486 
HISTORY OF MAURITIUS. 
amorous indulgence. They often avail themselves of the liberty which their laws 
allow them, to divorce their wives on the slightest pretences, and from the mere love 
of variety; though they generally have two or three wives, and as many concubines 
as they can maintain. They will ask freely for what will give them pleasure; but 
they are by no means addicted to theft: they treat the'English, in particular, with 
the greatest cordiality, from a principle of gratitude, for the essential assistance 
which they formerly received from them in their wars with the people of Mohilla: 
at the same time they are extremely jealous of all other European nations, especially 
of the Portuguese, with whose usurpations on the shores of the continent they are 
well acquainted. They trust, for their defence, to the inaccessable mountains in the 
interior parts of the island, and consider them as the impenetrable barriers which 
nature has given them. 
Their tongue is a corrupt Arabic, blended with the language of Zanguebar, a part 
of the continent opposite to them, and from whence, it is probable, that the Com- 
mora Isles were originally peopled. The white people among them, who are gene¬ 
rally of an elevated rank, enjoy a superior degree of consideration. They derive 
their colour from a connection with the Arabs and Europeans, with whom they were 
formerly more connected than they are at present: they have, indeed, adopted the 
jealousy of the Arabs, as well as their religion and manners; their religion is, never¬ 
theless, a gross kind of Mahometanism^ corrupted by the remains of their own 
ancient superstitions. They hate and fear the devil to such a degree that they 
sometimes burn him in effigy, as a mark of their detestation for that common enemy 
of the human race: they also believe very much in ghosts, and their fear of them is 
equal to their faith in them. In general, the religion and manners of the inhabitants 
of these several islands bear a strong resemblance to each other, and only differ in 
certain usages and customs. 
There are seventy-three villages in this island, besides the town of Johanna, where 
the king resides : the inhabitants are supposed to amount to one hundred and thirty 
thousand j the town of Johanna contains about two hundred houses, the greatest 
part of which are inhabited by the principal personages of the country; they are 
built of stone, but are very low, except the king’s palace, which is high and spacious: 
strangers are permitted a free entrance into the anti-chamber, but the other apart¬ 
ments are reserved for the royal family. 
The title of King is given to the chief of this island: in fact, he possesses an 
