i‘6'S 
HISTORY OF MAURITIUS. 
open sea: they, however, give sufficient warning of their arrival, and last generally 
twenty-four hours, during which time the winds blow from every quarter, but they 
are most violent in the point which appears to be their centre. They are not very 
extensive in their sweep, as it sometimes happens that the hurricanes in the Island 
of Mauritius are not known in the Isle of Bourbon but by the confusion and dark¬ 
ness of the clouds, and a kind of whispering sound in the air. There was an hur¬ 
ricane on the day of my arrival in the island. Having come to anchor off the town 
of St. Paul, a pilot came off at a very early hour in the morning, to persuade me, 
to go ashore, as there was an appearance of an hurricane, though the night had 
been very fine, and the sky was clear and serene. Its approach is discoverable ten 
or twelve hours before its actual arrival by an hollow and whistling noise, which 
is heard in the mountains, and a particular motion of the leaves. A Creole had 
arrived at midnight to notify these circumstances to the Governor. Before we had 
quitted the vessel, the clouds began to gather on the tops of the mountains; they were 
black, and separating on a sudden, unfolded a clear and brilliant sky: they closed 
and opened several times, successively, in the same manner; the rain then com¬ 
menced, and the wind began to blow with such violence, that in a few hours after 
we had got ashore our vessel was beaten to pieces. 
“ This island is about thirty-five leagues due west of the Island of Mauritius. 
All the outward-bound vessels from the latter touch at the former to take in provi¬ 
sions ; they arrive off the eastern side of the island at about twelve leagues from 
St. Denis, the principal town, which is on the north side. From thence they keep 
along the coast, and at a small distance from the shore; in every part of which they 
may cast anchor, though the ground is not good. The shore is steep and covered 
with stones, and the swell is generally so great, that in many places it is very difficult 
to land. The anchorage is good at St. Denis, in about eighteen feet water, but the 
road is exposed to the south-east wind, which in these latitudes blows almost through¬ 
out the year. Vessels remain there but a short time: they go from thence to St. Paul, 
which is to the leeward of the island, where there is a good road-stead, and the shore 
is of sand mixed with small coral. 
« St. Denis is situated in an extensive and beautiful plain, which is considerably 
elevated above the level of the sea: the houses are constructed chiefly of wood, and 
are very neat; but,are necessarily low on account of the hurricanes. The residence 
of the Governor is a large and commodious stone building, which contains also the 
