MAURITIUS.

£1,250 · Offered by Peter Harrington · No longer available

Debates of the Council of Government. First edition, from the library of the governor of Mauritius, Sir Hubert Edward Henry Jerningham, with his signature on the front free endpapers and the royal coat of arms blind-stamped in Volume 2. They record the 39 meetings of the 1892 government session, the year of the devastating cyclone.Sir Hubert Edward Henry Jerningham was educated at the University of Paris and entered the diplomatic service in 1866. In March 1892 he was sent to Mauritius, first in an acting role then as the lieutenant-governor (later governor) from 20 September. This period saw "the most devastating cyclone in Mauritian history" (Walshe, p. 5) on 29 April, killing over 1,200 people. He remained in the colony until 1897 when he was appointed as the governor of Trinidad and Tobago.The volumes include reports of the extent of the damage, the relief efforts, and the aid sent to the country from around the world. They mention Mauritius's telegraph early warning system, the first in the world. These wires were intended to warn Port Louis of impending catastrophes and were suspended above ground. However, this made them vulnerable to high wind.In addition, they record strategies to prevent a cholera epidemic, questions over the printing of currency, the appointment of Jerningham to his substantive position, and immigration and quarantine laws.

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