Invasion of Isle de France
The Invasion of Isle de France was a complicated but successful British amphibious operation in the Indian Ocean, launched in November 1810 during the Napoleonic Wars. During the operation, a substantial military force was landed by the Royal Navy at Grand Baie, on the French colony of Isle de France. Marching inland against weak French opposition, the British force was able to overwhelm the defenders in a series of minor engagements, culminating in the capture of the island's capital Port Napoleon and the surrender of Charles Decaen, the French governor. The surrender eliminated the last French territory in the Indian Ocean and among the military equipment captured were five French Navy frigates and 209 heavy cannon. Isle de France was retained by Britain at the end of the war under the name of Mauritius and remained part of the British Empire until 1968.
The taking of the Isle of France, 2 December 1810
'View from the Deck of the Upton Castle Transport, of the British Army Landing on Île-de-France, 29th November 1810'. R. Temple
Part of the British Army, forming before Port Louis
Mauritius, officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island country in the Indian Ocean, about 2,000 kilometres off the southeastern coast of East Africa, east of Madagascar. It includes the main island, as well as Rodrigues, Agaléga, and St. Brandon. The islands of Mauritius and Rodrigues, along with nearby Réunion, are part of the Mascarene Islands. The main island of Mauritius, where the population is concentrated, hosts the capital and largest city, Port Louis. The country spans 2,040 square kilometres (790 sq mi) and has an exclusive economic zone covering 2,300,000 square kilometres.
Pedro Mascarenhas, Viceroy of Portuguese India and namesake of the Mascarene Islands.
Dutch activities on Mauritius, as well as the first published depiction of a dodo bird (2), 1601
The Battle of Grand Port between French and British naval forces, 20–27 August 1810
British forces seizing the Isle of France on 2 December 1810