HISTORY OF MAURITIUS. 
567 
Armed Force of the Isle of France. 
National guard. Whites, and Mulattoes - 2000 
Black and Mulatto slaves to be armed as chasseurs, or to serve the artillery 3000 
Total of the armed force 5000 
N. B. It is only since the year 1798, that the taxes have sufficed for the interior 
expences of the Isle of France, as the Colonial Assembly then established a custom¬ 
house, to receive a tax on importation from five to ten per cent, on all merchandise 
brought to the colony by neutral ships. This tax was reduced to two-thirds for 
French vessels. 
Expence of the Isle of France in 1798, to be charged to the French Republic. 
N. B. In 1798, there were but 800 regular troops, who were driven out of the 
Isle of France this same year. 
piastres * 
For 800 regular troops, the staff and extraordinaries 
299,302 f 
Fortification - - 
- 
i- 9»335 
Artillery 
- 
10,560 
Port - 
- 
33> 2 97 
Hospital - 
53 > 8 9 2 
Administration 
27,21 6 
Marine of the Port and Cayenne (prison ship) 
10,163 
Six hundred rationaires - 
- 
28,758 
Support of the Blacks of the Republic 
- 
27,632 
Pensions granted to several persons 
- 
1,229 
Divers minute expences 
- 
. U 8 97 
Garden of the Republic (M. Sere) 
- 
9 2 7 
Hard piastres 
514,208 
Spanish dollars. 
about £ 100,000 
* The piastre is almost five shillings English. 
f All this expence was to be suppressed after the inhabitants dismissed the regular troops, 
consequently, the expence for the preservation of the isle, does not cost 200,000 piastres, or 
.£40,000. sterling, and they find the means of levying this sum upon the exterior commerce of the 
island.^ 
