Pierre Félix Barthelemy
David, successor of Bertrand Mahé de Labourdonnais, took office as Governor of
the Isle de France on the 8th of October 1746 at a time of strong Anglo-French
rivalry for colonial possessions. It was therefore appropriate
that his main preoccupation was to take measures to fortify the island against
enemy attack. In a letter dated 28th of March 1748, addressed to the management
of the "Compagnie des Indes", he expressed his fears and anxiety to find a place
in the interior of the island where access would be difficult and where a
fortress could be built. This would facilitate the protection of women and
valuables and also check the progress of the enemy.
The Governor
initiated immediate action prior to receiving a reply from the authorities as he
considered it necessary for the works to be completed expediently. David settled
on an ideal site for his fortress - a spur in the Moka Range, triangular in
shape between steep gorges of the rivers Profonde and Cascade.
However in
July 1748, an English vice-admiral by the name of Edward Boscawen, commanding an
English fleet, approached the island carrying orders to take possession of it.
In the event, he retreated in the wake of the French canons situated at Petite
Rivière. The French Company made aware of this attack, finally authorised
David's project, insisting that strict economy should be observed. Under the
personal involvement of David, his "Le Réduit" was completed in 1749. It was a
small fortress with battlements and a drawbridge.
It is interesting to
note that in 1754, one of the directors of the "Compagnie des Indes", Mr.
Godeheu d'Igoville had strong doubts that Le Réduit would be able to withstand
sustained attacks, although he admired David's work. This opinion was also
shared by many other distinguished personalities, among others, the Governor
René Magon de la Ville Bague (1756). On the other hand, no less notable persons
agreed with David's concept, among them the Governor Malartic (1792) and Sir
Charles Colville (1838).
In 1749, Le Réduit was situated in spacious
ground where cotton was planted by David. However, it was under the
administration of his successor, Jean Baptiste Charles de Lozier-Bouvet, that a
botanist Jean-Baptiste Christophe Fusée-Aublet created the French garden which
became the pride and glory of Le Réduit and later introduced many rare plants
from America, Asia and Europe. Pepper plants and cinnamon-trees were added by
Antoine Marie Desforges-Boucher, last governor of the "Compagnie des
Indes".
The Island became the property of France in 1764 and Le Réduit
became the official residence of the governors, the first of whom was Jean
Daniel Dumas. Despite many modifications made during the period 1764-1778 the
Château was in ruins in 1778 due to the action of white ants.
Antoine de
Guiran La Brillane, the then governor, commenced reconstruction which was
completed the same year. A year later, on the 28th April 1779, La Brillane
passed away in Le Réduit. An inscription dated 1778 on the main door
commemorates the reconstruction.
Under the British rule, many
modifications were brought to the Château which required extensive repairs
following damages caused to it by the cyclones of 1868 and 1892. It is worth
mentioning, that the Château was saved from complete destruction during the
cyclone 1892 by the efforts of Governor Sir Henry Jerningham and his
assistants.
Successive French Governors followed La Brillane until 1810,
when the English took possession of the island. The last French Governor was
Charles Mathieu Isidore Decaen. Under British rule the name of the island was
restored to Mauritius and the First English Governor was Sir Robert Townsend
Farquhar. He paid particular attention to the gardens of Le Réduit and recruited
a gardener from England to help Jaunet, the horticulturist in charge. Under the
auspices of Sir Robert, two distinguished botanists, Boyer and Helsenberg,
explored Madagascar and the African coasts in search of rare plants for the
gardens.
Sir Hesketh Bell, years later, was also known to have taken keen
interest in the gardens of Le Réduit. He created an islet in the middle of the
lake, linked to the edge by a rustic bridge. He also installed a fountain on the
north side of the Château. Additionally he introduced many varieties of
decorative plants from Kew Gardens, London, and other plants from
Ceylon.
In 1921, wishing to make a grand gesture to the creator of Le
Réduit and linked with his own passions for the Gardens, he constructed a
memorial named "Le Temple de l'Amour" in David's memory. This is situated near
the ornamental lake at the end of the garden called "Bout du Monde" - from where
one can see below the confluence of the rivers Profonde and Cascade.
There is
a marble inscription on the floor of the memorial which reads TO
M. BARTHELEMY
DAVID
Gouverneur de l'Isle de France 1746
the creator of Le
Réduit
his Grateful Successors On the 12th March 1968,
Mauritius achieved independence and Sir John Shaw Rennie, G.C.M.G., O.B.E.,
became the first Governor-General.
On the 3rd of September 1968, Sir
Arthur Leonard Williams, G.C.M.G., G.C.V.O., succeeded Sir John. Sir Arthur dies
on the 27th of December 1972 and was buried in the cemetery of St. John,
situated in the proximity of the Château.
In 1972, Her Majesty Queen
Elizabeth 11 appointed Sir Raman Osman, G.C.M.G., C.B.E. as the first Mauritian
Governor-General. Sir Raman retired on the 31st of October, 1977.
Since
this date, the office of Governor-General was held in an acting capacity by His
Excellency Sir Henry Garrioch, formerly Chief Justice and subsequently as by His
Excellency Sir Dayendranath Burrenchobay, K.B.E., C.M.G., C.V.O., Head of the
Civil Service in March 1978, by H.E. Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam, K.C.M.G.,
G.C.M.G., P.C. in December 1983 and by Sir Veerasamy Ringadoo, G.C.M.G., Q.C.,
in January 1986. |
