HISTORY OF MAURITIUS. 
488 
The captain of the vessel shewed him two letters, one of an English commander, 
named Martin, and the other of Captain Banner, by which they inform their coun¬ 
trymen, that they found many refreshments here, particularly in fruit; but had not 
been able to meet with any fresh water; and that linen and paper were much sought 
after by the inhabitants ; but that great care was to be taken not to indispose them, 
as, with all their friendly appearance, they might do much harm. (i The road being 
surrounded with rocks, the Arab captain advised me,” (continues Commodore 
Bealieu) ,c not to approach the island without a pilot, I accordingly sent my boat 
on shore with him, and he returned in the afternoon with two of the inhabitants, 
who, before sunset, brought the vessel to an anchor in a place of security. I then 
sent back the Arab captain to his vessel, with the strongest assurances that we had 
no bad intentions, and of our friendly disposition: I charged him at the same time 
with a letter, written in Spanish, containing the same assurances to the king of the 
island. 
“ Soon after the king sent some of his principal favourites to assure us of his 
friendship, and of his inclination to furnish us with all the productions of the island 
which we might stand in need of; on which I sent him, as a present, a dagger with a 
silver handle, two fine knives, a ream of paper, and a looking-glass, which he received 
with great satisfaction, and in return sent me a kid and some fruits. At the same 
time I begged the Arab captain, who was then on shore, to buy me some provisions, 
promising to send him the necessary merchandize to be given in exchange. He an¬ 
swered, that the inhabitants of the island have such strange ideas, that they would not 
conclude any bargain of the value of a single real in a day, nor would buy one 
single yard of linen, without calling in all their relations and neighbours to fix upon 
the price they were to give for it. I was likewise informed, that a Portuguese India 
ship having been cast upon this island about three years ago, the inhabitants had 
supplied themselves so abundantly with European goods, that they were no longer 
of any value. 
“ The following day, I observed two vessels of the country, and made the captains 
come on board, who informed me that they came from the island of Mayotta, that 
they were laden with rice and dried fish, bound for Mombza. The next day they 
furnished us with as much rice, peas, and hung beef, as would serve us four months, 
which gave the greater satisfaction, as we could not buy any thing from the in¬ 
habitants without a considerable delay; besides, I began to suspect their sincerity, 
