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REUNION

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Originally appearing in Volume V23, Page 208 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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REUNION , known also by its former name See also:

BOURBON, an See also:island and See also:French See also:colony in the See also:Indian Ocean, 400 M. S.E. of See also:Tamatave, See also:Madagascar, and 13o S.W. of See also:Port See also:Louis, See also:Mauritius. It is elliptic in See also:form; its greatest length is 45 M. and its greatest breadth 32 m., and it has an See also:area of 965 sq. m. It lies between 200 51' and 21° 22' S. and 55° 15' and 55° 54' E. The See also:coast-See also:line (about 130 m.) is little indented, there are no natural harbours and no small islets See also:round the See also:shore. The narrow coast-lands are succeeded by hilly ground which in turn gives See also:place to See also:mountain masses and tableland, which occupy the greater See also:part of the island. The See also:main See also:axis runs N.W. and S.E., and divides the island into a windward (E.) See also:district and a leeward (W.) district, the dividing line being practically that of the See also:watershed. The form of the mountains is the result of See also:double volcanic See also:action. First there arose from the See also:sea a mountain whose See also:summit is approximately represented by Piton See also:des Neiges (10,069 ft.), a denuded See also:crater of immense proportions, and at a later date another crater opened towards the E., which, piling up the mountain See also:mass of Le Volcan, turned what was till then a circle into an See also:ellipse. The See also:oldest erupted rocks belong to the type of the andesites; the newest are varieties of See also:basalt. The two massifs are See also:united by high table-lands. In the older See also:massif the most striking features are now three areas of subsidence—the cirques of Salazie, See also:Riviere des Galets and Cilaos—which See also:lie N.W. and S. of the Piton des Neiges.

The first, which may be taken as typical, is surrounded by high almost perpendicular walls of basaltic See also:

lava, and its See also:surface is rendered irregular by hills and hillocks of debris fallen from the heights. Towards the S. lies the vast stratum of rocks (r5o to 200 ft. deep) which, on the 26th of See also:November 1875, suddenly sweeping down from the Piton des Neiges and the See also:Gros Morne (a " See also:shoulder " of the piton), buried the little See also:village of See also:Grand See also:Sable and nearly a See also:hundred of its inhabitants. Besides the Piton des Neiges and the Gros Morne the See also:chief heights in this part of the island are the pyramidical Cimandef (7300 ft.), another shoulder of the piton, and the Grand See also:Bernard (9490 ft.), separating the cirques of Mafate and Cilaos. The second massif, Le Volcan, is cut off from the See also:rest of the island by two " encldsures;" each about Soo or 600 ft. deep. The See also:outer enclosure runs across the island in a N. and S. direction; the inner forms a See also:kind of See also:parabola with its arms (Rempart du Tremblet on the S. and Rempart du Bois See also:Blanc on the N.) stretching E. to the sea and embracing not only the See also:volcano proper but also the See also:great eastward slope known as the Grand See also:Bride. The 30 M. of mountain See also:wall round the volcano is perhaps unique in its astonishing regularity. It encloses an area of about 40 sq. in. known as the Grand Enclos. There are two See also:principal craters, each on an elevated See also:cone,—the more See also:westerly, now See also:extinct, known as the Bory Crater (8612 ft.), after Bory de St See also:Vincent, the geologist, and the more easterly called the Burning Crater or Fournaise (8294 ft.). The latter is partially surrounded by an " enclosure " on a small See also:scale with precipices 200 ft. high. Eruptions, though not infrequent (See also:thirty were registered between 1735 and ,86o), are seldom serious; the more noteworthy are those of 1745, 1778, 1791, 1812, 186o, 1870, 1881. Hot See also:mineral springs are found on the flanks of the Piton des Neiges; the Source de Salazie (discovered in 1831) lies 286o ft. above sea-level, has a temperature of 90°, and discharges 200 to 220 gallons per See also:hour of See also:water impregnated with bicarbonate of soda, and See also:carbonates of See also:magnesium and See also:lime, See also:iron, &c.; that of Cilaos (discovered in 1826) is 365o ft. above the sea with a temperature of roo°; and that of Mafate 2238 ft. and 87°. Vertically Reunion may be divided into five zones.

The first or maritime See also:

zone contains all the towns and most of the villages, built on the limited areas of level See also:alluvium occurring at intervals round the coast. In the second, which lies between 2600 and 4000 ft., the See also:sugar plantations made a See also:green See also:belt round the island and See also:country houses abound. The third zone is that of the forests; the See also:fourth that of the plateaus, where See also:European vegetables can be cultivated; and above this extends the region of the mountains. See also:Climate.—The See also:year divides into two seasons—that of See also:heat and See also:rain from November to See also:April, that of dry and more bracing See also:weather from May to See also:October. The prevailing winds are from the S.E., sometimes veering round to the S., and more frequently to the N.E.; the W. winds are not so steady (three hundred and seven days of E. to fifty-eight of W. See also:wind in the course of the year). It is seldom See also:calm during the See also:day, but there is usually a See also:period of See also:complete repose before the See also:land wind begins in the evening. Several years sometimes pass without a See also:cyclone visiting the island; at other times they occur more than once in a single " See also:winter." The raz de rnaree occasionally does great damage. On the leeward See also:side of the island the winds are generally from the W. and S.W., and bring little rain. Mist hangs almost all day on the tops of the mountains, but usually clears off at See also:night. On the coast and See also:lower zones on the windward side the mean temperature is about 73° F. in the " winter " and 78° F. in the " summer." On the leeward side the heat is somewhat greater. In the Salazie See also:cirque the mean See also:annual See also:average is 66° F.; at the Plaine des Palmistes 62° F. The rainfall is very heavy on the windward side, some stations registering 16o in. a year, while on the " dry " side of the island not more than 5o in. are registered.

On the mountain heights See also:

snow falls every year, and See also:ice is occasionally seen. In See also:general the island is healthy, but See also:fever is prevalent on the coast. See also:Fauna and See also:Flora.—The fauna of Reunion is not very See also:rich in variety of See also:species. The mammals are a See also:brown maki (See also:Lemur mongoz, Linn.) from Madagascar, Pteropus edwardsii now nearly extinct, several bats, a See also:wild See also:cat, the tang or tamec (Centetes setosus, Denn.), several rats, the See also:hare, and the See also:goat. Among the more See also:familiar birds are the " oiseau de la See also:vierge " (Muscipeta borbonica), the tectee (Pratincola sybilla), Certhia borbonica, the See also:cardinal (Foudia madagascariensis), various swallows, ducks, &c. The visitants from Madagascar, Mauritius and even See also:India, are very numerous. Lizards and frogs of more than one species are See also:common, but there is only one snake (Lycodon aulicum) known in the island. Various species of Gobius, a native species of See also:mullet, Nestis cyprinoides, Osphronamus olfax and Doules rupestris are among the See also:freshwater fishes. Turtles, formerly common, are now very rare. In the See also:forest region of the island there is a belt, 4500–5000 ft. above the sea, characterized by the prevalence of See also:dwarf See also:bamboo (Bambusa alpine) ; and above that is a similar belt of See also:Acacia heterophylla. Besides this last the best See also:timber-trees are See also:Casuarina laterifolia, Foetida mauritiana, Imbricaria petiolaris, Elaeodendron orientate, Calophyllum spurium (red tacamahac), Terminalia borbonica, Parkia speciosa. The gardens of the coast districts display a marvellous See also:wealth of See also:flowers and shrubs, partly indigenous and partly gathered from all parts of the See also:world.

Among the indigenous varieties may be noted the vacoa (Pandanus utilis) and the See also:

aloe. A species of See also:coffee plant is also indigenous. Fruits grown in the island are: the See also:banana, the coco-See also:nut, See also:bread-See also:fruit and See also:jack-fruit, the bilimbi, the carambola, the See also:guava, the Iitchi, the See also:Japanese See also:medlar, the See also:mango-See also:steen, the See also:tamarind, the Abelmoschus esculentus, the chirimoya, the papaya, &c. Forests originally covered nearly the whole island; the See also:majority of the land has been cleared by the inhabitants, but there are still some 200 sq. m. of forest land and the See also:administration has in part replanted the higher districts, such as Salazie, with See also:eucalyptus and caoutchouc trees. Inhabitants.—The inhabitants are divided into various classes, the creoles, the mulattoes;- the negroes, and See also:Indians and other Asiatics. The See also:creole See also:population is descended from the first French settlers, chiefly See also:Normans and Bretons, who married Malagasy See also:women. Later settlers included European women, but the presence of non-European See also:blood is so common among the creoles that the phrase " Bourbon See also:white " was given in Mauritius to See also:linen of doubtful cleanness. Three kinds of creoles are recognized—those of the towns and coasts, those of the mountains, and the petits creoles, originally a class of small farmers living in the uplands, now reduced to a See also:condition of poverty and dependence on the planters. The creoles Hanes de vales, the typical inhabitants of the island, are in general of a somewhat weak physique, See also:quick-witted and of charming See also:manners, brave and very proud of their island, but not of strong See also:character. The mixed races tend to approximate to a single type, one in which the European See also:strain predominates. The creole See also:patois is French mixed with a considerable number of Malagasy and Indian words, and containing many See also:local idioms. The population, about 35,000 towards the See also:close of the 18th See also:century, was in 1849, at the period of the liberation of the slaves, 120,000, of whom 6o,800 were newly freed negroes.

Thereafter coolies were introduced from India, and in 187o the population had increased to 212,000. In 1882 the See also:

government of India ceased to authorize the See also:emigration of coolies to Reunion, and in consequence of that and other economic causes the population decreased. In 1902 the inhabitants numbered 173,315. Of these 13,492 were See also:British Indians, 4496 Malagasy, 9457 See also:foreign-See also:born negroes, and 1378 See also:Chinese. Of the native born the creoles numbered about 3000, the See also:remainder being negroes or of mixed See also:race. Among the Indian population the See also:males are as three to one to the See also:females, and the See also:birth-See also:rate is lower than the See also:death-rate. Towns and Communication.—St See also:Denis, the See also:capital of the island, lies on the N. coast. It had in 1902 a population of 27,392. It is built in the form of an See also:amphitheatre, and has several See also:fine public buildings and centrally situated botanic gardens. It is the seat of a bishopric, a See also:court of first instance and an See also:appeal court. It has an abundant See also:supply of pure water. The only anchorage for vessels is an open roadstead.

St See also:

Pierre (pop. 28,885), the chief See also:town on the leeward side of the island, has a small artificial See also:harbour. Between St Pierre and St Denis, and both on the leeward shore, are the towns of St Louis (pop. 12,541) and St See also:Paul (pop. 19,617). A few See also:miles N. of St Paul on the S. side of Cape Pointe des Galets is the port of the same name, the only considerable harbour in the island. It was completed in 1886 at a cost of £2,700,000, covers 40 acres, is well protected, and has 28 ft. of water. A railway serving the port goes round the coast from St Pierre, by St Paul, St Denis, &c., to St See also:Benoit (a town on the E. side of the island with a pop. of 12,523), a distance of 834 m. This line is carried through a See also:tunnel nearly 62 m. See also:long between La See also:Possession and St Denis. Besides the railway the lower parts of the island are well provided with roads. There is See also:regular steamship communication between Pointe des Galets, See also:Marseilles, See also:Havre and Madagascar. Telegraphic communication with all parts of the world was established in 1906 when a See also:cable connecting Reunion with Tamatave and .Mauritius was laid.

See also:

Industries.—The Sugar Plantations.—The area of the cultivated lands is estimated at 148,200 acres (or 230 sq. m.), of which 86,45o acres are under sugar-See also:cane, the remainder being under either See also:maize, manioc, potatoes, haricots, or coffee, See also:vanilla and See also:cocoa. The sugar-cane, introduced in 1711 by Pierre Parat, is now the See also:staple See also:crop. In the 18th century the first place belonged to coffee (introduced from See also:Arabia in 1715) and to the clove See also:tree, brought from the Dutch Indies by Poivre at the See also:risk of his See also:life. Both are now cultivated on a very limited scale. Vanilla, introduced in 1818, was not extensively cultivated till about 185o. Bourbon vanilla, as it is called, is of high character, and next to sugar is the most important See also:article of cultivation in the island. There are small plantations of cocoa and See also:cinchona; See also:cotton-growing was tried, but proved unsuccessful. The sugar See also:industry has suffered greatly from the competition with See also:beet sugar and the effects of bounties, also from the scarcity of labour, from the ravages of the See also:phylloxera (which made its See also:appearance in 1878) and from extravagant methods of manufacture. It was not until 1906 that steps were taken for the creation of central sugar See also:mills and refineries, in consequence of the compulsory shutting down of many small mills. See also:Rum is largely distilled and forms an important article of export. There are also manufactories for the making of See also:geranium essence, St Pierre being the centre of this industry. Other articles exported are aloe fibre and vacoa casks.

The mineral wealth of the island has not been exploited, except for the mineral springs which yield See also:

waters highly esteemed. Almost all the products of the island are exported, so that the import See also:trade is very varied. See also:Cattle are imported from Madagascar; See also:rice, the chief article of See also:food, from See also:Saigon and India; See also:petroleum, largely used in manufactories, from See also:America and See also:Russia; almost everything else comes from See also:France, to which country go the great majority of the exports. Over 75% of the See also:shipping is under the French See also:flag. See also:Commerce.—The See also:total trade amounted in 186o to the value of £4,464,000 (the highest during the century) ; in 1900, to £1,533,240. In 1905 the imports were valued at £727,000 and the exports at £428,000. Of the imports £500,000 were from France or French colonies of the exports £388,000 went to France or French colonies. The currency consists of notes of the Banque de la Reunion (guaranteed by L he government) and See also:nickel token See also:money. Neither the notes nor the nickel money have any currency outside Reunion; the rate of See also:exchange varies from 5 to 20 %. Administration and See also:Revenue.—Reunion is regarded practically as a See also:department of France. It sends two deputies and one senator to the French legislature, and is governed by See also:laws passed by that See also:body. All inhabitants, not being aliens, enjoy the See also:franchise, no distinction being made between whites, negroes or mulattoes, all of whom are citizens.

At the See also:

head of the local administration is a See also:governor who is assisted by a secretary-general, a procureur general, a privy See also:council and a council-general elected by the suffrages of all citizens. The governor has the right of See also:direct communication and negotiation with the government of See also:South See also:Africa and all states See also:east of the Cape. The council-general has wide See also:powers, including the fixing of the See also:budget. For administrative purposes the island is divided into two arrondissements, the Wind-See also:ward, with five cantons and nine communes, and the Leeward, with four cantons and seven communes. The towns are subject to the French municipal See also:law. The revenue, largely dependent on the prosperity of the sugar trade, declined from an average of £163,765 in the five years 1895–99 to an average of £147,225 in the five years 1900-4. For the same periods the average colonial See also:expenditure, which includes the loss incurred in maintaining the harbour and railway, increased from £224,508 to £225,088. Deficits are made See also:good by grants from France. See also:History.—Reunion is usually said to have been first discovered in April 1513 by the Portuguese navigator Pedro Mascarenhas, and his name, or that of Mascarene Islands, is still applied to the See also:archipelago of which it forms a part; but it seems probable that it must be identified with the island of See also:Santa See also:Apollonia discovered by Diego Fernandes Pereira on the 9th of See also:February 1507. It was visited by the Dutch towards the close of the 16th century, and by the See also:English See also:early in the 17th century. When in 1638 the island was taken possession of by See also:Captain Gaubert, or Gobert, of See also:Dieppe, it was still uninhabited; a more formal See also:annexation in the name of Louis XIII. was effected in 1643 by Jacques Pronis, See also:agent of the Compagnie des Indes in Madagascar; and in 1649 See also:Etienne de See also:Flacourt, Pronis's more eminent successor, repeated the ceremony at a spot which he named La Possession. He also changed the name of the island from Mascarenhas to Bourbon.

By See also:

decree of the See also:Convention in 1793, Bourbon in turn gave place to Reunion, and, though during the See also:empire this was discarded in favour of Ile See also:Bonaparte, and at the Restoration See also:people naturally went back to Bourbon, Reunion has been the See also:official designation since 1848. The first inhabitants were a dozen mutineers deported from Madagascar by Pronis, but they remained only three years (1646–49). Other colonists went thither of their own will in 1654 and 1662. In 1664 the Compagnie des Indes orientales de Madagascar, to whom a concession of the island was granted, initiated a regular colonization See also:scheme. Their first commandant was Etienne See also:Regnault, who in 1689 received from the French See also:crown the See also:title of governor. The growth of the colony was very slow, and in 1717 there were only some 2000 inhabitants. It is recorded that they lived on excellent terms with the pirates, who from 1684 onward infested the neighbouring seas for many years. In 1735 Bourbon was placed under the governor of the Ile de France (Mauritius). at that See also:time the illustrious See also:Mahe de Labourdonnais. The Compagnie des Indes orientales gave up its concession in 1767, and under direct administration of the crown See also:liberty of trade was granted. The French Revolution effected little See also:change in the island and occasioned no bloodshed; the colonists successfully resisted the attempts of the Convention to abolish See also:slavery, which continued until 1848 (when over 60,000 negroes were freed), the slave trade being, however, abolished in 1817. During the See also:Napoleonic See also:wars Reunion, like Mauritius, served the French corsairs as a rallying place from which attacks on Indian merchantmen could be directed. In 1809 the British attacked the island, and the French were forced to capitulate on the 8th of See also:July 181o; the island remained in the possession of Great See also:Britain until April 1815, when it was restored to France.

From that period the island has had no exterior troubles. The See also:

negro population, upon whom in 187o the Third See also:Republic conferred the full rights of French citizenship including the See also:vote, being unwilling to labour in the plantations, the See also:immigration of coolies began in 186o, but in 1882 the government of India prohibited the further emigration of labourers from that country in consequence of the inconsideratetreatment of the coolies by the colonists. Reunion has also suffered from the disastrous effects of cyclones. A particularly destructive See also:storm swept over the island in See also:March 1879, and in 1904 another cyclone destroyed fully See also:half of the sugar crop and 75% of the vanilla crop. , See A. G. Garsault, See also:Notice sur la Reunion (See also:Paris, 1900), a mono-graph prepared for the Paris See also:exhibition of that year; E. See also:Jacob de Cordemoy, Etude sur See also:file de la Reunion,. geographic, richesses naturelles, &c. (Marseilles, 1905) ; W. D. See also:Oliver, Crags and Craters; Rambles in the island of Reunion (See also:London, 1896) ; C. See also:Keller, Natur and Volksleben der Insel Reunion (See also:Basel, 1888) ; J.

D. See also:

Brunet, Histoire de l'association generale des francs creoles de file Bourbon (St Denis, Reunion, 1885) ; Trouette, L'ple Bortrbon See also:pendant la periode revolutionnaire (Paris, 1888). Of earlier See also:works consult Demanet, Nouv. Hist. de l'Afrique franchise (1767); P. U. See also:Thomas, Essai de statistique de file Bourbon (1828); Dejean de la Batie, Notice sur file Bourbon (1847); J. Mauran, Impressions clans un voy. de Paris d Bourbon (185o) ; Maillard, Notes sur file de la Re-See also:union (1862); Azema, Hist. de file Bourbon (1862). The See also:geology and volcanoes of Reunion were the See also:object of elaborate study by Bory de St Vincent in 1801 and 1802 (Voyages dans See also:les quatre principales Iles des mers d'Afrique, Paris, 1804), and have since been examined by R. von Drasche (see See also:Die Insel Reunion, &c., See also:Vienna, 1878, and C. Velain, Descriptions geologique de ... rile de la Reunion Paris, 1878). The best See also:map is See also:Pau Lepervanche's See also:Carte de la Reunion I•100,000 (Paris, 1906).

End of Article: REUNION

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