HISTORY OF MAURITIUS. 
2 9 
The Dutch made their first settlement in this island on the south-east .harbour, 
which is of the greatest extent ; but having found it much easier to get outiof the 
north-west port, they abandoned the houses which they had already built near the 
former, and where their tombs are still visible, to build others at the latter. At this 
time, the Dutch having possessed themselves of the Cape of Good Hope, and being 
anxious to put it in a state of defence, they by degrees transported thither all the 
troops they had at Mauritius; and, as has already been observed, in the year 1712, 
entirely abandoned it. But though the French maintained a preponderance in both 
these islands, their inhabitants, for a long time, consisted chiefly of adventurers of 
all nations, pirates, 8 c c. many of whom, as the only means of enjoying connubial 
comforts, had married the Negro women of Madagascar. It was not till the year 
1730, that the government and East India Company of France began to pay a 
serious attention to it, by sending engineers and other persons, properly qualified 
to form a regular establishment. But, in fact, the real founder of these two inte¬ 
resting colonies was M. de la Bourdonnais, who was sent here, the first time as 
Govern or-General, in 1734. 
Such is the origin of the French possession of these islands; and we shall now 
proceed to the more regular history of them. 
The following chronological series of the Governors of the Isle of France, is ex¬ 
tracted from the Journals of the Isles of France and Bourbon, which were printed 
in the former, in the years 1785, 1786, 1787, and 1788, &c. 
In 1715, M. du Fresne, Captain in the naval service of the King of France, arrived 
at the north-west port, and gave the island the name which it now bears, of the Isle 
of France. 
It was M. de Beauvilliers, Governor of the Isle of Bourbon, who sent a party 
from thence to take possession of the island of Mauritius. 
inscribed—“ Gamier de Fougeray of St. Malo, C. the Triton with the arms of France, and on 
the other side the following distich: 
Lilia fixa crucis capiti mirare sacratae 
Ne stupeas; jubet hie Gallia stare crucem. 
Anno 1.7,21. 
There appears to be a difference between the commanding officer mentioned in this account, 
and the person named in the list of governors for the year 1721: but it may be fairly presumed, 
from the resemblance of their names, that it is a mere nominal error; and that both accounts 
comprehend one and the same person; which the reader will immediately perceive as he proceeds. 
