35 2 
HISTORY OF MAURITIUS. 
meet with difficulties and dangers in crossing them ; but whatever their reasons may 
have been, though a regular examination would have been sufficient to overturn 
them, they did not prevent M. le Chevalier Grenier from rendering this impor¬ 
tant service to navigation. He proposed this course, and executed it with success, in 
the King’s frigate la Belle Poule. Having got into 89° of longitude, he passed the 
line on the twenty-eighth day of his departure. 
“ The ship le Castries, commanded by M. de Winslow, which left the Isle of 
France in December, did not occupy more than twenty-seven days in getting within 
sight of Ceylon. The ship the Bien-venu, Captain M. Violette, followed the same 
track, while another vessel, which took the general course, in the shortest way, 
employed two months in going to Pondicherry. These examples evidently prove 
that the new track ought to be preferred. 
“ For this purpose it is necessary, on taking departure from the Isle of France 
in the months of November, December, January, February, and even in the be¬ 
ginning of March, to follow the track which I have marked out for the south-west 
monsoon, as far as 5 0 of latitude ; to follow towards the east, the parallel between 
4 0 and 4 0 40' latitude; and to get up sufficiently to the east, in order to cross the 
Equinoctial line, conformably to the final object of the voyage. 
tc The same course may be adopted in going from the Cape of Good Hope, 
when the season does not allow of reaching India but during the north-east mon¬ 
soon, when you must make the Isle Rodriguez; from whence you will steer your 
course north by north-east, as far as the parallel between 4 0 and 4 0 40', which must 
be continued to the east, as I have already observed. 
“ Though I am persuaded that there is no danger between the parallel of 4 0 and 
that of 3 0 , nevertheless, till my opinion is confirmed by actual experience, I shall 
not be peremptory in recommending voyagers to frequent it. Whenever an island 
is perceived, it should not be considered as attended with danger, if the latitude of 
its situation is known ; and if the longitude of it be determined, it becomes even a 
necessary point of direction. 
“ I believe that it would be well, in following this course, not to approach the 
line in less than 2 0 of latitude, to avoid the changes, storms, and calms, which must 
be occasioned by the different directions of the winds.” 
