3 5 8 
HISTORY OF MAURITIUS. 
were seen at sunset, to the north-east, which other vessels have fallen in with, and 
in this chart are named the Trois Freres. 
“ In 1771, the corvettes, l’Heure du Berger and l’Etoile du Matin, fell in 
with six isles, as well as a part of the Trois Freres : the course that was taken when 
they lost sight of them, to the Isle of Diego Garcia , determines the position of the 
latter, which is confirmed by the almost direct track of the Bouffonne, in 1777. This 
corvette being off the southern point of the southernmost of the Trois Freres , the 
latitude was observed to be in 6° 19' south. Having continued its course to the 
south-south-east five leagues and an half, it neared the Six Islands in the latitude of 
6° 34' south, and proceeding in the same track till 7 0 20' south latitude, it stood to 
the east six or seven leagues. Land was then visible at about seven leagues distance; 
and at noon they surveyed the southern point of Diego Garcia to the east, and the 
point to the north-north-east by north, 3 0 east, at the distance of about five leagues. 
They then steered to the north, and north by north-east, to get to the north of the 
Isle, and to enter the bay where they came to an anchor. 
“ In 1775, the ship the Calcutta, after having found a bottom, fell in with the 
Trois Freres , in the same latitude as the preceding ships. The longitude, on 
getting sight of these islands, by an observation made from the distance of the sun 
and moon, differs 33' to the west, from that determined by the eclipse of the moon 
on the 22d of November, 1760. 
* 4 In 1747, the ship the Kerkuyk saw the same islands. 
“ It appears by the latitude that was observed on board the Grantham, in 1728, 
that the islands which were surveyed to the west, and south-west, are the Trois 
Freres , and that standing to the north, they fell in with shoal water, in 5 0 48' 
south. 
“ The Six Islands were also seen by the ships 1 ’Aigle and Due d’Orleans, in 1757. 
By the description given in the journal of the last ship, it cannot be doubted that 
they are the same which were fallen in with by the ships l’Egmont, l’Heure du Berger, 
l’Etoile du Matin, and la Bouffonne. 
“ In 1763, the ship Pitt fell in with the Six Islands, and Diego Garcia , or Chagas. 
Though the longitude of this island on the chart, is not the same as that which is 
given to it by the observation made of the distance of the sun and moon on board this 
ship, the difference is no more than 46' west. The difference which results from 
the observation made in 1769 by l’Heure du Berger, is more considerable, being 
