been called "The Palms," for I can't see an oak
anywhere, whilst there are some lovely graceful trees with rustling giant
leaves on the lawn; but I cannot look beyond the wide veranda, where Zulu
Jack is waiting to welcome me with the old musical cry of "Jakasu-casa!"
and my little five-o'clock tea-table arranged, just as I used to have it
in Natal, on the shady side of the house. Yes, it is home at last, and
very homelike and comfortable it all looks after the tossing, changing
voyaging of the past two months, for I have come a long way round.

BEAU BASSIN, May 21st.

I feel as if I had lived here all my life, although it is really more
unlike the ordinary English colony than it is possible to imagine; and yet
(as the walrus said to the carpenter) this "is scarcely odd," because it
is not an English colony at all. It is thoroughly and entirely French, and
the very small part of the habits of the people which is not French is
Indian. The result of more than a century of civilization, and of the
teachings of many colonists, not counting the Portuguese discoverers early
in the sixteenth century, is a mixed but very comfortable code of manners
and customs. One has not here to struggle against the ignorance and
incapacity of native servants. The clever, quick Indian has learned the
polish and elegance of his French masters, and the first thing which
struck me was the pretty manners of the native--or, as they are called,
creole--inhabitants. Everybody has a "Bon soir!" or a "Salaam!" for us as
we pass them in our twilight walks, and the manners of the domestic
servants are full of attention and courtesy. Mauritius first belonged to
the Dutch (for the Portuguese did not attempt to colonize it), who seem to
have been bullied out of it by pirates and hurricanes, and who finally
gave it up as a thankless task about the year 1700. A few years later the
French, having a thriving colony next door at Bourbon, sent over a
man-of-war and "annexed," unopposed, the pretty little island. But there
were all sorts of difficulties to overcome in those early days, and it was
not even found possible--from mismanagement of course--to make the place
pay its own working expenses. Then came the war with England at the
beginning of this century; and that made things worse, for of course we
tried to get hold of it, and there were many sharp sea-fights off its
lovely shores, until, after a gallant defence, a landing was effected by
the English, wh