Prior to the wave of abolitionist movements in the 1830s and 1840s, the only means of escaping slavery was manumission. It was a psychologically important act, but a rarity according to Campbell and Alpers (2005). There were three cases for every 1,000 people enslaved on the Cape, and most of those manumitted on the Mascarene Islands were Creole people (Shell, 1994, p. 383; Bousquet, 2011, vol. II, p. 349; Allen, 1989). However, manumissions were limited and difficult to obtain. This is clearly demonstrated by the case of Furcy in 1817, who was not freed by his master until 1843, five years before the abolition of slavery, after a protracted court battle (Thureau, 1844). The difference between freedom and servitude persisted over a long period, with resistance - often armed - being the sole means of escaping enslavement.