On  the  3d,  I  dispatched  the  Postillion,  commanded
by  the  Sieur  Saunier,  and  attached  to  my  expedition,
with  orders  to  repair  to  Foul  Point,  and  dislodge  the
individuals  who  were  endeavouring  to  prejudice  the
natives  against  my  establishment ;  and  to  assure  Hyavi,
the  king  and  grand  chief  of  the  province,  of  my  friend-
ship, as  well  as  to  make  presents  to  him,  and  to  engage
him  to  demand  my  assistance  against  the  Fariavas,  with
whom  he  was  at  war.  This  appeared  to  me  the  most
certain  method  of  obtaining  permission  to  establish  a
post  at  Foul  Point.
On  the  9th,  his  majesty's  packet  Le  Dauphin,  sailed

478


MASTER  OF  FOUL  POINT

for  the  isle  of  France,  after  receiving  from  me  a  supply
of  brandy  and  rice,  of  which  she  was  in  the  greatest
want,

On  the  information  of  my  people,  that  the  blacks
in  spite  of  their  oaths,  insulted  the  sentinels  in  the
night,  and  the  Sieur  Senan,  store-keeper,  having  at  the
same  time  made  complaint,  that  the  magazines  had
been  robbed,  I  gave  notice  to  the  chiefs,  that  if  any
natives  should  approach  the  posts  in  the  night,  without
answering  the  sentinel,  as  had  been  agreed,  I  should  be
forced  to  fire  upon  them.  They  only  replied  to  my
interpreters,  that  if  I  killed  one  black,  they  would  in
return  kill  ten  whites.  The  same  evening  a  black
armed  with  his  sagaye,  having  with  others  come  near
a  sentinel,  placed  before  a  magazine,  and  instead  of
answering  having  thrown  a  sagaye  at  him,  the  sentinels
fired  upon  them,  slew  one,  and  wounded  two  others.
