INSIDE MAURITIUS THE ART OF DISCOVERY 60 Le Pouce: According to Malcolm de Chazal, “everywhere are strewn on the slopes and crest, recumbent forms, sphinx, signatures, hieroglyphs, human signs and gestures.” Le Pouce : Selon Malcolm de Chazal, « partout sont semés sur les versants et les crêtes, des gisants, des sphinx esquissés, des initiales clairement entaillées, des hiéroglyphes, des signes, des gestes d’hommes ». The squat Lion looked on when two-legged intruders landed and slew the early inhabitants of the heavenly island. They cut down the ebony forest and destroyed the homes of the dodos, the tortoises and the flying foxes. The dodos were too guileless and unaware of the danger. They disappeared very fast, followed by several other species. They should have taken refuge on the back of the Lion Mountain, who was eager to protect them. What the powerless Lion could not do the Morne Brabant did, becoming a symbol for freedom. Maroon slaves found refuge on the mountain whose vertical slopes made it look like a fortress and discouraged followers. Runaway families were safe on the flat summit, where they grew food crops and raised animals. They cooked in two caves that opened towards the ocean, facing towards Africa. The jewel of the crown for me is the Piton du Milieu, standing right in the center of the island. It was formed in the heart of the volcano, as an intrusive mass and was propelled to the surface when the summit of the volcano was sucked in the earth in a thunderous blast. This mountain displays hexagonal columns produced because of the difference in pressure experienced by the rock in the center of the volcano and at the surface. Each of the mountains of Mauritius has a story to tell, that of the rock coming from deep under, of water falling from the sky and of the air that embrace them. They tell the story of popular imagination that turns to the Monument Mountains for a sense of direction, a source of stability and inspiration.
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