Mauritius Lesson Summary and Notes Explanation in English Class 9th

Introduction

The travelogue “Mauritius” was drawn from his book “Idle Hours.” In this essay, the author provides a thorough overview of Mauritius. He states  that Mauritius is a little portion of an island that lies 4,500 kilometres below the equator near the twentieth parallel. The author has an outdated globe atlas that was covered with numerous tiny dots and spots. These points were either caused by roaches or by the bad weather. He wasn’t intrigued by geography in any way. As a result, the author had difficulty locating Mauritius in his atlas. The author’s trip to Mauritius was a fascinating experience. He couldn’t wait to see what was underneath the moving airplane.

About The Author

R.K. Laxman was born in Mysore on October 24th, 1921. Laxman was the youngest of six sons, and his father served as a headmaster. For The Hindu, Koravanji, and later The Times of India, Laxman created cartoons. He is renowned for his striking drawings. He has received several honours, including as the Ramon Magsaysay Award, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Vibhushan. 

Mauritius’s Biodiversity, Wildlife, Mountains, And Landscape

R.K Laxman was drawn to many features, including the blue-gray steel sheets that made up the oceans, the acres of clouds and the landscape formations that resembled the fabled historical constructions of earlier civilizations. Africans and Chinese, Biharis and Dutch, Persians and Tamils, Arabs, French, and English all interacted harmoniously and emerged with a sense of unity. Because of Mauritius’s access to spices and sugar as well as its important location on the maritime route to the east, people from many nations moved there.

Ministers in the government and other people in authority in Mauritius didn’t conduct themselves as though they were predestined for success. They are simply like regular individuals. They are unconstrained, approachable, talkative, and free of security and that would prevent casual visits. 

The islands are surrounded by blue mountains, which were formed by volcanic activity. The typical monotonous pyramidal form of mountains is not present in these mountains. Their silhouettes are odd and quirky, with sharp peaks, vertical dips, and sudden sweeps. The author borrows titles from the French language such “trough aux biches,” “beau basin,” “quarter boms,” “curepipe,” “rosé belle,” and others that were not practically feasible. The author has expanded his analysis to include Mauritius’s flora and wildlife. He observes that the trees in Mauritius are smaller, and so are the bonsai found in the interiors of the forests. Bats, monkeys, deer, and enormous Aldabra tortoises are among the local flora.

Cyclonic storms are prone to strike Mauritius every year. Once every fifteen years, the elders arrive and leave a path of devastation. Cyclones had become a normal part of life for those living there. On February 6, 1975, Mauritius was struck by the Raja cyclone, a massive cyclone that completely flattened the island. The island has rebuilt after the catastrophe. In densely populated places, trees are planted.

There are now high-rise structures with plate-glass picture windows. The author gets to view seashells, crabs, ugly, shapeless things crawling in the murky depths, and a school of fish that are bright lemon yellow with black bars while on a trip on a glass-bottom ship. There are also fish with long tails, fish with battered faces, and fish with horrible spikes all over their bodies.

The government is keen to support international entrepreneurs who establish their businesses here. According to the author, as industrial expansion continues, residential space will continue to shrink. Automobile and truck traffic will rise. To support the weight, their highways will need to be expanded. Flats will start to develop and land prices will rise. Living expenses, pollution, unemployment, slums, taxation, and government control will be prominent.

The author’s flight home was in the dark, so he was unable to view the sceneries. However, he could envision a different Mauritius in the future—one with industrialization, broad streets, tall buildings, pollution, unemployment, slums, etc. He wishes that wise people would steer Mauritius’ growth and protect this paradise on earth.