500 
HISTORY OF MAURITIUS. 
over, and does not. wear the appearance of fertility: it spreads itself as far as a settle¬ 
ment called the four Cocoas, where there is no other water but that of a brackish 
well, dug in the rocks, which are full of iron ore. 
" A path on the left leads to the woods, where the rocks re-appear. The river 
Flacq is crossed by planks, at about a quarter of a league from its mouth: the 
plantations here are numerous, and there is also a magazine situated on the left 
bank, and a post commanded by a captain. 
“ The quarter of Flacq is one of the best cultivated in the island, and produces 
large quantities of rice; there is a passage between the reefs which allow the gaulettes 
to take in their cargoes close to shore. 
“ Near the post de Fayette , almost the whole of the coast is covered with broken 
rocks and mango trees. 
“ The Cove des Aigrettes , a considerable arm of the sea, is fordable. At some 
distance from thence is the Cove aux Requins. Large beds of rock are seen here, 
pierced with a great number of round holes, a foot in diameter; some of which are 
of considerable depth. It may be presumed that the lava of some volcano, having 
formerly flowed down upon a part of the forest, had consumed the trees, and left the 
apertures empty which they had occupied. 
“ From the post of Fayette to the river du Rempart the flat country continues: 
this quarter is likewise well cultivated. 
“ Having passed the district and river called la Poudred’Or , large woods succeed: 
the soil is good, but there is no water: beyond these is the river des Citronniers y 
and a plantation belonging to M. Gole: there are then four leagues of uninha¬ 
bited country before you arrive at the Pointe des Cannoniers. In the district of 
Pamplemousses the ground appears to be exhausted, nor can it well be otherwise, 
as it has been cultivated during a period of thirty years, without being restored by 
manure. In the dry seasons the rivers la Poudre dVr, la Secbe, and des La - 
taniers, are fordable; but there is always a running stream of fresh water in their 
respective channels. 
“ The island contains three churches: the first is at Port Louis , the second at the 
South-east Port t and the third, which is the most commodious, is at Pamplemousses . 
A very handsome structure of this kind has been constructed at Port Louis , but 
it was raised to such an elevation that it was shaken by the hurricanes.” 
It was in the course of this tour that M. de St. Pierre met with an hermit, who 
gave the following account of his solitude. 
