HISTORY OF MAURITIUS. 
298 
Dauphin in their island, that the wine we drink is the blood of Negroes. They 
escape into the forest and mountains of the Isle of France; and whenever they 
find a canoe or other small boat along the coast, they endeavour to get possession 
of it, and discover not only uncommon courage, but address and agility in getting 
to sea. Sometimes they contrive to make a large pirogue or canoe of a single tree, 
some of which are very large in this island; and in one of these they will attempt 
a passage of an hundred leagues. It also happens that, when they are found to 
be too numerous for the canoe to contain them with safety, they will alternately 
embark and swim throughout the voyage. Though many of these adventurers are 
lost, some of them have been known to reach their native island. 
We do not, however, go in pursuit of them, but when they have invaded the 
plantations, or committed some crime which calls for vengeance, as it once happened 
with respect both to my uncle and myself. 
Being informed of my absence, eight of them entered, during the night, into his 
apartment. They deliberated for some time whether they should not murder him; 
but perceiving he was asleep, they contented themselves with robbing him as well 
as me; and, among other things, took my fire-arms and a barrel of powder. 
Enraged, on my return, at this daring act of plunder, I took a small detachment 
of soldiers with me, and remained six weeks in.the forests and mountains in pursuit 
of them. I killed the first who presented himself, and who was on the moment of 
employing my own arms against me. We took the most dangerous of them, who 
had been guilty of several murders, and they suffered the punishment they deserved. 
One of them had been my huntsman, and had rendered himself so formidable through¬ 
out the island, that it was dangerous to frequent the roads in the neighbourhood 
of the woods, from an apprehension of this man and his band of companions. 
The arrival of our new Governor brought prosperity along with it: at the same 
time five ships arrived from Nantes, laden with flour, wine, and other necessary 
provisions for the island. 
M. David* has already been Governor of Senegal: he is rich, and demonstrates 
* M. David was a native of Provence, and the son of a Director of the East India Company. 
After he had made the necessary arrangements for the welfare of the colony, he engaged in certain 
undertakings on his own account. One of these he formed on the sea shore, for the manufacture 
of lime, and placed seventy Negroes in it. This was a very necessary establishment, in order to 
carry on the public buildings of the Company. He also built an house for himself of stone, which 
