480 
HISTORY OF MAURITIUS. 
overcome his resolution. In the meanwhile the ship’s crew carried on their traffic 
without entertaining the least suspicion of any treachery: but, on the 31st of 
March, the chaloupe and a canoe having been ordered out with eight-and-twenty 
men, to take in water, they did not return as was usual, at sunset. In vain were 
signals fired and repeated; and the night passed without receiving any news of them. 
Next day a white flag was hoisted, and all the necessary precautions were taken to 
prevent a sudden attack: no body, however, appeared upon the shore, neither 
did any canoe come off, nor was any signal made to answer those of the fleet. 
So strange an event excited the greater alarm in the Admiral, as, after such a 
diminution of his forces, the crew that remained, half of whom were sick, was not 
sufficient to give any hopes of succeeding by violence. Although he had lost 
his chaloupe and canoe he could have landed some of his men near a suburb 
of about two hundred houses, called the Fisher's Suburb , and at least demand 
the reason of an event that confounded him. Confidence and friendship had 
reigned without interruption throughout their intercourse : nor had there arisen 
the least dispute between the Dutch and the Islanders. It was, however, to be 
feared, that those who landed might be detained like the rest, which would neces¬ 
sarily produce some acts of hostilities; they therefore got under way, and having 
stood into the bay, they made fresh signals of their preparations to depart. At last 
Spilberg, discouraged at so many useless endeavours, resolved to sail for the Isle 
of Anjouan, where the Oueen, then sovereign of the four Commora Islands, 
ordinarily held her court: with this design he weighed anchor; but his surprise 
and grief were much increased when, having stood off both Anjouan and Mayotta, 
he found in the inhabitants the same obstinacy in not shewing themselves, and refusing 
to answer his signals, although they formerly brought their refreshments freely on 
board the fleet: prudence, however, would not allow him to land on the two 
islands. At last the discontents of the sick, and the impossibility of freeing the 
prisoners, caused him to call those who were in a condition to hear him, to witness 
that he had no reason to reproach himself for what had happened, and that the 
interest of his masters obliged him to continue his voyage. This resolution was 
universally approved, and they immediately set sail. The eight-and-twenty men 
who were thus abandoned, and among whom was the Admiral’s secretary, were the 
healthiest and strongest persons of the fleet. 
