INTEODUCTION. 



iiland foon afforded the French E^A-Indk 

 company a very important article of trade. 



While the fmall French^colony of the Iflc 

 of Bourbon continued to profper, that of 

 the Dutch, eftabliflied in the Ifle of France, 

 was much diftrefled, and in a languifhiog 

 condition, I am unacquainted with the 

 reafon why the Dutch eftabUflied themfelves 

 in this ifland, which they called Mauritius* 

 X know, only, that they complained of the 

 great devaftation occafioned in it by lo- 

 cullfi and rats* 



In 1712 they refolved to abandon entire- 

 ly the eftablifhment which they had formed 

 at the Ifle of France, in order to remove to 

 the Cape of Good Hope, It may be rea- 

 dily conceived why they preferred a vaft 

 continent to a fmall ifland. 



The inhabitants of Bourbon were not 

 forry for the departure of the Dutch ; and 

 they loft no time in taking pofreffion of the 

 J fpota 



