The Honest Jonny | BLOG

History Of Mauritius Series Part 1

Mauritius was first discovered by the Arabs in 975 AD, then by the Portuguese between 1507and 1513. In 1598, the Dutch landed in a bay in the south-east. The Dutch admiral, VanWarwyck was in command of the fleet and he named the bay after himself (Warwyck haven).The bay is now known as Grand Port. He named the island "Mauritius" after Prince Mauritius Van Nassau, the stadtholder of Holland.

Although the Dutch called occasionally for shelter, food and fresh water, they made no attempt to develop the island. The beautiful bird, The DODO, which was described as a feathered tortoise was an easy target for the laziest hunter. Unfortunately, it was fat and couldn't fly.

In 1622, Danish adventurers arrived, hoping to exploit the ebony with which the island abounded. The French and British, too, began to see possibilities both for trade and strategy in the mascarenes and sent out expeditions in 1638. Their ships arrived too late. In May 1638, Cornelius Simonsz Gooyer had set up the first permanent Dutch settlement in Mauritius. He was sent by the Netherlands East India Company and became the first governor, over a population of 25 colonists who planned to exploit the island's resources of fine ebony and ambergris, rearing cattle and growing tobacco.

Over the next few years, a hundred slaves were imported from Madagascar and convicts sent over from Batavia (Java). The convicts were employed in cutting ebony. The free colonists came from Baltic and North Sea Ports. They were hardened man who were settlers out of desperation and coercion rather than through brave ideals. Attempts at colonisation failed because there were not enough settlers. By 1652, many left for the Cape of Good Hope which offered better prospects. Other attempts at colonisation failed miserably through cyclones, flood, drought and plague. Food shortages, an overall inefficient administration and attacks by pirate ships compounded their desire to leave and in 1710 the last settlers abandoned Mauritius leaving a batch of runaway slaves bent on vengeance for their ill treatment.

In September 1715, Guillaume Dufresne d'Arsel took possession of Mauritius in the name of King Louis XV of France. He named it the Ile de France, placed the French flag near what is now Port Louis, drew a document witnessed by his officers declaring the island French and sailed away after three days.

Extract Courtesy of www.mauritius.org.uk

Look out for Honest Jonny's take on the History of Mauritius next week........