HISTORY OF MAURITIUS. 
3 2 7 
quarter of a league, where she was in eight fathom water, with a bottom of coral. She 
afterwards made a similar island, about three or four leagues east-north-east of the 
former: in the channel between them, there were thirty-five fathoms water, with a 
sandy bottom. The same day at noon, having made six leagues north-east by north, 
and being from an observation, in 5 0 59' of latitude, a third isle was seen at a league 
to the west, when they had from thirty to thirty-five fathoms water. 
“ The frigate La Gloire, in 1756, fell in with the Isle St. Frangois in its passage 
to Pate. 
M. du Roslan, who was dispatched in December, 1770, from the Isle of France, 
with the King’s corvettes, L'LIeure du Berger , and L'Etoile du Matin , to make dis¬ 
coveries in this Archipelago, made an island which he named the Isle Plate , whose 
latitude is 5 0 45', and longitude 53 0 11'. It appeared to him to be about a league 
in circumference. There was a reef extending about a quarter of a league to the 
westward of it. 
“ Steering from the Isle Plate to the north-west, he saw a second island north¬ 
west by west, and he neared it without finding any bottom, till he got within half a 
cannon shot of the shore. He sent an officer to find a convenient anchoring place, 
and the following day he himself landed to examine the island, which he named the 
Isle du Berger. It is more elevated on the side of the north than that of the south : 
in the middle there is a cut or separation, which, at some distance, gives it the ap¬ 
pearance of two islands. This cutis a bank of hard coral, covered with a thin coat 
of white sand, which the sea always overflows at high water; but, at low water, it 
is altogether dry, so as to form a passage from one part of the island to the other. 
It is about two leagues in circumference: the soil consists of a very hard coral, 
covered with sand; the trees are lofty, but their wood is of a spongy texture; there 
are also some small cocoa trees; and the whole island is surrounded with a reef at 
the distance of about a quarter of a league. There were a great variety of birds, 
and plenty of fish. 
<c This isle is in 5 0 45' latitude, and 52 0 48' longitude. In coasting it, an opening 
was observed in the reef, where boats might enter to get to the island by a kind of 
causeway, formed by the contrivance of nature : the reef abounds in turtle, sharks, 
and many other kinds of fish. It appeared to possess no insect but a small red ant, 
some spiders, and numbers of Nerites : the sailors say they saw there Caymans and 
blue fowls. 
