Departure from India for Europe. How I fell dangerously ill on board, and was saved by the Intercession of the Fen. Father Giovanni de Britto. (MS. A, Book III, pp. 116–122; here the Fl. MS. is suddenly divided into chapters, with the same numbers and titles as in MS. A. The text is also identical. This ch. occupies f° 250–253.)

On the twenty-first of January, 1727, I most unwillingly left the beloved mission of Carnat and embarked on the Danae, where I was most kindly received by all on board. The anchor was lifted and sails set, but the wind died away and we remained in sight of Pondiscerý until the evening of the twenty-third. The wind being favourable, we passed the Cape of Seilan [Ceylon] on the fifth of February. But it soon blew hard and on the twentieth the sea became very rough owing to a hurricane which had devastated the Isles of France, or Mauritius, and Bourbon, or Mascarene. On the twenty-fifth we sighted the Isle of France, and with great difficulty got into the harbour, where we passed some days discharging cargo and taking in water and wood. This isle once belonged to the Dutch, but they abandoned it, and some French ships of the East India Company took possession in the name of the Company and left officers, soldiers, and other people as colonists. It now produces excellent tobacco, coffee and such like things. At first the inhabitants lived principally on fish and the flesh of deer and wild goats which are abundant, while near by on some small desert islands are many land and sea tortoises which they eat. We left the Isle of France, or Mauritius, and soon sighted the Isle of Mascarene, or Bourbon.