HISTORY OF MAURITIUS. 
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that they even meditated such an expedition. But as the execution of their enter- 
prize required some assistance, they applied to a soldier in the service of the Com¬ 
pany, who had complained to them of the Commandant’s conduct towards him, 
and proposed that he should be of the party: the soldier instantly communicated 
to the Commandant the proposition which had been made to him; though he added 
at the same time, that the three comrades of the two delinquents were entirely 
innocent and ignorant of the plot. 
“ Several weeks passed on without any appearance of suspicion on the part of 
the Commandant; though all our actions were strictly observed without any dis¬ 
tinction. At length, during the night of the 15th of January, he sent a body of sol¬ 
diers to bring all of us before him. On this occasion he began by declaring, that 
he had no accusation against me and two of my companions; and then proceeded 
to question the others: they at once avowed the truth; adding withal, that our boat, 
which had been wantonly burned, was a superior vessel to that of which they had 
formed the design to possess themselves; and that they intended to leave a sufficient 
sum of money for the payment of it: which declaration the soldier himself con¬ 
firmed. Nevertheless we were all of us, the innocent and the culpable, conducted 
to a dark prison, and put in a kind of stocks, which compelled us to remain in a 
recumbent posture. The only difference in the treatment of us appeared the fol¬ 
lowing day, when our two accused companions were punished with an additional 
load of iron fetters. 
“ We remained in this state two days and two nights, when my two innocent 
companions and myself were delivered from it. On quitting the prison we were 
conducted to the Commandant, who, after insulting us with declarations of his 
good-will towards us, made many insidious promises of the kindness he would 
shew us, but without one consolatory word respecting the injuries which he had 
done us. The first act of his kindness was to order us to be guarded day and night ; 
and it was immediately followed by a seizure of every thing we possessed, except 
our clothes, bedding, and a few books. We were then put on board a boat, toge¬ 
ther with our accused comrades, who were brought in their shirts and with the 
fetters on their legs, totally ignorant of our future destination. It proved, however, 
to be a barren and frightful rock, of about two hundred paces long, and half that 
space in breadth, where it was almost impossible to walk, as the surface consisted 
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