HISTORY OF MAURITIUS. 
283 
Though M. de la Bourdonnais has, by his knowledge and great activity, 
been of infinite service to these islands, he had, in the midst of his extraordinary 
undertakings, found such inadequate assistance, in the resources furnished by go¬ 
vernment or the Company, that he was under the necessity of employing his autho¬ 
rity in obtaining it from the inhabitants. These measures, which have already been 
mentioned, raised up many enemies against him; as it is not every one who can or 
will discover, that future good must be frequently purchased at the price of imme¬ 
diate inconvenience. 
He is now gone to France to defend his conduct, and demand the justice of 
government ; and I shall delay the remaining part of his history in India, till we 
have received an account of his arrival in France. 
Among the establishments of this island, a very considerable sugar-work has been 
formed by M. de la Bourdonnais, in a fine quarter called Villebague , which is the 
name of his brother, whom he placed at the head of it: but since his departure, 
it has been transferred to two other brothers, Messrs, le Vigoreux, of St. Malo, 
captains of ships in the service of the India Company; and they are pushing it 
forward at enormous expence. 
As there is a great deal of fine wood in the island, which is calculated for every 
kind of construction, M. de la Bourdonnais began to build ships for the’ service of 
the Company. The first, named the Insulaire , was unfortunately lost. It was too 
long in finishing; a circumstance which cost the Company dear, and the lives of 
the whole equipage. She was commanded by M. de la Baume, and perished on 
Jier first going out, in the Ganges. 
At this time a frigate arrived to inform us of a war with England: M. de la 
Bourdonnais accordingly made every preparation for our defence, as well as to 
carry on his operations in the Indies. 
He made us practise various manoeuvres of attack and defence, on the principal 
batteries of the island : we made sham assaults on the forts with bamboo ladders. 
All our Creoles being thus disciplined and inured to military exercise, formed an 
excellent corps of volunteers, to join the European troops in the enterprize-which 
M. de la Bourdonnais meditated on Madras. These Creoles unite Jgreat strength 
and activity, to an intrepidity that nothing can resist. 
M. de la Bourdonnais having ordered all the troops under arms, he presented 
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