprising five-sixths of that of the entire group, which is estimated at about 13,000.

The island, which is for the most part of primitive formation, is mountainous, well watered, thickly clothed with trees, and fringed on its eastern side with coral reefs of some

extent.

On the north-east coast, in an amphitheatre surrounded by lofty hills, is situated the chief town, Victoria; immediately off which is the harbour, a deep, irregularly-traced basin in the above-mentioned coral reef. Further eastward, at an average distance of 2 miles from the entrance of the port, the small islands of St. Anne, Moyenne, Round, Long, and Cerf, inclose an outer roadstead affording fair shelter from all except northerly winds.

The channels of approach to the roadstead and inner harbour are three in number, viz., (1) the north, between the islands of Mahé and St. Anne; (2) the centre, between St. Anne and the reef on which are the islands of Moyenne, Round, Long, and Cerf; and (3) the south, between Cerf and Mahé. Of these the north channel is the best in every way. The descriptions of the other two are somewhat conflicting; both are described as intricate and difficult, although the soundings marked on the chart (owing possibly to incomplete surveys) do not altogether bear this out.

The inner harbour is spacious and deep; further, it is well sheltered from all winds. A pier about 1,000 yards long, carried over the intervening coral reef, forms a communi- cation between the harbour and the town. There is a good ship-building yard near the town, where repairs can be executed, and where vessels of 400 and 500 tons have been built.

The town, which is stated to be prosperous, contains about 10,000 inhabitants, consisting chiefly of French Creoles and Africans.

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