The Press., 1898-01-27
AN ISLAND ROMANCE.

An old traveller whO as special cor respondent, story writer and theatrical manager, has visited nearly every part of the globe, in the person of J. Charles Davis, is now here for the purpose of paving the way for J. Cheever Goodwin and Woolson Morse's musical comedy,
 "Lost, Strayed or Stolen.' He thus de- scribes one of the odd corners of the world:
 Probably the quaintest and most in- teresting island that dots the waters of the world is what was known until aft CT the last English victory over the French as the Isle de France. It is Mau- ritius, French in everything but govern ment, which is English.
 Mauritius is the home of romance and veritable gold mine for the story teller and novel writer. It is the scene of good old Father St. Pierre's "Paul and Vir- ginia," and the visitor to Port Louis,
 the metropolis and principal seaport,
 who would attempt to leave the island
 without driving out and visiting the grave of Paul and Virginia would be considered an unromantic, unsympa-
 thetic heathen. It is situated in peace full valley and reached by a short drive from the capital.
 This little island is one of the most cosmopolitan places in existence.
 French, English, German, Spanish, Italian and few American merchants are engaged in business in the bazaars along the water front, while Africans,
 Malays, Persians, the natives of Mada- gascar, coolies from the Malabar coast,
 Moors from the strait of Gibraltar and
 the natives of upper India elbow each
 other in the market places, and one
 hears the language of every land in a half dozen blocks
 The superstitions of every country
 and the weird tales growing out of the
 traditions of all lands have been
 brought to the island, taken root and
 grown to be observed by the lower classes of all nations, and consequently the island has become the favorite hunt ing ground of the story teller in search of genuine novelty, particularly in the
 weird and mysterious vein. Besant and
 Rice obtained the story of My Little Girl'' from Mauritius It was here that the story of the Coco de Mere'' had it's
 birth. Here the legend of the enchanted
 caverns yawning for the reception of shipwrecked sailors, with their two
 gates, one leading to the celestial en- pire and the other to hades, is repeated and believed, and those who cross the island to its northern and most inhabit- ed shore can see two great openings, the bottom of each being below the low water mark and the top being high | enough to admit the rigging of a sail ing vessel, awaiting for him to choose
 which way he will go, but with no guidepost or trademark to assist him in his choice.
 Although the government of Mauri-
 titus is English the official language is French, and in order to travel without inconvenience one must speak it well,
 but in order to get at the weird and | mysterious it is necessary to have an interpreter who is an East Indian and
 who appreciates the value of getting at
 the bottom of a subject after having | once entered into it. While returning from a visit to the famous gardens of Curpepe halted at little refreshment house, and in conversation with the proprietor discovered that he was not i only an old resident, but a man well | versed in the folklore of the island and
 one who would talk if allowed to. It is needless to say that I allowed him to, and while we were enjoying
 some really delicious Manila cheroots l under the shade of great banyan tree, | just back of his house. he told me the | following story:
 Shortly after it became impossible | for many members of the old French
 nobility to live comfortably in la belle France a country nobleman, accom- panied only by the young and beautiful | daughter, left the mother country be- | hind and arrived at Port Louis with lit | tie excepting the family jewels, plate and honor The father and daughter brought with them an old priest who | had been Ninette's instructor and al most constant companion since the child's dying mother confided her while | but a toddling infant to the good old | mans care. With few house servants the count set up 8 modest esta blishment on the northern part of the island, pur- | chased small plantation and began the | cultivation of sugar cane, which is the principal industry of the country. Under the fostering care of her father, the priest and the old family servants Ninette grew to womanhood without | having often crossed the boundary lines
 of the little plantation on which they
 lived. Her favorite recreation was read
 ing, and she indulged this education of
 pastime in bowerlike nook on the very
 face of the cliff overhanging the ocean.
 Here she would spend the delightfully."-
 balmy afternoons watching the native
 craft either going to sea, sailing away
 into the blue distance until their lateen
 sails looked like the wings of flock of
 sea gulls or coming up out of the blue ] -.te-s of the Indian ocean and growing