THE MAURITIUS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 268, 12 November 1874, Page 2

THE MAURITIUS.

[FromaCorrespondeatoftheXyffetfon Times.]

Port Louis, August *j&

I will avail myself of the departure 1 of a vessel to your port, to send yoji a resume of occurrences in this colony, though, as this is usually a dull tine ot year with us, being what the colonists term between the crops, my account may not be one of the liveliest.

: A cyclone passed over the island last February, doing a great deal of damage to the sugar-canes, and thus causing a reduction to he made in the sugar crop in the next few months of at least 20 per cent. Hurricanes so late in the season as at the end of February are not frequent here, but, when they happen, the loss they occasion is terrible and tor two or three years afterwards the credit of the planters in business circles is seriously affected. In the present case, the pecuniary loss from last hurricane may safely be put down at £700,000. It can easily be itmmined that thie, in a single year, is no joke to the sugar grower*, who, as a class, are generally noted for going beyond their

meane.

Our late Governor, Sir A. H. Gordon, is at present absent at Sychelles. A letter was received from him, on the 18th instant, announcing his retirement from the government of the island; and he will probably return to England by the mail leaving next month. The Government is at present administered by the Hon. Edward Newton, Colonial Secretary.

The report of the Royal Commission, which was bere last year on the Coolie queatioD, continues to create ft good deal of excitement among all classes. The report has not yet been published, but a portion of its contents has leaked our, and it is anything but favorable to the interests of the colonist. Among other things the Commission is said to have recommended a partial cessation of emigration of Indian labor to this island. Now the prosperity of the colony depends entirely on imported labor, without which the sugar estates must rapidly fall away as regards their productive qualities, and the recommendation in consequence would mean little short of ruin to Mauritius, if carried out in its entirety. For years this colony has cultivated nothing, but sugar, but quite recently a new agricultural industry has sprung up, which bids fair to give important results some day. I refer to the cultivation of the Vanilla bean, the use of which lias greatly augmented in Europe during the last few years, and the value of the article has increased in a corresponding degree, it now being worth about £4 per lb. in England and on the Continent; Vanilla cultivation, as may easily be supposed, in presence of these prices, is now springing up in all directions, and the bean is beginning to be

exported to s considerable value every j year.. \' '■■■■■ :/ " | I mflat not omit to mention (hat the aloes, ; with whioh our Island abound, Afenow being exported in the shape of i fi6W,' which (etches as much as £60 per ton in the London market. The mschine used for the extraction of the fibre was invented by a native of the island, and, though somewhat cumbersqinef .answers its purpose admirably:. ■There ia 1 little doing in the freight market, but a change for the better in this respect will no doubt occur before loop, for the stock of our staple is rapidly beginning to accumulate/with the frequent arrivals of new 'augurs in town. ■_■ _ Sugar Market.—The best qualities, atill continue scarce. Qaptatiooa are as under: —lst qualiiy, white crystal?, 7dol 50c per lOOlbs; 2nd qualiiy, white crystals, 6dol 75c to 7«lol; fine yellow crystals, 6dol 70c to 7dol per lOOlbs; finest yellow counters, 6JOS 650 to 7dol 75c per lOOIbs; good to fine yellow counter?,? 6 iol 25c. io sdol ,6Qc per lOOlbs; good to middling yellow counters, sdol 75c to 6 10l per lOOlbs; rations, low to fine, 4 10l to sdol per lOOlbs. (For remainder of News see fourth page )