HISTORY OF MAURITIUS. 
563 
quences of their conduct, they associated themselves with all the discontented peo¬ 
ple and Sans-culottes of the colony, who were ever ready to take a part with those 
who wanted to excite insurrection and disorder. 
It was in the afternoon of the 4th of November, 1799, when the conspiracy 
burst forth in the town of the North-west Port, at three o’clock; an hour, when the 
greatest part of the most respectable inhabitants are accustomed to retire to rest, 
during the sultry part of the day. The conspirators caused the alarm to be beat 
at the top of the great street, a kind of suburb, where they principally resided. 
The Governor-general Malartic, hearing the alarm beat without his orders, sent 
immediately one of his aides-du-camp, to be informed of the cause of this alarm, 
and take the necessary measures to put an end to it. The municipality also 
repaired to its post, and sent likewise one of its officers to support the orders 
of the general; but neither the aid-de-camp, nor the municipal officer were 
listened to by the conspirators, who assembled in arms, and formed themselves in 
a body near the drummers. The aid-de-camp and the municipal officer, not being 
able, by their representations, to hinder them from continuing to beat the alarm, 
endeavoured to snatch the drumsticks from the drummers; but they were prevented, 
and a pistol was fired at both of them, but fortunately without effect. The 
drummers continuing to beat, the conspirators continued to increase, till they 
amounted to about six hundred. They then hastened to the parade, to get posses¬ 
sion of the field-pieces in the court of the municipality, These field-pieces be¬ 
longed to the company of flying artillery, which was composed of chosen young 
men, all of them addicted to good order, and zealous for the honour of their 
corps. The alarm was no sooner heard by these young men, than they hurried to 
their post; but their cannon were already in the hands of the conspirators. Im¬ 
pelled, however, by their courageous spirit, and without reflecting that they had 
only their sabres to defend themselves against men armed with loaded muskets 
and bayonets, they rushed upon them to retake their cannon ; but notwithstanding 
their courage, they were necessarily repulsed by the fire of the conspirators, who 
were superior in number. Several of them fell the victims of their rashness, and 
the rest were obliged to retreat. The conspirators, being now in possession of the 
parade, the field-pieces and magazines, placed sentinels every where, to prevent the 
other inhabitants from assembling; and loudly demanded of General Malartic to 
dissolve the Colonial Assembly. 
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