Rodriguez

Rodriguez, or RODRIGUES, a hilly volcanic island (1760 feet), 18 miles long by seven broad, lies 380 miles E. by N. of Mauritius, of which it is a dependency, being one of the Mascarene group. The soil is fertile, and agriculture is the chief occupation. The exports (agricultural produce and fruits) are valued at £6500 annually, the imports at £5100. Hurricanes often cause great damage to the island, which is encircled by a coral-reef. It was discovered by the Portuguese in 1645, and has been a British colony since 1814. The chief port is Port Mathurin. Owing to its isolation this island is particularly interesting to the botanist and the zoologist. Until near the close of the 17th century it was the home of the Solitaire (q.v.), now an extinct bird. Pop. (1890) 1978. See Leguat's voyage thither (Hakluyt Society, 1893).