An afternoon at Le Morne

by Nop Briex

Le Morne Brabant is an impressive mountain and peninsula situated at the extreme south-western tip of the island of Mauritius, in the Indian Ocean, on the windward side of the island. A distinctive feature of the peninsula is the basalt-like monolith of the same name, with a summit 556 metres (1,824 feet) above sea level. The summit covers an area of more than 12 hectares. There are many caves on the steep slopes. It is largely surrounded by a lagoon and is a well-known tourist attraction. It is also a refuge for two rare plants, the Mandrinette and the Boucle d’Oreille, which grow only on the slopes of the mountain.

The peninsula was notorious in the early 19th century as a refuge for escaped slaves. Following the abolition of slavery in Mauritius on 1 February 1835, a police expedition travelled to the island to inform them of this. However, the purpose of the expedition was misunderstood by the slaves, and a large number of them threw themselves off the cliffs to their deaths. Since then, this date has been observed as the annual commemoration of the abolition of slavery.

The mountain is named after the Dutch VOC ship Brabant, which ran aground on the cliffs here on 29 December 1783.

The peninsula benefits from a microclimate. Le Morne Brabant Mountain was submitted to the tentative list for the World Heritage List in 2003. In 2008, the island was inscribed on the list. The beaches around Le Morne are delightful. I visited Mauritius in 2005 and 2007. This beautiful country is a great source of inspiration for my painting. In this painting, you can look out over the sugar cane plantations towards Le Morne in the afternoon sun.