Voyage à l'Isle de France, à l'Isle de Bourbon, au Cap de Bonne-Espérance...

Although best known for his association with Jean Jacques Rousseau and the Romantic movement, J.H. Saint-Pierre (1737-1814) spent his early career as a military engineer; from 1768 to 1771 he lived on the Isle de France (Mauritius), an island off the east coast of Africa that was an important strategic port on the route to and from the East Indies and a frequent land-fall for botanists and explorers. Saint-Pierre's book gives an account of the island, including a description of the slavery practiced by the French landowners: the first volume describes the natural history, climate, and local customs of Mauritius; the second volume covers his homeward-bound visits to the Isle de Bourbon (Réunion), the Cape of Good Hope, and the island of Ascension. The Smithsonian Libraries holds a strong collection of published works in these areas from the 16th through the 19th century to support the work of curators and researchers in botany and zoology at the National Museum of Natural History who study the flora and fauna of Mauritius and the nearby islands off Africa.