Old Port Louis : Part I

Mauritius is a nation that is wonderfully blessed with a rich colonial history which set its mark in the human influenced history of the island as there was no evidence of any indigenous population until the seventeenth century. Abandoned by its previous settlers, Mauritius started to take shape only when the French took possession of the island, first hand by Guillaume Dufresne d'Arsel, and named it Isle de France in 1715. It was under the governance of Mahe de Labourdonnais that the island took shape effectively. (Macmillan, 2000)

The Birth of the City

The city of Port Louis as for itself only started to take form under the French colony. It became an important strategic point on the island when the French East India Company became aware of the potential of its sheltered harbour and the protection provided by the mountains. They adopted the town as their headquarters in late 1720s in preference to Grand Port which is situated in the South East. Grand port was the principal port of the island and was known as Port Bourbon, where the Dutch mainly settled during their attempt to colonisation. The geological location of the port was very problematic for sailors to enter and leave it due to the strong south-east trade wind (wind that blows towards the Equator from the southeast) which prevailed most during the year.

Geography of Mauritius

Situated in the north west of the island, Port Louis is very well protected from strong winds that prevail during cyclonic seasons by the Port Louis - Moka Mountain Range, which made it a very suitable location for a sheltered port. The mountain range was formed seven million years ago by consequent lava flow from the volcanic eruption, together with the other two mountain massifs of the island (Black River-Savanne Mountain range, Bambous Mountain Range) (Proag, 1995). The mountain range is an ensemble from a caldera, which can be seen to from a rough discontinuous circle around the central upper lands and highlands. As described by the English naturalist and geologist Charles Darwin upon his approach to the city, the jagged mountains surrounding Port Louis rise to a height that varies between 2000 and 3000 feet; within which lies a strata of basalt, vaguely separated from each other by firmly aggregated beds of fragmentary matter (Darwin, 1844). The city, nowadays, expands itself on an area of 46.7 km2 and the topography of the land is fairly flat from the mountain range feet towards the coast of the harbour. It has a hot semi-arid climate with the wettest months being from December to April, all through the other months the area is fairly dry. The coolest temperature is during the mid-year with an average high of 240C and the highest occurs during the wet seasons with an average high of 300C (Mauritian Archeology, 2016).

De Consigny legacy

The planning of Port Louis dates back to the French colonisation era and was a legacy of Charpentier de Cossigny who developed the city using Cartesian philosophy where all streets eventually make their way to the harbour or the quay, which is a place of convergence.

The grid organisation of the city with street that are perpendicular to one another and rarely diverging in angle creating plots of square and rectangular forms is a clear representation of the influence of the Cartesian grid and philosophy throughout the planning of the city. Due to this characteristic of the urban planning, many Mauritians consider that it is difficult to get easily lost in the city streets because the grids converge to the starting point of origin. Figure 1-2 shows a plan of Port Louis and the street layouts that clearly show the Cartesian grid influence in its planning. It can also be highlighted that the streets name are mostly French in the regions that are much closer to the quay.

The French City

What is today known as the capital and the main port of Mauritius was firmly established in 1735 upon the arrival of the Governor Bertrand François Mahé de Labourdonnais. He stamped his innovative brand of leadership on the administration and development of the island which had a strong impact the political and social aspect of Mauritius (Selvon, 2012).

In his motives towards development, several construction projects which had for objectives to provide the colonist with adequate modern amenities in order to improve their lives were initiated. Through the labour of slaves and contractual workers, many buildings were erected in the city. The slaves from Pondicherry, Goa and Madagascar were specially trained for the purpose of stone cutting and masonry (Selvon, 2012).

Among the important buildings during the French era was the La Bourdonnais hospital which was built and inaugurated in 1740 by the governor, and was already considered as being and architectural marvel of early Ile de France (named by the French). The hospital was erected to dispense sailors with medical assistance. Moreover, the governor’s mansion, barracks for military officials, an arsenal, numerous stores and military fortifications to defend the town were constructed. To encourage the settlers to live in Port Louis, Mahe de Labourdonnais ordained the construction of a church, a market and a theatre (Selvon, 2012).

One of the most influential and important building in the city of Port Louis, The Government House, was also built during the French colonisation. The building originally consisted of a wooden compartment, to later on being replaced by a one storey building. Eventually the building was expanded on the ground floor in 1738 and was then named Hôtel du Gouvernement. The building still stands graciously in the heart of the city today, though its initial French architecture nature has changed over time as the building knew even more changes and additions during the British era to take its final form as we know it today.

Photographer unknown, The Government House built by the French in Port Louis and amended later on by the British, Mauritius, 1870

Besides, in 1787 when Port Louis was made into a free port that welcomed ships of all nations and this allowed for a consequent rise in the number of merchants from 103 in 1776 to 365 in 1803 around it (Peerthum, 2011). This rise demanded for further development of the area. Streets were then stoned paved, the wooden houses were replaced by stones one, and newer buildings started to crop in the city. Many of the French colonial buildings are no more present in the city or have been altered from their primary architecture, but the stoned paved streets can still be seen around the capital.

Stone paved streets, with hawkers on the side, Port Louis, Mauritius, 2016 (photograph by author)

Despite the numerous developments made by the French on Ile de France, the island was captured during the Battle of Grand Port in 1810. The possession of the island was confirmed four years later by the Treaty of Paris and the French epoch came to an end. However, it is important to highlight that some of the French constructions were either renovated or destroyed by the British.