mauritius french period 3

Labourdonnais started a shipyard, so that ships could be built and not only repaired

But he soon discovered that unless there was a flourishing community in Port Louis, these commercial and naval facilities could not be provided. He knew that he needed the settlers to attain his goal. Credit facilities were, for example, established to help them.

Port Louis and the Harbour

He also started to build the harbour and fortifications in Port Louis as recommended by Cossigny before him. For this, he brought in qualified architects and other workmen from Madras. He also built the supporting services of the Port and facilities to cater the inhabitants of Port Louis. Among the many buildings built, there were warehouses, a dry dock for shipbuilding, an armoury and powder magazine, barracks and a fort. He also built an aqueduct, which brought a good water supply over miles from Grande Rivière Nord Ouest, and a hospital, which he permanently visited every day to check that it was running efficiently. The government house and an official residence for the Governor, Mon Plaisir at Pamplemousses, were also built

Agriculture

At Pamplemousses, Labourdonnais experimented new crops. One of the main obstacles to permanent settlement on the island, since the Dutch, had been food supply. As a result the population had often suffered from famine after cyclones and had relied heavily on imported food supplies. He thus encouraged the growing of food crops and one of his greatest successes was the introduction of manioc/cassava from Brazil. He also encouraged the cultivation of other crops like sugar cane, potatoes, vegetables, maize and other cereals as well as cotton and indigo. To encourage agriculture, he also brought slaves from Mozambique and Madagascar.

All this resulted in a steady growth of the population, which within the four years following Labourdonnais’ arrival increased, from 1000 to 3000.

Law and Order

One other achievement of Labourdonnais in Isle de France was the regulation of law and order. Runaway slaves had always been a threat to the colonists even in the time of the Dutch. Attacks on isolated farms were frequent and there were even cases of murder committed by runaway slaves. Labourdonnais tackled this issue with his usual firmness and energy. He organised what some have described as an early example against terrorist attacks. Part of the island’s garrison was given the special task of cleaning and patrolling the forests and hunting down runaway slaves. As a result, the roads built under Labourdonnais supervision were safer for the inhabitants.

Tragic End

The actions of Labourdonnais did not restrict itself to only the Mascarene Islands. It covered Mozambique and East Africa and spread as far as Pondicherry in India. At that time, Dupleix was the administrator of the French counters in India. The English dominated most of India with their headquarters in Madras. Realising the growing influence of the French in India, the English had decided to curb their influence in the region. Dupleix asked Labourdonnais, Governor of the French squadrons in the Indian Ocean, for help. But as they were equals in the hierarchy, they soon found themselves in conflict. They quickly became rivals. On the 13th September 1746 Labourdonnais’ fleet attacked Madras. The 21st September, Madras capitulated and all the English residents of Madras were taken as hostages and imprisoned. Labourdonnais demanded 1,200,000 pagodas (Pagodas being the currency used in India at that time) for the return of the English and the city. It was exactly on that issue that a bitter conflict opposed Dupleix to Labourdonnais. Labourdonnais and Dupleix had diverging ideas on how to conduct politics in India. Labourdonnais thought that without the control of the seas, marine expansion would be impossible. Dupleix on the other hand was more concerned in acquiring new territories and making deals with local rulers. Concerning Madras, Dupleix wanted to offer it to a local Nabals in exchange for another territory and was enraged by Labourdonnais actions on that subject. Dupleix accused Labourdonnais of selling out to the English and of being a traitor. And as Labourdonnais had many enemies, the accusation found its way to the highest level.

When he returned to Isle de France, he found that he had been relieved from his duties and that David had became the new Governor. On the 6th April 1747, he left Isle de France for France at the head of a fleet. On this tumultuous trip, he was captured by the English and brought to London. He was well treated in England and was even allowed to move freely. Finally in February 1748, he was allowed to return to France.

In Paris he was received at Versailles where he tried to defend himself against the various accusations of treachery, taking bribes and pocketing money from the English. In March 1748, he was arrested and sent to the Bastille where he was detained. After 26 months of imprisonment he was finally cleaned from all the accusations and released. The people of Paris who had taken port on for him celebrated his liberation.

Weakened by the long period of imprisonment, malaria, scurvy, and wounded in his self-esteem, he died on the 10th November 1753.

Labourdonnais is remembered as the greatest governor of Isle de France and the architect of Isle de France as the star and key of the Indian Ocean.

In August 1859, a statue was inaugurated at Place D’armes Port-Louis facing the sea to commemorate what he had achieved on the island. A similar statue can be seen in the Port of St Malo.

Until the Seven-Years war (1725-1759) Isle de France remained under the Company’s rule. When the war broke out, the limitations of Isle de France in refitting and provisioning a fleet became all too clear. It was too far from the main scene of battle and its resources in terms of food and accommodation were inadequate for a large fleet.

The Seven Years War also had disastrous consequences on France and the French East Indies Company. The French were defeated in North America and lost most of their overseas possessions. As a result, company trade fell and profits slumped. The effect on Isle de France was that business and trade decreased which brought less money to the island. To compensate that loss, Isle de France turned to privateer (corsairs).

But the most direct effect of the Seven-Years War was that the financial state of the F.E.I.C became so disastrous that it had to sell the island to the French crown. In 1764, the island was sold for 12 million pounds. And in 1767, the Royal Administration was established on the island.

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