III. PARADISE ON EARTH

"LAND, HO! LAND, HO!"

It came from the Crow's nest. The men thought it was another of their silly dreams until they saw it; a sheltered bay. They had never seen something so beautiful; a white sandy beach with water as clear as crystals. The Dutch believed a divine force had brought them here and named the place "Haven van Warwijck." "Haven" means "shelter" or "a secure place for ships" and "van Warwijck" means "of Warwijck."

Once on land, the men explored the surroundings in search of fresh food and water. When they reached higher grounds, Warwijck stopped and began looking around.

"Where on earth have we landed?"

After further exploration, they concluded that the island was uninhabited. Warwijck proclaimed it as the property of the V.O.C. before naming it Prins Maurits van Nassaueiland. (Prince Maurice of Nassau Island) Nassaueiland was covered with a dense forest. Forest meant trees, and trees meant wood, the raw material used in the construction and repair of ships. Going further up, they found boars, giant tortoise and strange birds. The birds were big, as fat as pigs, with large hooked beaks and small wings. The men started chasing the poor animal after realizing that the beast could not fly. Just like the giant tortoises, they were easy prays for the famished sailors. What caught Warwijck's eye was certain trees. He remembered seeing men selling such woods on the market for an exorbitant price, saying it was rare and made the finest furniture. They called it "Ebony." He took samples with him to show to his superiors. They stayed for some days in this little paradise until their ship and barrels were full again.

On the 2nd of October, the Dutchmen left the isle for the small town of Bantam in Java. Warwijck reported everything to his superiors there and ever since, Mauritius was used as a stationary where Dutch sailors would rest after long months at sea.