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Ramgoolam, Sir Seewoosagur

(Encyclopedia)Ramgoolam, Sir Seewoosagur, 1900–1985, Mauritian political leader. A physician, he was a leader of the Labor party and active in the Mauritian independence movement. Ramgoolam served as chief minist...

Tromelin Island

(Encyclopedia)Tromelin Island trōmlăNˈ [key], c.1 sq mi (2.6 sq km), in the Indian Ocean c.260 mi (420 km) E of Madagascar, part of the Scattered Islands district with the French Southern and Antarctic Lands. A ...

Mascarene Islands

(Encyclopedia)CEE Mascarene Islands măskərēnˈ [key], in the Indian Ocean, E of Madagascar. They include Mauritius, Réunion, and Rodriguez. Apparently known to the Arabs, they were rediscovered by the Portug...

Entrecasteaux, Joseph Antoine Bruni d'

(Encyclopedia)Entrecasteaux, Joseph Antoine Bruni d' zhôzĕfˈ äNtwänˈ bro͞onēˈ däNtrəkästōˈ [key], 1739–93, French navigator. He entered the French navy in 1754, fought (1756) at Minorca, commanded (...

Besant, Sir Walter

(Encyclopedia)Besant, Sir Walter bĭzăntˈ [key], 1836–1901, English novelist and humanitarian, grad. Christ's College, Cambridge, 1859. He taught at the Royal College of Mauritius from 1861 to 1867. After his r...

La Bourdonnais, Bertrand François, comte Mahé de

(Encyclopedia)La Bourdonnais, Bertrand François, comte Mahé de bĕrträNˈ fräNswäˈ, kôNt mäāˈ də lä bo͝ordônāˈ [key], 1699–1753, French naval officer. He entered the service of the French India Co...

Derby, Elias Hasket

(Encyclopedia)Derby, Elias Hasket dûrˈbē [key], 1739–99, American merchant, b. Salem, Mass. He inherited the considerable wealth and maritime business that his father, Richard Derby (1712–83), also of Salem,...

East India Company, French

(Encyclopedia)East India Company, French, 1664–1769, commercial enterprise planned by Jean Baptiste Colbert and chartered by King Louis XIV for the purpose of trading in the Eastern Hemisphere. It failed to found...

creole

(Encyclopedia)creole crēōlˈyō [key] [probably from crío=child], term originally applied in West Indies to the native-born descendants of the Spanish conquerors. The term has since been applied to certain desce...

Gordon, Charles George

(Encyclopedia)Gordon, Charles George, 1833–85, British soldier and administrator. He served in the Crimean War, went to China in the expedition of 1860, taking part in the capture of Beijing, and in 1863 took ove...

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