HISTORY OF MAURITIUS. 
26 
Some of the crew not being yet recovered, and fearing, if the voyage was lengthened 
to Bantam or Batavia, thatithe alarming sickness which so many had escaped, might 
return, the Captain was determined to bear away for the island of Saint Maria, near 
Madagascar, and facing Antongil Bay. They accordingly arrived on the eastern 
side of the island in two fathom water. The islanders, though less used to an inter¬ 
course with Europeans than the inhabitants of Madagascar, came on board with 
fowls, lemons, and a small quantity of rice; and made it understood by signs that 
they had cows, sheep, and other provisions. They had no other clothing than a 
small piece of cloth which passed round their middle : their colour was of a blackish 
yellow. Some of the ship’s company went on shore to barter with them; when a 
small quantity of bells, knives with yellow handles, and glass beads, &c. were con¬ 
sidered as equal to the purchase of their cattle, sheep, hogs, water-melons, &c. 
They carried their milk in large leaves laid one within the other, and which were 
so contrived as to contain it, as well as earthen vessels. Oranges and lemons, 
which'were more peculiarly necessary for preserving the health of the crew, being 
scarce in this spot, Bontekoe determined to go, in an armed boat, to Madagascar, 
with such an assortment of articles as would enable him to return with a consider¬ 
able quantity of the fruit he so much wanted. He accordingly entered a river, but 
could not proceed further than a league up it, from the over-arching boughs of the 
trees on either side of it,* which hung down to the water. He saw no appearance 
of fruit or of habitations, and accordingly returned to his ship. On a succeeding 
day he was more fortunate, by extending his researches in the island before which 
his vessel lay at anchor. On a more distant part of the coast he found abundance 
of oranges, lemons, bananas, and rice.; so that his crew regained the strength and 
health which they possessed on their departure from Europe. The natives of this 
island were idolaters, and the heads of bulls, elevated on poles, were the objects of 
their adoration.—Bontekoe’s ship being refitted, he quitted the coast of Madagascar 
for the Straits of Sunda; but before he reached them, his ship unfortunately took 
fire and blew up; by which melancholy accident he was blown into the sea; but 
was taken up by the long boat, which had left the vessel, with a part of the crew$ 
previous, to the explosion, who, with their Captain, arrived at the Isle of Sumatra ; 
from thence they obtained a passage to Batavia. 
From this period to the year 1712, when the Dutch evacuated the island of. 
Mauritius, little, is. known concerning, this settlement, the administration of its 
