the IJles of France and Bourbon. 205 



rendered produftive by La Bourdonnaie in 1735 5 ^^^ "* 

 1764 the ifland was given up to the French government by 

 the Eaft India Company. After that period it was placed 

 under the direftion of a governor, and an intendant, or or- 

 donnateur. 



It Hes in 20° 10^ of fouth latitude and 53° 24'' of eaft lon- 

 gitude from the meridian of Paris. According; to La Caille 

 it is 90,668 toifcs in circumference, 31,890 broad from eaft 

 to weft, and contains 432,680 fquare acres, each of 100 

 perches, and the perch of 20 feet. It has two harbours ; 

 one in the fouth-eaft, or the Great Haven, and the other 

 in the north-weft, called the Small Haven ; alfo Port Louis, 

 and, lince the Revolution, Port de la Montagne. The moft 

 northern harbour is the principal port in the illand. The 

 north-weft part of it is perfectly flat, but the fouth-eaft is 

 covered with mountains ; they are from 300 to 350 toifes ir> 

 height : the hightft, at the mouth of the river Noire, is 434. 

 The moft remarkable mountain is called Pieterboth ; it i* 

 420 toifes in height, and its fummit ends in an obelifk, on 

 which there is a large cubical mafs of rock that no man has 

 yet been able to afccnd. 



The ifland is watered by more than fixty ftreams, fome of 

 which, in the droughty feafon, become totally dry, efpe- 

 cially fince the foretts have been cut down. The interior 

 abounds with lakes, and rain prevails during the greater part 

 of the year, the clouds being atlrafted by the mountains and 

 fbrefts. The foil is covered with large or fmall ftones ; jk 

 withftands the plough, and muft be cultivated with the hoe, 

 yet it is very proper for various produclions. Though of lefs 

 depth and lefs fertility than that of the^fland of Reunion, 

 it is however, in general, more fufceptible of cultivation. 



Tlu.' Ifland of Reunion (Bourbon) was difcovered alfo 



by the I^ortugucfc, who called it Mafcarenhas, after the 



commander of the fleet j and this name was afterwards cor- 



> ruptcd into Mafcaralgne. In the year 1642 Pronis, the 



tomuiandant at Madagafcar, took pofleflion of the ifland for 



7 the 



