420 
A VOYAGE TO 
[At Mauritius. 
1805. 
August. 
governor, called the Reduit, about seven miles from the town, and 
at the edge of my limit of two leagues from the habitation at Wil- 
hems Plains. It stands upon an elevated point of land between the 
Riviere de Mocha, which comes from the east, and an equally large 
stream which collects the waters of Wilhems Plains from the south- 
ward ; their junction at this place forms the Grande Riviere, and 
the Reduit commands a view of its windings in the low land to the 
north, until it is discharged into the sea about a mile on the west 
side of Port Louis. There was little water in the two rivers at this 
time ; but the extraordinary depth of their channels, which seemed to 
be not less than a hundred feet, and to have been cut through the 
solid rock, bespoke that the current must be immense during the 
hurricanes and heavy summer rains ; and the views which the dif- 
ferent falls of water amongst the overhanging woods will then pre- 
sent, cannot be otherwise than highly picturesque. At the Reduit 
the sides of these ravines were planted with the waving bamboo, and 
the road leading up to the house, with the gardens around it, were 
shaded by the mango and various other fruit trees ; but all was 
in great disorder, having suffered more than neglect during the 
turbulent period of the French revolution. The house was said to 
be capable of containing thirty-five beds, and was at this time in a 
state of preparation for general De Caen ; and when completed, and 
the gardens, alleys, fish ponds, and roads put into order, it would be 
an elegant residence for the governor of the island. Our inspec- 
tion was confined to the gardens and prospects, from the house being 
shut up ; we afterwards made a rural dinner under the shade of a 
banian tree, and my friend Pitot, with M. Bayard, a judge in the court 
of appeal, then separated from their families to conduct me onward 
to my asylum. 
Instead of taking the direct road, they pursued a winding 
route more to the eastward, to pay a visit to M. Plumet, a friend of 
the judge ; and we reached his habitation not much before sunset, ? 
though still four or five miles short of our destination. Thus far I 
