102 
HISTORY OF MAURITIUS. 
ten fathom water, but it would not be safe to pass over it. The north-east passage 
is between the end of this bank and the Bay Aux Requins ; it is about nine hundred 
fathom wide; but there are ten or twelve shelves of rocks in various directions, 
from one and an half to four fathom beneath the water, which, in fact, narrows the 
channel on this side to a breadth of an hundred fathom, and cannot be distinguished 
on the surface of the water, as there are no buoys, nor any guiding points of view 
on this side of the island. The north-west entrance, which is about a thousand 
fathom broad, affords a channel, whose breadth is about four hundred' and fifty 
fathom, with from ten to sixteen fathom water ; but there being also four' shelves 
of rocks on one side, and three on the other, dispersed through the whole space, 
from two to four fathom beneath the surface, the superior advantage of this entrance 
arises from commanding certain points of view, which serve as beacons, and ascer¬ 
tain a secure and certain track for vessels to enter into the bay. 
This bay, which is upwards of four thousand fathom in length, and three thousand- 
broad, affords an excellent anchorage, as has been already observed, in from ten 
to eighteen fathom water. The bottom of the bay consists of a large sandy flat, 
intermixed with rocks, which is dfy at low water; and to the left of it is the small 
island called the Diamond, which is opposite to a creek of the same name; and 
another islet, called by the English, Booby island. This flat is surrounded by 
rocks, which rise from banks of sand. By the side of Diamond island is another 
bay called Oyster bay, which is the most considerable outlet of this road. To this 
succeeds the bay of the Oven valley, where the guard-house of the French superin- 
tendant is placed. It was entrusted in the year 1740, to a Negro family. The Oven 
valley, which contains the house and gardens of the French Resident, is a peninsula : 
to the north of it is the Great bay, on whose shore is the park of turtles : to the west, 
and south-west is the Oven bay ; and it is bounded on the east by a river, into which 
ships enter to take in fresh water; they also take in water from the brooks that 
cross the neighbouring valley, called Norfolk valley. Still more to the left is another 
fine valley, called Watson’s valley, which is the most convenient place for procur¬ 
ing wood. There is nothing between this valley and the Bay des Requins , which 
completes the enclosure of the Great T>ay, but two small vallies, called the Dove 
valley, and the Little valley. 
When M. du Quesne, in the year 1690, prevailed on the Dutch government to 
send a frigate, in order to form an establishment in the Isle of Bourbon in favour 
