HISTORY OF MAURITIUS. 
4^9 
Western extremity of the town, where a flag is hoisted when a vessel is discovered 
in the offing. There is another upon a still more elevated and distant point, which 
serves as a signal to the inhabitants of the country; so that by their means any intel¬ 
ligence is communicated to the whole island. When the island was menaced by the 
English admiral, previous to the siege of Pondicherry, M. de la Bourdonnais, 
with incredible difficulty, contrived to place some mortars on the first of these 
mountains. 
There are scorpions in the Isle of France, but no wild beast of a dangerous 
nature. Its harbours, as well as the rivers and coasts, furnish abundance of 
fish, &c. 
The island contains four parishes, and as many churches, and as the inhabitants 
increase, other parishes are marked out, and places of worship erected. The prin¬ 
cipal church, when finished, will be the largest, as well as the best, piece of archi¬ 
tecture in the island. The Governor, besides his town house, has a villa in the 
country, called the Reduit, in the middle of a wood, guarded with some pieces of 
cannon, where there is a curious garden under the direction of M. Oblette, an expe¬ 
rienced botanist. On the south-east coast of the island, there is another large 
harbour, which possesses a far more commodious entrance, but as the winds gene¬ 
rally blow into it, it is seldom frequented from the difficulty of its outward passage : 
there is a small town near it, where the Company has a warehouse. The woods 
were formerly full of deer, but they have been so much destroyed, that their number 
at present is comparatively small, except in the impenetrable parts of the forest, 
where they retire for safety. 
There are many high mountains, the most remarkable of which is called Peter- 
bot, a name that was given it by the Dutch. It is of an extraordinary elevation, 
and its summit is generally covered with clouds. Many of the large rocks and 
stones, which are scattered about the country, are cleft in two at equal distances, 
from six to twelve inches, as if it had been the work of art, instead of some singular 
operation of nature. Beneath these rocks and stones rats are found in great num¬ 
bers, which are very destructive to the plantations: however, the inhabitants are 
sufficiently encouraged in their labour, by constant demands for their productions, 
and the price that is paid for them. Hence it is, that the plantations are increasing 
in number, extent, and value ; the wood is proportionably cleared, and the scene of 
cultivation enlarged and improved. The plantations require from thirty to two 
