Hello Listers and other readers, I have included "other readers" as it has come to my attention that they should be included in our greetings and salutations. Why you may ask ? Well I am very much aware of at least 4 people who read the posts and yet are not subscribers. All in all, hello to you. Shipping is my interest this time out and I would imagine that many others have a blank when it comes to just how did your ancestor(s) get from point a to b. Some time during the latter years of the Reformation, toward the later 1600's (possibly 1695-1700), one of our Huguenot ancestors decided that all this was enough and so decided to wander off on a sea voayge. The 'rumour' is that he stopped off in Cape Town to visit for awhile with a very distant cousin (DU PLESSIS). Around 1716 he continued his sojourn on yet another ship and found himself admiring the newly discovered coffee plants of Ile Bourbon or Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean. From there he continued his grand adventure stopping at a variety of ports. Very vague is it not, the story so far, that is ? And so to my enquiry. Is there a list of French merchant ships that travelled the route from France to the Cape of Good Hope and onwards ? Our interest is any that would have stopped off at Ile Bourbon around 1715 to 1717. Slightly off the HWE normal topics, however this ancestor was a strong follower of the Huguenot faith and the most unusual story so far concerning his faith is that he did not "flee" France nor did his family previous. They were lawyers from Rennes and St.Malo with a few soldiers thrown in. Any assistance will be appreciated. Kind Regards, Peter Leroy