HISTORY OF MAURITIUS. 
Tristan d’Acugnha, Diego Fernand Soarez, and Ruy Pereira, Ruy Laurentio 
Ravasco, and others, were the first Portuguese gentlemen who immortalized their 
names, by the discovery of these islands, and several other important places in the 
Indian seas, under the orders of Governor Almeida. 
But it was under the great Albuquerque alone, when he was Governor-general 
of the Indies, in 1509, that the astonishing discoveries and conquests of this nation 
were extended in a very surprising and glorious manner, by the valour of those emi¬ 
nent persons who commanded these extraordinary enterprizes. Among them are 
Francis Pereira Berredo, Sebastian Rodriguez, Fernando de Beja, John Serran 5 
Pelagius Sala, Manuel de la Cerda, Christopher de Britto, Don Garcia de Morogna, 
Diego Mendez de Vasconcellos, Rabelo, Manuel d’Acugnha, Francis Pantoja, 
Gonzales Siqueira, and many others whom it is not necessary to mention. 
1505.—Ruy Pereira was the first who, in part, discovered the island of Mada¬ 
gascar, and called it St. Laurentio, in the year 1505.—Fernandez Soarez disco¬ 
vered the south and west parts of it. Tristan d’Acugnha was sent there by Albu¬ 
querque to examine the coasts of it; and in 1510, John Serran and Pelagius Sala 
had the same commission.* 
Finally, Don Pedro Mascaregnas, one of the first whom I have mentioned, dis¬ 
covered the Isles of France and Bourbon, under the government of Don Francis 
Almeida, in 1505; which important circumstance, being added to his former mili¬ 
tary exploits, obtained for him the honour of being afterwards named, by his court. 
Governor of Cochin. 
1505.—Mascaregnas gave the name of Cerne to the Isle of France, without 
doubt, from the appellation of Cerna Ethiopia , which is given by Pliny to the 
island of Madagascar. But there is no reason to suppose that Pliny, or any of the 
ancient writers, were acquainted with this island; or that there had been any disco¬ 
very of it, previous to that made by the Portuguese, or of the other, now called 
the Island of Bourbon, and to which Mascaregnas gave his own name. At the 
same time, it has not appeared, from our inquiries, that the Portuguese made any 
settlements on either of these islands while they were masters of them,—a period 
that comprehended almost the whole of the sixteenth century. All they did, on 
* I shall not follow the Portuguese throughout the career of their discoveries and conquests, as 
the history of them will belong rather to another work, which I have already announced, and will 
form the eighth grand epocha of Navigation, since the origin of the world. 
