ape was well planned, and no chance of discovery likely
to happen: the ship sailed from Port Louis, and at night, bringing to on
the leeward side of the island abreast of Captain Flinders' residence,
sent a boat to the appointed spot which was six miles only from Madame
d'Arifat's house; but after waiting until near daylight without the
captain making his appearance the boat returned to the vessel, which was
obliged to pursue her voyage to prevent suspicion.

It is almost needless to add that Captain Flinders did not think it
consistent with his feelings to take advantage of the opportunity, nor to
effect his escape from imprisonment by a conduct so disgraceful to the
character of a British officer and to the honourable profession to which
he belonged.)

For some years past coffee has entirely failed upon the island and cotton
is seldom seen growing. The principal attention of the habitans appeared
to be given to the cultivation of the sugar cane and maize, both of which
had begun to produce an abundant return to the planters; the manihot is
also generally cultivated: but the dreadful effects of the hurricanes to
which this island is exposed render property of so precarious and
doubtful a tenure that nothing is secure until the season for these
destructive visitations is over; they last from the beginning of December
to the end of April and generally occur about the full of the moon, being
invariably preceded by an unsteady motion of the mercury in the
barometer. They are not always so violent as to be termed hurricanes: the
last experienced before our visit was merely a coup de vent, by which
very little damage was sustained.*

(*Footnote. In the month of January, 1824 this unfortunate island was
again visited and laid waste by a tremendous hurricane that did very
considerable damage, and has in a great measure destroyed the prosperous
state which the island was beginning to arrive at from the previous long
absence of this dreadful visitation.)

The town of Port Louis which is at the north-west, or leeward, side of
the island, is built at the extremity of an amphitheatre of low land,
backed in by a high and precipitous range, upon which Peter Botte and the
Pouce are conspicuous features. The streets are laid out at rightangles,
the principal of which lead from the Chaussee to the Champ de Mars, a
plot of grassy land about half a mile square that intervenes between the
town and the hills. This is the promenade, the d