This morning we expect to arrive at the pilot station of Devil's Island or Ile du Diable which is a part of les Iles du Salut. This island group is only 6 nautical miles from the mainland. We will proceed to our anchorage situated south of Ile Royale to drop anchor. The coast of Guiana embraces Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, and small parts of Venezuela and Brazil. The region consists almost entirely of the Guiana Highlands, a rugged upland area covered by dense tropical rainforests. The area was first explored in 1499–1500 by the Italian navigator Amerigo Vespucci.
Devil’s Island has a dark and intriguing history. The smallest and northernmost of the three Îles du Salut, Devil’s Island is located off the coast of French Guiana and was part of the notorious French penal colony until 1952. Opened by Emperor Napoleon III's government in 1852, the prison became one of the most infamous prisons in history. The inmates ran the gamut from political prisoners to thieves and murderers. The harsh conditions and rampant spread of diseases on the island guaranteed that more than 80,000 prisoners were never seen again. The remote location, rocky coastline and treacherous waters made escape virtually impossible. A number of female convicts were sent to French Guiana, with the intent that they should marry the freed male inmates working on the island. In 1938 France stopped sending prisoners to Devil's Island, and in 1952 the prison closed forever. Papillion, a best-selling book by ex-Devil's Island convict Henri Charrière tells of his numerous alleged escape attempts. It was made into a popular movie starring Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman. The prison ruins on the island are a fascinating but grim reminder of this beautiful island’s dark past. The cemetery, which includes the gravestones of children, reminds us that this grim past didn’t only affect adults on the island.
No comments:
Post a Comment