Nicholas Pike is one of the most popular American Consul posted in Mauritius in the 19th century. During this period, the Washington maintained cordial relations with Port Louis who was an ideal stop over for transatlantic vessels trading on the spice road (route)
Coming from his previous official position in Portugal, Nicholas Pike was 50 years of age when he arrived in Mauritius during the cyclonic period of January 1867. During his seven-year mandate, Pike’s appeal for discovery made him explore the island inside-out and catalogue numerous plant species including several ferns ones.
Pike was an eminent naturalist, passionate by science who befriended all the botanists and Zoologists of his era. As a member of The Royal Society of Arts and Sciences, he contributed his scientific talents to the island’s profit by studying the Fauna and Flora of the outlying islands such as Round Island.
In 1873, Nicholas Pike published his works in a 500-page book entitled Sub-Tropical Rambles in the Land of the Aphanapteryx. This publication contains 500 illustrations and paintings of fish species and describes Mauritius in a very detailed and exhaustive manner and is still a great source of reference for contemporary researchers.
An extract of Nicholas Pike’s visit to the Grand Bassin of the Botanic Garden reads as follows:
“Further on a large Lake, containing several pretty islands, two of which are approached by bridges, and have seats under trees for visitors. The centre islands are inaccessible and are covered with the traveller’s tress, palms, casuarinas and a tangle of Flowering shrubs and underwood.
There are two white swans, presented by Lady Barkly, and a handsome black Australian swan, which some time ago unfortunately lost its mate. It follows the white ones about, but the poor fellow gets horribly snubbed by his snowy comrades. They are all quite tame and eat from the hand.
This lake is full of the celebrated gouramier, and golden dace, also of monster eels, one of which is so tame that whenever the swans come to be fed, he pops his ugly head, and take his share too.”
In 1874, Nicholas Pike left Mauritius for New York where he became the President of the Society of Natural History.