Le Morne glorifies the region
Raghav Ramful
By Raghav Ramful
Published on 11th July, 2008
Le Morne is now on the list of World Heritage sites. That’s one more reason to get an overview of the majestic mountain and its surroundings.
To get an insight of Le Morne as the most important site for Maroonage in Mauritius, one has to get to the oral history told by the oldest inhabitants of the region. The legends directly related to the hill and previous settlements of slaves like Macaque village or L’Embrazure still have a lot of stories to tell.
Macaque village was situated at the foot of Le Morne towards the North side facing Bénitier Island. Macaque already existed during the time of slavery. It has a major historical significance and seems to have been the birthplace of many individuals currently living in Le Morne village. They maintain that their ancestors have always been living in the region.
L’Embrazure is another spot situated down the bridge corridor of land that links Le Morne hill to the mainland. That area was previously inhabited by slaves descendants and it is said that they were displaced from there and resettled in Le Morne Village.
Further down, closer to the coast lies Le Morne Village, an agglomeration of small houses where life has come to a standstill. Most of the villagers from Le Morne Village are descendants of former slaves from Trou Chenille, Macaque and L’Embrazure and they are still living in poor conditions, despite the construction of some five big hotels in the region.
Economic activity in the region is almost stagnant and development is at a halt. The houses are small and overcrowded, alcoholism is rife and unemployment is high. Most of the breadwinners in the village are fishermen and women work as maidservants in the bungalows along the coast.
There lies an old cemetery on a narrow strip of land next to the football ground of Le Morne. Elders living in the region say that they have never seen any burial in that cemetery. They explain that the graves in the cemetery originate from a distant past and it might well be that the burial ground was used during the slavery period.
The coastal region of Le Morne abounds in a rich marine biodiversity and unique seascapes. There is no better feedback one can get on marine activity than from fishermen who fish in the area. According to this lot of experts from Le Morne, the lagoon and deep sea in the region abound in a variety of fish and sea turtles. The area at La Passe Saint Jacques is also a sanctuary for live corals. Fishermen in the region also say that pollution in the lagoon is gradually threatening marine life there. Coral bands at La passe L’ambulante facing Dinarobin hotel are already in a bad condition.
In the lagoon, to the south of Le Morne, lies the hill-shaped Ilot Fourneau which is covered by a green mantle of bushy undergrowth. The rocky edges of the islet have been sculpted over the years by crashing waves forming caves and cliffs of different hues.
Macaque village was situated at the foot of Le Morne towards the North side facing Bénitier Island. Macaque already existed during the time of slavery. It has a major historical significance and seems to have been the birthplace of many individuals currently living in Le Morne village. They maintain that their ancestors have always been living in the region.
L’Embrazure is another spot situated down the bridge corridor of land that links Le Morne hill to the mainland. That area was previously inhabited by slaves descendants and it is said that they were displaced from there and resettled in Le Morne Village.
Further down, closer to the coast lies Le Morne Village, an agglomeration of small houses where life has come to a standstill. Most of the villagers from Le Morne Village are descendants of former slaves from Trou Chenille, Macaque and L’Embrazure and they are still living in poor conditions, despite the construction of some five big hotels in the region.
Economic activity in the region is almost stagnant and development is at a halt. The houses are small and overcrowded, alcoholism is rife and unemployment is high. Most of the breadwinners in the village are fishermen and women work as maidservants in the bungalows along the coast.
There lies an old cemetery on a narrow strip of land next to the football ground of Le Morne. Elders living in the region say that they have never seen any burial in that cemetery. They explain that the graves in the cemetery originate from a distant past and it might well be that the burial ground was used during the slavery period.
The coastal region of Le Morne abounds in a rich marine biodiversity and unique seascapes. There is no better feedback one can get on marine activity than from fishermen who fish in the area. According to this lot of experts from Le Morne, the lagoon and deep sea in the region abound in a variety of fish and sea turtles. The area at La Passe Saint Jacques is also a sanctuary for live corals. Fishermen in the region also say that pollution in the lagoon is gradually threatening marine life there. Coral bands at La passe L’ambulante facing Dinarobin hotel are already in a bad condition.
In the lagoon, to the south of Le Morne, lies the hill-shaped Ilot Fourneau which is covered by a green mantle of bushy undergrowth. The rocky edges of the islet have been sculpted over the years by crashing waves forming caves and cliffs of different hues.