British Colonies. 
149 
MAURITIUS. 
An island in the Indian Ocean, 400 miles east of Madagascar, captured by the 
British in 1810. The area of the island is 676 miles. The resident population of 
Mauritius, according to the census taken on the ioth of April, 1871, was composed of 
51,771 males of the general population and 48,013 females, and 141,804 males of the 
Indian population and 74,454 females—total, 316,042. Between the ioth April and 3ist 
December, the excess of births over deaths in the former dass amounted to 479 males, 
and 579 females. In the latter there was an excess of 136 deaths in the males, and an 
excess of 823 births in the females. The arrivals, however, of Indian immigrants exceeded 
the departures by 433 males and 364 females, thus raising the total resident population to 
318,584 classified as under:—General population, males, 52,250; females, 48,592. Indian 
population, males, 142,101 ; females, 75,641. It has been found impossible to follow the 
movements of the general population, or even of those of free Indian passengers, since 
the repeal of Ordinance No. 24 of 1850. The total estimated population on the 3ist of 
December, male and female, may be taken as correct; but as the births and deaths of some 
Creole Indians, number at present uncertain, have been registered as belonging to the 
general population, the latter is probably a little over-estimated. Revenue (1871), 
616,952; expenditure, ^"600,961. The principal article of produce is Sugar, and the 
cultivation of the cane is carried on in plantations, which employ 60,000 or 70,000 
immigrants, introduced from the Presidencies of India. On the ioth April, 1871, the 
Indian population on the sugar estates was as follows, according to the census taken on 
that day :— 
Females. 
Males. 
Total. 
Immigrants—From Calcutla 
12,836 
9,090 
49.651 
27,176 
7,178 
31,055 
Madras 
Bombay 
Indo-Mauritians 
Free Indian Passengers 
12 
Total 
38,944 
76,168 
115,112 
The value of imports and exports during 1871, deducting specie, has been respectively 
£ 1,807,382 and ^"3,053,054. There is little doubt that the value of exports given by the 
Blue Book last year was under-estimated. A comparison with those figures, therefore, 
will not be of much use. The exports in 1871 may, however, be roundly stated as having 
exceeded those of 1870 in value by ^450,000, and this excess is accounted for by the 
larger quantity of sugar shipped in the former year. The quantities and value of the sugar 
exported during the last five years are given below :— 
Tons. 
100,000 
99,000 
107,000 
102,000 
123,000 
/2,156,950 
2,I43,l66 
2,599,815 
2,549,881 
2,819,944 
Value. 
Average price 
per cwt. 
1867 
1868 
1869 
1870 
1871 
i8j. 4 d. 
21 10 
22 10 
24 ii 
22 7 
The goods exhibited are as follows :— 
GROUP II. 
HORNE, J., Sub-Director, Royal Botanica 
Gardens.—Collection of Fibres sent from the Royal 
Botanical Gardens, Mauritius. 
CALDWELL, J., & Mrs. de CHAZAL 
MOON.—Lithographs of Canes, introduced into 
Mauritius by Mr. Caldwell, coloured by Mrs. Moon ; 
Report on New Caledonia; Classification of Sugar 
Canes; Plates of Paintings made in Queensland, 
New South Wales, and Mauritius; Sugar Canes 
painted from nature in Queensland, in New South 
Wales, and Mauritius. 
HORNE, J., Sub-Director, Royal Botanical 
Gardens.—63 S ections of Wood, of which 43, from 
No. i to No. 43, are from indigenous trees.