6 
HISTORY OF MAURITIUS. 
is their general rendezvous for refreshment for their ships, in going to, or coming 
from India. It is likewise appointed, from its convenient situation, to receive ships 
of war and privateers, for the purposes of refreshment, or refittal, &c. as well as in 
time of war, to intercept or disturb the commerce of other nations to the East Indies. 
The town and the port in the north-west part of the island, form a magazine for all 
kinds of maritime stores and provisions, so that it may be considered of the same im¬ 
portance to the French in the East Indies, as Port Mahon is to the English in the Me¬ 
diterranean; and it may hereafter become a dangerous place for the commerce of 
other nations engaged in the commerce of the East. It is a fine country, ornamented 
with trees of all sizes. The western parts, from Port Louis to the savannah-, the 
country is mountainous and rocky, and is inhabited by goats and wild boars in great 
numbers. From Port Louis, stretching towards the east to the savannah, the 
country is very beautiful. In the environs of Flac, the country is level and without 
stones, watered by a great number of small streams. 
“ Port Louis is situated in about 19 deg. 50 min. south latitude, and is very dis¬ 
coverable from the mountain Peterbotte, towards which you must direct your course 
south-east by south, and enter the harbour by the Point Relief, bearing towards 
Peterbotte> and the small point below it. It is not necessary to take soundings till 
you enter the channel, where you will find from forty, thirty, twenty, to nine fathoms 
water; when you may advance till it is necessary to be towed; and which cannot 
be avoided, as the winds generally blow from the land, and the channel is too 
narrow to admit of tacking. When you have once entered the upper part of the 
harbour, you are secure from the wind and bad weather, and in about four, or four 
fathom and a half water. You moor with the best bower anchor to east-north-east; 
and small bower to the west-south-west, so as to ride between both to the south, 
south-east, which blow fresh in flurries. You also lay your stream anchor to the 
north-west, astern, to prevent your ship tending to the sea-breeze, as the harbour is 
narrow.” J. B. 
To the foregoing curious and instructive information, we shall add the following 
remarks. 
The length of the channel, on entering Port Louis, from the first small white 
the island, from zo deg. to zo deg. z8 min. south; so that the middle would be in zo deg. 14 min. 
south. From the observations of the Abbe de la Caille, the island is not of so great an extent as is 
here represented. 
