Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
people in that condition. This supper was for me one of the most deli-
cious moments of my life . . .
10
But there could be no dallying in this delectable haven. There
was little more than a month to the start of the north-east monsoon.
In that month Bougainville had to reach Batavia and stay there long
enough to obtain supplies and repairs before taking once more to
the open sea. Thus, after only eight days, the
Boudeuse
and the
Étoile
weighed anchor from Kajeli. Bougainville naturally did not indicate
in his journal whether he had obtained during his brief stay what he
had come to the Moluccas for. Perhaps he did not; Pierre Veóron cer-
tainly had to return to the Spice Islands the following year for the vi-
tal plants upon which the prosperity of IÎle de France was destined to
be founded.
On 28 September, after a good spell of sailing weather, the ex-
pedition reached Batavia. Like other commanders before him, Bou-
gainville was anxious to expose his men as little as possible to the
fever-haunted avenues and palaces of the city. Yet it took two and a
half weeks to see his ships provisioned and put in readiness for the
homeward stage of the voyage. By that time malaria and dysentery
were rife among his crews and four men eventually died.
The
Boudeuse
and the
Étoile
left Batavia on 16 October 1768
and after a good crossing reached Port Louis on the north-west coast
of IÎle de France. Bougainville and his men must have been delighted
to be back among their own countrymen but they found the summer
heat and humidity of the little colony oppressive. They also found
the inhabitants bitterly divided by quarrels between the new gov-
ernor, Jean Dumas, and representatives of the East India Company
(Dumas was, in fact, recalled during the
Boudeuse's
stay). Bougain-
ville shared with the leaders of the community whatever informa-
tion he had gleaned in the Moluccas and it was agreed that Veóron
should remain to help re-establish relations with the ruler of Kajeli.
