Jean-Francois Hodoul
Encyclopedia
Jean-Francois Hodoul was a corsair
who worked in the employ of the French government
.
In the 1790s he worked as a ships' captain transporting slaves from Africa
to the Indian Ocean
colonies of Ile Bourbon (Réunion
) and Ile de France (Mauritius
). In 1797 he was credited with the capture and plunder of seven British ships, from which he amassed a large amount of treasure consisting of pearls, piasters and gold. In 1800 he was captured by the British and imprisoned in Calcutta. Hodoul gained his freedom as a result of the Treaty of Amiens
(1802), and after his release settled on Mahe Island of the Seychelles
. Here he became a wealthy businessman and plantation owner, and owner of several ships trading goods between the Seychelles and Mauritius.
Today in the harbor of Victoria
, Mahe is "Ile Hodoul". a small islet named in his honor. Legend has it that Hodoul's treasure is buried on Silhouette Island
, northwest of Mahe.
Corsair
Corsairs were privateers, authorized to conduct raids on shipping of a nation at war with France, on behalf of the French Crown. Seized vessels and cargo were sold at auction, with the corsair captain entitled to a portion of the proceeds...
who worked in the employ of the French government
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
In the 1790s he worked as a ships' captain transporting slaves from Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
to the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
colonies of Ile Bourbon (Réunion
Réunion
Réunion is a French island with a population of about 800,000 located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, about south west of Mauritius, the nearest island.Administratively, Réunion is one of the overseas departments of France...
) and Ile de France (Mauritius
Mauritius
Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
). In 1797 he was credited with the capture and plunder of seven British ships, from which he amassed a large amount of treasure consisting of pearls, piasters and gold. In 1800 he was captured by the British and imprisoned in Calcutta. Hodoul gained his freedom as a result of the Treaty of Amiens
Treaty of Amiens
The Treaty of Amiens temporarily ended hostilities between the French Republic and the United Kingdom during the French Revolutionary Wars. It was signed in the city of Amiens on 25 March 1802 , by Joseph Bonaparte and the Marquess Cornwallis as a "Definitive Treaty of Peace"...
(1802), and after his release settled on Mahe Island of the Seychelles
Seychelles
Seychelles , officially the Republic of Seychelles , is an island country spanning an archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean, some east of mainland Africa, northeast of the island of Madagascar....
. Here he became a wealthy businessman and plantation owner, and owner of several ships trading goods between the Seychelles and Mauritius.
Today in the harbor of Victoria
Victoria, Seychelles
Victoria is the capital city of the Seychelles and is situated on the north-eastern side of Mahé island, which is the main island of the archipelago. The city was first established as the seat of the British colonial government...
, Mahe is "Ile Hodoul". a small islet named in his honor. Legend has it that Hodoul's treasure is buried on Silhouette Island
Silhouette Island
Silhouette Island lies 20 km northwest of Mahé in the Seychelles. It is the third largest island in the Seychelles. It has an area of 20 km² and has a population of 135, mostly workers on the island. The main settlement is La Passe, where there is a hotel for visitors to Silhouette...
, northwest of Mahe.