297 
some of the indications which would lead us to conjecture 
that this island was at one period intended for a grand 
depot. J 
* From the long and rigorous blockade which the island 
had sustained, and its supposed incompetency to supply the 
demands of its population, it was expected that the inhabitants 
must be reduced to the utmost distress. We were encouraged 
even to believe that famine would shortly urge them to make 
a voluntary surrender of the island; and our blockading 
Squadron are accused, I am sorry to say, of having used to 
that effect certain accelerative measures hardly to be recon- 
ciled with the rules of honourable warfare: firing at canoes 
fishing within the reefs; at the slaves engaged in the cultiva- 
tion of the soil; and at the herds of cattle pasturing along 
the shore. Such acts, of which I entertain, however, the 
strongest doubts, savour too much of wantonness and revenge. 
. To the enemy they could be productive of no material jnjury, 
and would serve only to foster in their breasts a sentiment of 
inveterate hostility to the British nation. | 
x Though by our attack on the island, its voluntary sur- 
Tender, if such a measure was ever in contemplation, was 
anticipated ; yet in faithful reliance on the reports of our 
naval commanders, we expected to meet on our landing with 
à set of half-starved, extenuated wretches, crawling about in 
the last stage of existence. Guess therefore our astonishment 
on finding ourselves surrounded with a stout, healthy, athletic 
Tace, firm on their limbs, and so far from displaying any of | 
the usual symptoms of famine, that we could remark among 
them divers individuals whose rotundity of carcase would do 
honour to a corporation of aldermen. We found beef and 
mutton (alias goat) rather dear, but by no means scarce; anh 
all other articles in profusion: the shops full of English 
merchandise, selling at nearly the London prices. E 
~The Isle of France was discovered by Portuguese 
navigators in the year 1505. They found it without m- 
babitants,* and covered witli an impenetrable forest. — 
/" * I do not recollect, in the history of naval discoveries, another instance of 
