HISTORY OF MAURITIUS. 
3*5 
would be useless to anchor without, when you can enter readily into the port. The 
channel is marked out with buoys, which carry also small flags. You steer south¬ 
east, and south-east by south, towards two points of the mountains, which are 
called Pieterbot , leaving them a little to the starboard. You will then get within 
the first point of the Isle of Tonncliers. 
<l When the Isle Ronde begins only to be visible in the evening, and the Coin de 
Mire cannot be doubled before night, as it is very dangerous to venture between the 
isles when the surrounding objects are but dimly seen, it would be much better 
to make small tacks off the Isle Ronde , but to take care not to get more than two 
leagues from it, by stretching towards the Isle of France, on account of the reefs 
that surround it: because this being a very low coast, a vessel might find itself on 
the rocks before it saw land. It would be very injudicious in this sea to heave to, 
or to drive under a main sail, on account of the tides. 
“ After having doubled the Isle Ronde , if the Coin de Mire and the Isle Longue 
are visible, which may happen in a moonlight night and fine weather, you may con¬ 
tinue your course and pass between them. It will be sufficient to attend to the 
chain of rocks off the Isle Longue , as well as that off the Coin de Mire , which 
have been already mentioned; and when you have passed the last, and shall have 
got a league and an half farther to the west, you must steer to the west-south-west 
of the compass, to range along the reef of the Pointe des Canonniers. A fire is 
generally lighted on this point as soon as any vessels are discovered. When this fire 
is south-east about the distance of a league, you will have doubled the reef, and 
must continue to stretch along the coast, with the precaution of not quitting fifteen 
fathom water. 
“ Nevertheless, as it is difficult to reconnoitre the entrance of the port during the 
night, and as you may be easily deceived by the different fires on the mountains, it 
would be preferable, after having doubled the Pointe des Canonnicrs y to anchor in 
eighteen or twenty fathom water, and to wait till it is daylight, in order to come to 
moorings before the port. 
<s It would be dangerous, with a feeble wind or in a calm, either by day or night, 
to draw near the Pointe des Canonniers , on account of the eddies of the tides, which 
are very rapid there.” 
S s 2 
