THE SEYCHELLES ISLANDS

Evening Star, Issue 18045, 12 August 1922, Page 13

THE SEYCHELLES ISLANDS

OUTLYING BRITISH POSSESSION. A CAPTAIN'S IMPRESSIONS. In conversation with a ’ Star ’ reporter yesterday, Captain R, 0. Cra-ggs, of the British, steamer Twickenham, supplied some interesting facte concerning the Seychelles Islands. The Twickenham loaded {juano in the group in June last. Captain Graggs said that although the vegetation of tho various islands which comprise the group as very luxurious, they are practically devoid of minerals. The islands are very mountainous, and composed of hard granite. M.ahe, the largest island, was j taken from the French by the British d-ur-j ing the Napoleonic Wars, at the same time as Mauritius was taken. The islands are_ situated north and east of Madagascar, (which is a French possession ami the •nearest land of any size. There are a j largo number of' islands in the group, 'scattered over a wide area; all within ] eight days’ steam of Bombay. Mahe is I situated in 6deg south latitude, and St. Peine, one of the small guano-producing islands, in 12deg south longitude. St. Pierre Island is about 800. miles to tho south-west of the main group. It is almost circular, and about three-quarters of a mile jin diameter.' The cliffs are very steep, and a_ ship has to approach with caution. The islands produce mostly copra and vanilla, and guano is , shipped from one or two small ones in tho group. The islands are not very ’ prosperous. The ' population consists of a fair sprinkling of English and French, half-castes, ■ and negroes. Although some of the islands have been in the possession of tho British for over 100 years, the language spoken is ' mostly French. Very few of the natives are 'able, however, to speak French with any distinction. The island of St. Pierre, i whore the Twickenham loaded, is leased ' by the Mahe Syndicate, Ltd., from the ' Mahe Government. The sydnicate has several other islands in the group from ; which guano is shipped, but not to any extent. The syndicate also has a lease of tho island of Juan De Nova, lying between Madagascar and the African- .coast. The ships approach St. Pierre un-dear easy ■ ■steam. , An anchor is dropped and the ship -rides at the end of forty-five fathoms of cable. When she is within half a ship’s length of the land a second anchor is dropped, and when the slack of both cables is taken in the vessel lies safely moored fore and aft in about ten fathoms of water, j Should the weather become rough it is necessary to site the moorinns and take

I to open water. There is a small jetty at St. Pierre, with a derrick about 60ft long. When a vessel goes to the island to load she: ships a launch, a number of lighters, and-about 200 native laborers at Mahe. About forty men send' the guano in the lighters’ with the aid of the derrick, and the rest assist in transferring it into the holds of the ship, and in other work ashore. The lighters carry from eight to -fifteen tons, and it takes about two weeks to load a vessel of the size of the Twicken. ham. When a ship has finished loading a large number of the native laborers are left on the island to dig the guano, dry it by machinery installed there, and stack it in sheds in readiness for the next steamer. The natives remain on the island for. about three months. The guano at St. Pierre will be worked out in from three to four years, and the syndicate will then have

to transfer its operations to other islands in the group. “All the officials and most of the business people living on the island of Mahe are of English birth,” said Captain Graggs. “There is a Governor on the island, who was appointed a few months ago, though the population petitioned 1 the Home Government against an appointment. They considered it was too expensive a luxury j but in spite of their protests a Governor was appointed.” Before the war steamers of the Message ariea Mam times mail line called at Mahe on the voyage between Australia and French ports, but these vessels have not called since. Communication is main tained with the islands at the present time by a monthly steamer service from Mom basa, British East Africa.