Seychelles

Seychelles, a group of islands belonging to Great Britain, and administered by an officer (assisted by an executive council of three members and a legislative council of five) acting under the governor of Mauritius, are situated near the middle of the Indian Ocean, 600 miles N.E. of Madagascar. There are thirty larger islands and numerous smaller ones, their total area being 78 sq. m., of which 59 belong to Mahé, the largest (17 miles broad by 7 long) and most important of them. Next in size and importance come Praslin, Silhouette, La Digne, Curieuse, Bird, Frigate, and Denis. They get their French names from having been first colonised by the French in 1742, though they were known to the early Portuguese navigators. The islands were captured from the French by a British ship in 1794, and formally ceded by treaty in 1815. The islands are mountainous, and in Mahé reach close upon 3000 feet. Coral-reefs grow round most of the islands, and the coral is used for house-building. The climate, though tropical (range of thermometer 70° to 93° F.), is tempered by the proximity of the sea, and is very healthy. The soil is fertile and vegetation luxuriant. The principal products and exports are the fibres, nuts, and oil of the cocoa-nut palm; but maize, manioc, tobacco, coffee, vanilla, cloves and other spices are grown to some extent, and vanilla, cloves, tortoiseshell, soap, and vacoa bags are exported. The exports increased in value from £27,800 in 1884 to £39,260 in 1889. The Coco de Mer (q. v.) is peculiar to Praslin and one or two more of these islands. Gigantic tortoises, and the edible black tortoise, resort to certain islands of the group. The imports, consisting chiefly of cotton, haberdashery, coal, spirits and wine, and provisions, increased from £29,960 in 1884 to £49,900 in 1889. Victoria, the chief town on Mahé, is an imperial naval coaling station, and is visited by the Messageries Maritimes steamers and by merchant vessels for coal. Pop. of islands (1881) 14,081; (1890) 16,162—chiefly French creoles, Indian coolies, negroes, and British officials. See Horne, Report on the Seychelles Islands (1875).