Mauritus: On the Spice Route 1598-1810

This is the engrossing story of Mauritius—known as Isle de France to the French in the 18th century—the exotic Indian Ocean island port of call at the heart of the fabled "Spice Route". Recounted by an assortment of historical characters whose lives were closely intertwined with this former French colony, this book is an invitation to travel back in time to its rich and checkered history. Although first discovered and visited by the Arabs and the Portuguese, and subsequently colonised by the Dutch, the French and the English, it is the French influence that is most keenly felt in Mauritius today, thanks to France's nearly century-long rule over Mauritius from 1715 to 1810.

Interspersed with rare archival documents are fascinating stories of well-known French figures of this period, like the founder of the colony Governor Mahé de La Bourdonnais, the explorer and botanist Pierre Poivre, and the celebrated explorer Jean-François de Lapérouse, among others, all researched and written by Denis Piat and complemented by rich illustrations. This book is the updated English-language version of the original French edition of Sur la Route des Epices: L'Ile Maurice, first published in 1994.