The Plate of Freedom: Chronicles of Resistance

Between foraging and daring raids, the Maroons of Mauritius fought fiercely against hunger. Historian Satyendra Peerthum reveals the secrets of a diet born from adversity.

On Sunday, February 1st, Mauritius commemorates the 191st anniversary of the abolition of slavery. While the memory of the struggle for freedom is central to the celebrations, an entire aspect of our culture deserves to be highlighted: the nutrition of the Maroon slaves. Satyendra Peerthum, historian, researcher, and writer, reveals how, from the Morne mountain to the Savanne forests, the Maroons struggled to avoid starvation, relying on foraging and audacious raids.

In the early 19th century, specifically between 1801 and 1827, the Maroons from the rural districts of Mauritius primarily lived in the island’s forests and mountains, where food resources were extremely limited. The quest for food was a daily and arduous struggle for all Maroons, whether living in organized groups or alone. This activity occupied most of their daytime hours.

"Between 1800 and 1820, their diet mainly consisted of 'tang', couroupas (snails), cassava, sweet potatoes, wild honey, taro, maize, and roots of various unidentified plants. More rarely, they managed to consume beef, fish, monkeys, chicken, shrimp, or wild fruits," emphasizes Satyendra Peerthum.

According to the historian, the quantity and quality of this food barely sufficed for their survival. The dense forests of the time could not sustainably support a population, even a reduced one. To address these deficiencies, groups of Maroons frequently organized raids on small and large plantations owned by white colonists or "free people of color". They would steal cattle, poultry, maize, and cassava.

Maroons living in large, organized groups generally had better access to food through coordinated raids compared to those living in isolation in the forests, he explains. Their diet required constant adaptation to the environment and the implementation of specific culinary knowledge. "It is clear that during the period 1801-1827, Maroons integrated into structured groups were much better nourished – or had more regular access to food – than those living isolated in the island's heights," the historian indicates.

The Faces of Defiance

The Fall of a Leader: The Tragic Fate of Jean-Marie (1801)
On August 14, 1801, Jean-Marie, a "great Maroon" of Malagasy origin belonging to Citizen Marcellin Barry, was shot by a detachment from Savanne. During this operation, two of his supporters were captured.
Having been on the run for several months, Jean-Marie was not just a simple fugitive: he had established himself as a respected and feared gang leader. The fact that he possessed a rifle made him particularly dangerous in the eyes of colonial authorities, who had even placed a double bounty on his head.
For over four weeks, between July and August 1801, he organized raids on several plantations in the Savanne district to procure poultry, ensuring the sustenance of his crew. His survival and resistance activities instilled fear throughout the region. Jean-Marie ultimately met his end while fiercely resisting capture.

Life in the Bois-Rouge Camp (1804)
On Saturday, June 11, 1804, Jupiter, a 25-year-old man from Mozambique and belonging to Sieur Duperet from Plaines-Wilhems, was captured by a detachment near Bois-Rouge. Having been a fugitive for over a year, Jupiter was part of a large group of Maroons comprising twenty men, whose camp was established around Bois-Rouge. During his interrogation, when asked about the food resources that had allowed him to survive for these twelve months, his answer was unequivocal: they fed on "cassava roots, couroupas, and tendraks (‘tang’)."

Pompée and the Maroons of Morne: Between Land and Sea (1804)
On November 3, 1804, Pompée, a 35-year-old "great Maroon" of Malagasy origin belonging to Madame Cailleau from Baie-du-Tombeau, was captured "in the woods of Morne Brabant." A fugitive for over a year, he revealed that his group stole "cassava and mahis (maize)" from a plantation owned by a certain Mr. Ceré, located near Morne. More significantly, Pompée also indicated that they frequently went fishing along the shores of the Morne isthmus. Although occasional, fish complemented the diet of these Maroons.

The Resilience of Missinte: Four Years of Freedom in Grand-Bois (1805)
January 17, 1805 marks the capture of Missinte, a "great Maroon" from Mozambique. His journey is remarkable: he lived in a state of maroonage for over four years in the dense forests of Grand-Bois (Savanne). The group survived on wild honey ("honey") and harvested taro. They regularly consumed couroupas (snails). On very rare occasions, they managed to kill monkeys to secure a protein source.

The Carpenter of Grande-Rivière: The Story of Toussaint (1805)
Captured on January 17, 1805 in Grand-Port, Toussaint, a skilled carpenter, had lived alone for over a year in the woods of Grande-Rivière-Sud-Est. He revealed that he fed on wild honey ("honey"), taro, and "tang" (tendracs).

Jouan: The Hermit of Savanne (1805)
Also captured in January 1805, Jouan, a Creole slave, lived entirely alone for several years, even avoiding other Maroons. According to the historian: "To survive, he exploited the natural resources of his environment, feeding on taro, palm hearts, freshwater shrimp, and fish. A skilled hunter, he also frequently succeeded in killing monkeys for meat."

Lundy: Survival on the Highlands (1805)
Captured in November 1805 in the heights of Rivière-Noire, Lundy and his companion spent their time between Plaines-Wilhems and the Corps de Garde mountain. They managed to feed themselves by foraging for tropical fruits and roots: papayas, jackfruits, and cassava. They also occasionally hunted monkeys.

Joli Cœur: The Defiant One of Bois de Mapou (1805)
Alone for over a year in the north of the island, Joli Cœur primarily fed on "tang" (tendracs), couroupas, honey, and sweet potatoes that he stole during nighttime raids on nearby plantations.

The Caëtane Gang: A Logistics of Resistance (1823)
In 1823, Caëtane and his lieutenants Brutus and Berry explained that they survived mainly by consuming "tang", rats, cassava, maize, sweet potatoes, and couroupas. During daring raids in Moka, Plaines-Wilhems, and Flacq, they managed to consume beef, chicken, and turkey.

Fritz’s Gang: The Resources of Water and Woods (1825)
Fritz and his five supporters regularly ate "tang", eels, freshwater shrimp, and sweet potatoes, as well as various unidentified roots found in the forest. They also consumed beef obtained through raids in the western Savanne.

Phanor and the Cattle Raid: An Act of Collective Survival (1827)
In September 1827, Phanor and his companions were accused of killing cattle during the year. He recounted how they used their long knives to slaughter and then butcher a bull. They then transported the meat back to their camp to cook and consume it.

The Menu of Resistance

Here are the resources that composed the diet of the fugitives, according to the archives of the time:

Wild Fauna: "tang" (tendracs), rats, monkeys, couroupas (snails), as well as fish, eels, and shrimp for those living near water.

Foraging and Roots: cassava, sweet potatoes, taro, maize, palm hearts, papayas, jackfruits, and wild honey.

The Spoils of Raids: beef, chicken, and turkey, stolen during attacks on plantations.