HISTORY OF MAURITIUS. 
xi As the month of December is the critical situation for ships at the Isle of 
Bourbon, I sent out orders for those which were stationed there, to return hither; 
and they accordingly arrived at the end of that month, with a stock of provisions that 
would not last beyond the latter part of March: nor could we indulge any sanguine 
hopes of procuring a further supply; for we had no great dependance on the St. 
Pierre, which we had sent to Madagascar for that purpose, and was not yet returned. 
Besides, we had no article but powder, with which we could traffic with the inha¬ 
bitants of that island; and the dry season in our own, had occasioned a considerable 
diminution in our corn harvest. In short, our utmost efforts did not promise the 
necessary subsistence for our people beyond the month of March. Such was our 
melancholy situation, when the first ship of the squadron from France appeared oil 
the 28th of January; and, on the 1st of February, the whole of them arrived safe 
at anchor in this harbour. 
“ The first thing which naturally recurred to my reflection on this occasion, was 
the use I should make of this force, conformably to the season, the monsoons, and 
the orders which I had received. I had two courses to pursue; that of quitting the 
isles on the 1st of March, and proceeding to India, so that I might reach Ceylon 
at the end of April or the beginning of May, where I might meet the English mer¬ 
chant ships from Surat; though it appeared to me to be impossible to unload and 
arm this squadron, as it required for this voyage, in the space of a month. Besides, 
I was fearful of remaining at sea for three months, with ships and crews who were 
just arrived from a voyage of nine months and upwards. The other course was, to 
pass to India by the north of Madagascar, which is one half shorter,with the advantage 
of taking in live stock, &c. and the monsoon changes in March. All these reasons 
determined me to pursue the second; and I perceived it to be indispensable, the 
moment I reflected on the small quantity of provisions which was brought by these 
vessels from Europe, and which they were obliged to share with those they found 
here. In this distressed situation I issued orders, that the ships’ companies should 
not touch the stock of their respective vessels; and I undertook, in some way or 
other, to subsist them from the island. But it was not the enemies of my country 
that I feared; nor the obstacles which were threatened by a scarcity of provisions, 
that alarmed me. I trusted that we might be able to contend with the one, and 
remedy the other; but I did not perceive a zeal for the service so prevalent as I 
could wish, and had a right to expect, from men, who were bound by every tie of 
