3 00 
HISTORY OF MAURITIUS. 
a place where they supposed that we had a masked battery: they cannonaded it 
from break of day, without the least return, as it was nothing more than a large 
heap of faggots, collected for a lime furnace, which their balls scattered about. 
In the evening of the same day we saw a number of well armed sloops, escorted 
by a frigate, and ranging before the batteries, which, however, could not reach 
them. We concluded that their intention was to make a descent at a place called 
the Little River, which was not guarded, and where there was a small inlet, 
through which one boat alone could pass at a time. As I was attentive to guard 
the coast, I hastened to this point with some small pieces, and arrived there at an 
early period of the night. I saw the frigate and the sloops furling their sails op¬ 
posite to me, while the latter appeared to be approaching the opening of the river. 
I immediately ordered my artillery to play, and, on the first discharge, the drums, 
which had scattered about in different places at some distance, with orders to come 
towards me, at that signal, came beating a march; which made the English suspect 
that my force was very considerable, and they accordingly retired from the shore. 
I however thought it necessary to pass the night under arms. At break of day the 
different vessels were returned to their former stations, and at eleven A. M. the 
whole fleet was under sail. 
Four of their ships, after having saluted the Admiral, passed to leeward towards 
Madagascar, while the rest held their course to windward, as if proceeding to 
India. It has been since said, that these four ships had several families on board, 
and a large quantity of every kind of utensil for the cultivation of the island, on 
the capture of which they had reckoned. The same report added, that we were all 
of us to have been sent to the Cape of Good Hope. 
The enemy was certainly deceived by appearances, and concluded, from cir¬ 
cumstances which were very fallacious, that we were in a state of defence very 
superior to our actual capacity. Or they might have imagined, that the time appa¬ 
rently necessary to take the island, would interfere with more important operations 
in India. But the English fleet was not more fortunate there, as our squadron 
was in a condition to meet them. Their campaign, indeed, was altogether fruitless, 
and they were glad to winter in their own settlements, &c. &c. 
Grant. 
