The outer enclosure runs across the island in a N. and S. direction;
the inner forms a kind of parabola with its arms (Rempart
du Tremblet on the S. and Rempart du Bois Blanc on the N.)
stretching E. to the sea and embracing not only the volcano
proper but also the great eastward slope known as the Grand
Brulé. The 30 m. of mountain wall round the volcano is perhaps
unique in its astonishing regularity. It encloses an area
of about 40 sq. m. known as the Grand Enclos. There are
two principal craters, each on an elevated cone,—the more
westerly, now extinct, known as the Bory Crater (8612 ft.),
after Bory de St 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 scale
with precipices 200 ft. high. Eruptions, though not infrequent
(thirty were registered between 1735 and 1860), are seldom
serious; the more noteworthy are those of 1745, 1778, 1791,
1812, 1860, 1870, 1881. Hot mineral springs are found on the
flanks of the Piton des Neiges; the Source de Salazie (discovered
in 1831) lies 2860 ft. above sea-level, has a temperature of 90°,
and discharges 200 to 220 gallons per hour of water impregnated
with bicarbonate of soda, and carbonates of magnesium and
lime, iron, &c.; that of Cilaos (discovered in 1826) is 3650 ft.
above the sea with a temperature of 100°; and that of Mafate
2238 ft. and 87°.
Vertically Réunion may be divided into five zones. The first or maritime zone contains all the towns and most of the villages, built on the limited areas of level alluvium occurring at intervals round the coast. In the second, which lies between 2600 and 4000 ft., the sugar plantations made a green belt round the island and country houses abound. The third zone is that of the forests; the fourth that of the plateaus, where European vegetables can be cultivated; and above this extends the region of the mountains.
Climate.—The year divides into two seasons—that of heat and rain from November to April, that of dry and more bracing weather from May to 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. wind in the course of the year). It is seldom calm during the day, but there is usually a period of complete repose before the land wind begins in the evening. Several years sometimes pass without a cyclone visiting the island; at other times they occur more than once in a single “winter.” The ras de marée occasionally does great damage. On the leeward 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 night. On the coast and 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 cirque the mean annual average is 66° F.; at the Plaine des Palmistes 62° F. The rainfall is very heavy on the windward side, some stations registering 160 in. a year, while on the “dry” side of the island not more than 50 in. are registered. On the mountain heights snow falls every ear, and ice is occasionally seen. In general the island is healthy, but fever is prevalent on the coast.
Fauna and Flora.—The fauna of Réunion is not very rich in variety of species. The mammals are a brown maki (Lemur mongoz, Linn.) from Madagascar, Pteropus edwardsii now nearly extinct, several bats, a wild cat, the tang or tamec (Centetes setosus, Denn.), several rats, the hare, and the goat. Among the more familiar birds are the “oiseau de la vierge” (Muscipeta borbonica), the tec-tec (Pratincola sybilla), Certhia borbonica, the cardinal (Foudia madagascariensis), various swallows, ducks, &c. The visitants from Mada ascar, Mauritius and even India, are very numerous. Lizards andg frogs of more than one species are common, but there is only one snake (Lycodon aulicum) known in the island. Various species of Gobius, a native species of mullet, Nestis cyprinoides, Osphronamus olfax and Doules rupestris are among the freshwater fishes. Turtles, formerly common, are now very rare.
In the forest region of the island there is a belt, 4500–5000 ft. above the sea, characterized by the prevalence of dwarf bamboo (Bambusa alpina); and above that is a similar belt of Acacia heterophylla. Besides this last the best timber-trees are Casuarina laterifolia, Foetida mauritiana, Imbricaria petiolaris, Elaeodendron orientale, Calophyllum spurium (red tacamahac), Terminalia borbonica, Parkia speciosa. The gardens of the coast districts display a marvellous wealth of flowers and shrubs, partly indigenous and partly gathered from all parts of the world. Among the indigenous varieties may be noted the vacoa (Pandanus utilis) and the aloe. A species of coffee plant is also indigenous. Fruits grown in the island are: the banana, the coco-nut, bread-fruit and jack-fruit, the bilimbi, the carambola, the guava, the litchi, the japanese medlar, the mango-steen, the tamarind, the Abelmoschus esculentus, the chirimoya, the papaya, &c. Forests originally covered nearly the whole island; the majority of the land has been cleared by the inhabitants, but there are still some 200 sq. m. of forest land and the administration has in part replanted the higher districts, such as Salazie, with eucalyptus and caoutchouc trees.
Inhabitants.-The inhabitants are divided into various classes, the creoles, the mulattoes, the negroes, and Indians and other Asiatics. The creole population is descended from the first French settlers, chiefly Normans and Bretons, who married Malagasy women. Later settlers included European women, but the presence of non-European blood is so common among the creoles that the phrase “Bourbon white” was given in Mauritius to linen of doubtful cleanness. Three kinds of creoles are recognized-those of the towns and coasts, those of the mountains, and the petits créoles, originally a class of small farmers living in the uplands, now reduced to a condition of poverty and dependence on the planters. The créoles blancs de villes, the typical inhabitants of the island, are in general of a somewhat weak physique, quick-withed and of charming manners, brave and very proud of ' their island, but not of strong character. The mixed races tend to approximate to a single type, one in which the European strain predominates. The creole patois is French mixed with a considerable number of Malagasy and Indian words, and containing many local idioms. The population, about 35,000 towards the close of the 18th century, was in 1849, at the period of the liberation of the slaves, 120,000, of whom 60,800 were newly freed negroes. Thereafter coolies were introduced from India, and in 1870 the population had increased to 212,000. In 1882 the government of India ceased to authorize the emigration of coolies to Réunion, and in consequence of that and other economic causes the population decreased. In 1902 the inhabitants numbered 173,315. Of these 13,492 were British Indians, 4496 Malagasy, 9457 foreign-born negroes, and 1378 Chinese. Of the native born the creoles numbered about 3000, the remainder being negroes or of mixed race. Among the Indian population the males are as three to one to the females, and the birth-rate is lower than the death-rate.
Towns and Communication.—St Denis, the 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 amphitheatre, and has several fine public buildings and centrally situated botanic gardens. It is the seat of a bishopric, a court of first instance and an appeal court. It has an abundant supply of pure water. The only anchorage for vessels is an open road stead. St Pierre (pop. 28,885), the chief town on the leeward side of the island, has a small artificial harbour. Between St Pierre and St Denis, and both on the leeward shore, are the towns of St Louis (pop. 12,54I) and St Paul (pop. 19,617). A few 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 Benoit (a town on the E. side of the island with a pop. of 12,523), a distance of 8314 m. This line is carried through a tunnel nearly 612 m. long between La Possession and St Denis. Besides the railway the lower parts of the island are well provided with roads. There is regular Steamship communication between Pointe des Galets, Marseilles, Havre and Madagascar. Telegraphic communication with all parts of the world was established in 1906 when a cable connecting Réunion with Tamatave and Mauritius was laid.
Industries.—The Sugar Plantations.—The area of the cultivated lands is estimated at 148,200 acres (or 230 sq. m.), of which 86,450 acres are under sugar-cane, the remainder being under either maize, manioc, potatoes, haricots, or coffee, vanilla and cocoa. The sugar-cane, introduced in 1711 by Pierre Parat, is now the staple crop. In the 18th century the first place belonged to coffee (introduced from Arabia in 1715) and to the clove tree, brought from the Dutch Indies by Poivre at the risk of his life. Both are now cultivated on a very limited scale. Vanilla, introduced in 1818, was not extensively cultivated till about 1850. Bourbon vanilla, as it is called, is of high character, and next to sugar is the most important article of cultivation in the island. There are small plantations of cocoa and cinchona; cotton-growing was tried, but proved unsuccessful. The sugar industry has suffered greatly from the competition with beet sugar and the effects of bounties, also from the scarcity of labour, from the ravages of the phylloxera (which made its appearance in 1878) and from extravagant methods of manufacture. It was not until 1906 that steps were taken for the creation of central sugar mills and refineries, in consequence of the compulsory shutting down of many small mills. Rum is largely distilled and forms an important article of export. There are also manufactories for the making of 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
