INTRODUCTION. XXI 



After a residence of two long years' duration in 

 Rodrio'uez, the settlers, wearied with discontent 

 and hopeless of assistance, constructed a boat, in 

 which they succeeded in reaching Mauritius after 

 a most hazardous voyage. Unfortunately, they 

 had only escaped from one evil to fall into 

 greater trouble, for the avarice of the governor 

 of the Dutch convict establishment caused them 

 to be treated with the utmost cruelty and 

 injustice. They were imprisoned on an exposed 

 rocky islet at a long distance from the shore, and in 

 attempting to escape, one of their number perished 

 miserably. At last the survivors, who had contrived 

 to send news of their sad plight to Europe, were 

 transmitted, still in confinement, to Batavia, where 

 they disembarked, in December 1696, only to be 

 again thrown into prison. After examination, how- 

 ever^ before the Dutch Council their innocence was 

 established, but they were unable to obtain the 

 slightest redress for the pain and suffering they had 

 endured, or compensation for the losses they had 

 sustained. It was not until March 1698, after the 

 proclamation of the Peace of Ryswick, that Leguat 

 and two others, the sole survivors of the original 

 party, landed at Flushing. 



At this period crowds of French refugees were 



je n'en trouve dans uu foule d'ecrits siir des oiseaux plus generale- 

 ment et plus ancieiiDement counus. On parle de I'autruche depuis 

 trente siecles, et Ton ignore aujourd'hui combien elle pond d'oeufs, 

 et combien elle est de terns a les couvei'." {Le Solitaire. Art. par 

 M. de Guenau de Montbeillard, Ristuire Nattirelie jxir Leclerc de 

 Biiffun, par C. S. Sonnini. An. JX.) 



