172 PLANTANE-LEAF HATS. [1695. 



The Sieur Tcstard, one of the Accus'd, finding his Malady 

 encrease to a dangerous Degree, did all he could to be like- 

 wise carry'd a-shoar, but in vain. He wrote Letter upon 

 Letter, offered to part with all he had in the World ; and in 

 fine, consented to be laid up in the Stonibs in Prison if he 

 might but have this Favour, but all to no purpose.^ 



At length perceiving all his Endeavours fruitless, he 

 resolv'd to pass over without leave, in case he could bring his 

 design about, and to seek for that Eelief in the Woods from 

 Brutes, which one, who call'd himself a Christian, refus'd so 

 obstinately. But before we enter ujoon that melancholy 

 Adventure, and to interrupt a little so disagreeable a relation, 

 I thought it not improper to insert here a few Particulars of 

 the Place of our Exile, and of divers Matters that happeu'd 

 there to us. 



As we did all we could to divert our Melancholy, some 

 amongst us that were Ingenious, amus'd themselves with 

 making Hats of Plantaiic-'Lea.yes.'^ There were some of 

 these Trees in one of the two Islands that lay on each side 

 of our Eock, as may be seen by the Map, We could go to 

 these Islands at low Water in the full and new of the Moon, 

 so that it was not very difficult for us to get those Leaves, 

 This Invention did not only serve to divert us, but likewise 

 procur'd us Sustenance ; for tliose that brought us our Pro- 

 visions, were so taken with our Ingenuity, that we gained 

 their Affection considerably by presenting them with some of 



1 In orig. : " niais rien de tout cela ne f ut ecoute." 



2 In Baron Grant's map, south of the He de la Passe and Fouquets 

 I. is an islet named the He des Vaques. This evidently was the islet 

 where Leguat's party obtained their planta7ie leaves for the hats. If so, 

 the name " plantaue" was applied by Leguat to the Pandanus screw- 

 pine as well as to the Latanicr palm. The name Vaquoas I. is now given 

 to the centre island, and the south island is named the He de la Passe, 

 At the north-east entrance of the port, opposite Both's Bay, in Van 

 Braam's map is marked " Zandjdaat met eeii Klapper-hoom'"' — a sand- 

 bank with one Filao tree. It seems that there were more trees on 

 these islets in those days than there are now. 



