Your Syntax is OK. this syntax is for linux shell and didn't work when you are inside mongo shell. you can not connect to remote mongo instance when you are inside mongo shell. perhaps you are trying online shell like this and it is just as you are inside mongoshell:
http://try.mongodb.org/
you can connect to instance using linux shell with same syntax, or if you are a windows users you must have mongo administrative shell installed on you windows machines which comes with mongo setup for windows. or you can use GUI tool like Robomongo or Mongo VUE just to access mongo instance.
Or in Windows go to your mongo bin directory and type > mongo.exe --host ipofremote --port 27017
mongo -h ds033499.mongolab.com:33499/enron
– Hyacinthie-h
parameter for the host, which is remote. The main problem was trying to use the "try" shell as a shell. But also this question is off-topic and belongs on another stack exchange site such as super user – Hyacinthie