The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1873-10-23
Paul and Virginia.

It was during the French occupation
Of Mauritius that the terrible shipwreck
took place which furnished Bernardin
de st. Pierre with the motive for his
beautiful and touching love story Paul
and Virginia." the scene of which is laid
in this island. In 1744 drought and q
plague of locusts had occasioned ter
rible scarcity in Mauritius, then called
the Isle of France, and the following
year the st. Geran was sent out.from
the mother country, richly laden with
provisions, to the relief of the starving
colonists. About four o'clock one fine
afternoon Round Island was sighted
from the ship, and the captain, nj. De
la Marie, wished TO profit by line
moonlight night to enter what is now
known as Tombeau Bay, or the Bay OF
Tombs, but was persudded to lie out
side until morning. Ignorafit Of the
sea-coast, the officer allowed the ship
to drift during the night upon dan
gerous reef about league from land.
The sea always runs high there, and
the st. Geran was driven with great
violence among the breakers.
Every effort was made to lower the
boats, but some were crushed by the
falling masts. and others were swept
away by the waves. In short time the
keel was broken in two, and the ship
became total wreck. AT the captains S
request the chaplain pronounced gen
eral benediction and absolution, and
the cave Maria Stella" was sung.
Then ensued scene of indescribable
confusion. Numbers Of the crew flung
themselves into the sea, grasping planks,
oars, yards but the heavy waves tore
them from their frail supports, and
nearly all persisted.
A brave sailor named Caret made
great efforts to save the captain, whom
he implored to take off his clothing !;
but NJ. De la Marie, who displayed in
this catastrophe much greater personal
courage and pity than seamanship, re-
fused to do so, en- the ground that it
did not become the dignity of his posi-
tion to land without his uniform. Caret
at length succeeded in placing his cap
tain on plank, and by swimming along
side endeavored to get him safely to
land. Encountering raft on which
some of the crew had sought refuge, the
captain thought he would be safer with
them. He left the plank, and succeed
ed in reaching the larger support.
Caret plunged to avoid collision, and
on rising to the surface again was her-
ror-struck to find that the craft with all
on board had been ingulfed,
On board the st. Geran were two
lovers, Mile. Mallet and M. De Peramon,
who were to be united in marriage on
reaching the island. The young man,
as anxious and agitated as the girl was
calm and resigned, when the others
left, was making sort of raft on which
to save her who was dearer than his
own life. On his knees he implored
her to descend with him on the frail
but sole hope for safety and to insure
a greater certainty, he begged her to
take off the heavier part of her
garments. This she steadily refused
to do. When he found his most
earnest solicitations vain, and all hope
of saving her lost, though she
entreated him to leave her, he
quietly took from a pocket-booli a
tress of hair, kissed it, and placed it
on his heart. With his arm round her
to shield her as far as he could to the
last, calmly awaited the terrible catas-
trophe at her side. Nor had they long
to wait, for they were soon washed from
the deck. Their bodies were picked up
the following day, clasped in the close
embrace in which they awaited death.
This touching incident formed the
groundwork of the beautiful story
over which so many tears have fallen.
Mauritius was then but little known,
and st. Pierre's pictures of it's life and
scenery were all drawn from imagina-
tion but the story has invested the
far-off island with an atmosphere of ro-
nance. Two structures at Pample.
mousses known as the tombs of Paul
and Virginia are still shown to visitors
two dilapidated piles of brick. still
betraying traces of whitewash on 'theil
crumbling sides. When visited 10y Mr..
Pike, who had been asked by roman
tic young lady to gather for her some
flowers from the tombs, he found the
surrounding grounds converted into an
impossible swamp by recent rains. Ro
nance is evidently at a discount in
Mauritius.