The first Europeans to have visited Mauritius were the
Portuguese at the beginning of the sixteenth century (most
probably in 1510). The Dutch who settled in the island in 1598
named it Mauritius after Prince Maurice of Nassau. Among other
things, the Dutch introduced sugar cane and the Java deer before
leaving in 1710 where they had found in the mean time a far
better settling place: The Cape of Good Hope in South Africa.
About five years later, in 1715, the French occupied the island,
renaming it "Isle de France". It was under the French Governor,
Mahé de Labourdonnais, that Mauritius knew its first
development: a harbour was built. Port Louis, named after the
ruling king Louis XV, became the capital of Mauritius. Trade on
the island thrived; Mauritius could supply enough sugar and rum
to the surrounding islands and visiting vessels. From this
strategic position in the Indian Ocean, the French were plaguing
English vessels on their way to and from India. In 1810, the
British conquered the island which they