— 83 — 



sometimes dry and repulsive in its form, should with the view 

 of becoming popular, be presented in as amiable colours as 

 possible. 



" At all events although Mr. Bruce's suggestion bs not 

 without a precedent, nevertheless our thanks are still due to 

 him for having taken the initiative and rousing from their 

 inactivity the men of merit who belong to the Society, and 

 who will doubtless heartily respond to the call. 



" Mr, Bruce has pointed out the usefulness to youth of a 

 properly written book on the subject, his position as head 

 of our scholastic institution has made him fully sensible of the 

 want of it. 



" The History of Mauritius is hardly known to the youth of 

 our schools. They are taught the events which happened in 

 time of the Greeks and Eomans, whilst they remain in com- 

 plete ignorance of what has happened in their own country." 



M. Ch. Bruce donne communication du resume histo- 

 rique suivant sur Maurice : 



I 



On the earliest Cartographic Hotices of Mauritius. 



The narratives of maritime discovery hitherto published do 

 not enable us to fix with certainty the year in which the 

 Island now called Mauritius was first discovered by European 

 navigators, or to give the moment and reason of its first 

 nomenclature, while in examining the evidence of middle-age 

 Cartographers, it is often difficult to decide, how much of 

 their knowledge was the result of recent European explora- 

 tion, and how much was derived from the traditional referen- 

 ces of oriental navigators. Some years ago M. d'Avezac, the 

 illustrious geographer, in preparing his " Notice generale sur 

 la nomenclature des lies et de la Mer dea Indes," had occa- 

 sion to consult the documents, which, if any, would be likely 

 to throw light on this question, and a few years later ho 

 summoned up in a letter to M. Doyen, the principal evidence, 

 touching the discovery and nomenclature of this Island, to be 

 derived frora the early Cartographers. I am indebted to M. 

 Doyen for permission to make use ot M. D'Avezac's letter. 



