:to6 Geographlcoil Dcfcriptlon of the I fie of Bourlon, 

 the French government. Seven years after, this was repeated 

 by the new commandant Dcflaccourt, who gave the ifland 

 the name of Bourbon. lie introduced into it domeftic ani- 

 mals, wliich muhiplied confiderably; and, on account of its 

 fertiUty, fevcral Frenchmen formed in it fcttlcments. In 

 the year 1665 two (hips of Dc la Haie's fquadron arrived 

 here, and left Renaud, au officer d' admivijiration, together 

 with twentv labourers. The French who in 167 1 efcaped 

 the mallacre at Fort Dauphin, in Madagafcar, lied to this 

 ifland; and various fea-farmg perfons fettled in it, and em- 

 ployed themfelves in agriculture. 



It is fituatcd about ninety miles from the Ifle of France^ 

 to the windward. One day Only is futiiiicnt for going from 

 the Ifle of France to the lile of Bourbun, but a month is 

 often neccfl'ary to return. It is about forty miles in length 

 and thirty in breadth. Thciliores are exceedingly fieep, and 

 pirosfuas only can approach them without danger o{ being 

 overfet. The foil is fandier than th.it of tlic Ifle of France ; 

 at fome diflance from the thore it is mixed with thofe fraootb 

 it ones (galo/s) which coyer the bottom of the fca. The 

 ground, however, in thofe parts which can be cultivated, is 

 excellent. The mounUiins are exceedingly high : the three 

 inaeccffiblc peaks, called the Sata/]h, are iiiid to be 1600 

 toifes. There is here a very awful volcano, the diftrift 

 around which is entirely burnt up ; and alfo a great many 

 gulleys, the declivities of which are fo fteep that they can- 

 not be cultivated. The chief port in the ifland is that of 

 St. Denis^ where a drawbridge, fecured by ir.'.n chains, has 

 been conftrufted for the purpofe of enabling boats to land. 

 T-his bridge extends more than eighty fcH;t into the fea, and 

 at the end of it is a ladder of ropes by which people who 

 wifli to go on fliore muft afeend : in all other parts of the 

 ifland they muft jump into the water. 



About fifteen miles to tlie windward from St. Denis is 

 St. Paul, where the fea is calmer, and the anchoring ground 

 more feture : mariners, however, prefer St. Denis. Thi» 



ifland 



