HISTORY OF MAURITIUS. 
221 
The princess had also added, that the signal the king would give for his attendants 
to retire, would be to throw his hat tov/ards them. 
He accordingly ordered his soldiers to remain under arms during the night, and 
to keep within their tents. As for himself, he got his arms in readiness, placed a 
couple of pistols under the covering of his table, and dosed by the side of it, with 
his hand on the pistols. 
At length the king arrived, and soon after, having broke his stick, the guard was 
advancing to the front of the tent; but the king, terrified at the pistol which Forvai 
held to his throat, cast his hat towards his attendants, who immediately departed. 
The small party of soldiers which Forvai had with him, were now drawn up in 
order of battle. All the Negroes had disappeared; the king alone remained as a 
prisoner; nor was he enlarged, till the princess was embarked with all the equipage, 
and Forvai felt himself happy in departing from this perfidious coast. Nor was he 
ungrateful; he solemnly espoused the Princess Betsy, in spite of all the remonstrances 
of his friends, and he lives happily with her. Her colour was certainly displeasing to 
the white people, and her education did not qualify her to be a companion to such 
a man as her husband; but her figure was fine, her air noble, and all her actions 
partook of the dignity of one who was born to command. 
She was a real Amazon, and the dress she chose was that which has since received 
a similar name. She never walked out but she was followed by a slave, and armed 
with a small fowling-piece, which she knew how to employ with great dexterity, and 
would defend herself with equal courage if she were attacked. She was nimble as a 
deer, though stately in her demeanour; but with her husband as gentle and submis¬ 
sive as the most affectionate of his slaves. She behaved to her inferiors with equal 
dignity and kindness; and she never went to the most distant part of the island, to 
pay visits to her family, but on foot; she nevertheless adopted the elegancies of 
behaviour with great facility, and her society is very pleasant and full of vivacity. 
Some years after her marriage, the Princess Betsy, for she was seldom called 
Madame de Forvai, gave her husband a new proof of her affection. 
Her father at length died, the kingdom descended to her, and her people, who 
were ardently attached to the blood of their kings, anxiously wished to see her on 
the throne of her ancestors. As soon as she was informed of this event, she requested 
permission of her husband to visit her country. 
Though such an unexpected request astonished Forvai, he did not hesitate to 
