476 
HISTORY OF MAURITIUS. 
We cannot enter at present into a more minute detail of the archipelago which 
separates India from the Isle of France, though it is absolutely necessary to be well 
acquainted with it, in order to undertake the most direct course during either of the 
monsoons. 
The following events, that happened in these seas, afford the consolatory infor¬ 
mation, that any unfortunate shipwrecked navigator, thrown on the arid coast or 
barren isles, may find from the fish and animals which frequent the shores, a certain 
subsistence. 
The ship named the Heureux left the Isle of France on the 30th of August, 1769, 
being bound forBengal, and most unexpectedly fell in with the islands of Jean deNove. 
The captain determined to pass them to leeward, and to avoid, by this manoeuvre, 
the surrounding dangers. As soon as he had doubled them he took his course 
north-east by north, with a view of shortening his passage by some days: he per¬ 
ceived that he ought not to neglect any means of accelerating his arrival in Bengal, 
because the season was very far advanced: but in this passage the vessel was cast 
at midnight, upon two shallows, which gave the crew no hopes of saving them¬ 
selves. These shallows were surrounded by a chain of breakers, which increased 
their alarm. All their manoeuvres appeared useless, and the vessel was upon the 
point of going to the bottom, when the captain ordered the anchor to be cast, in such 
a manner as to give him some hope of the vessels being shipwrecked in shoal- 
water. This manoeuvre succeeded, and the crew were enabled to pass the remainder 
of the night in the shrouds : day-break, however, did not free them from this dread* 
ful situation, but at half past six in the morning they had some glimmering of hope, 
as they perceived at a distance a small sand-bank : all the crew passed over to it in 
the boat which the captain had taken the precaution to hoist overboard hefore the 
fatal moment when his vessel was wrecked. But this sand-bank was nothing 
more than a flat shore, left bare by the sea at low tide. In this cruel dilemma the 
captain saw no other resource than to send his boat to the coast of Africa for 
assistance. These unfortunate people, eight hours after their departure, met with 
a rock in their way, which they called Providence Isle : this rock was not entirely 
barren, for they found in it fresh water, sea turtles, and cocoas. Nine of the boat’s 
crew remained there, whilst two strong rowers attempted to gain the sand-bank 
where the rest of the ship’s crew had taken refuge, in the expectation of receiving 
succour. Their hope, however, was lessening, as they saw the fatal term approach- 
