Located on the south-west side of the island, construction of the port at Saint-Pierre commenced in 1854 and wasn’t completed until nearly 30 years later.
This publication appeared near the mid-point of that time and presents the author’s comments on the progress of the works, which he describes as “indispensable” to the island. He prefaces his remarks with a brief history of the location, outlines some of the ongoing costs, and quotes from official documents. The text is accompanied by a handsome plan printed in four colours.
It was a difficult time for Réunion which had seen demand for its sugar exports collapse. The economy would suffer further with the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 which reduced the number of ships provisioning there.
The author remains anonymous, but in addition to identifying as a Creole, he states that he lived both at Saint-Pierre and Saint-Paul which is to the north-west. Creoles receiving education, or rising through the ranks of society, was not unheard of in Réunion. Their first Creole governor, Louis Henri Hubert Delisle (1811-1881), served from 1852-1858 (i.e. the first phase of the port’s construction). The text is dated February, 1862. It’s possible that this publication was a reputation enhancing effort on Delisle’s part. Given the access to government papers and the expense of production, this pamphlet’s authorship could have only been drawn from a small circle.
Rare. OCLC locates two copies at BnF and Ecole Nationale des Pons et Chaussees.
Ryckebusch, 5978.
