Most people deserted alone and desertions en masse were rare. In seventyfive per cent of cases, the duration of absence ranged from a number of days to several weeks. A distinction is drawn between minor desertion (absence of less than one month) and major desertion (Allen, 1983, pp. 222-223; Alpers, 2005, p. 51). According to Teelock (1998, p. 203), desertion was different from escaping as it was more of a temporary relief. This is an important distinction, as not all deserters formed communities. Temporary absences were not necessarily reported to the authorities and were often dealt with by the master. In the mountainous interior, however, runaways were extremely difficult to locate, and some deserters were not recaptured until some 10 years later. ${ }^{16}$
![img-14.jpeg](img_ref_15)  
Figure 4. Maroons killed or captured by black people acting for the constabulary or private individuals between mid-November 1759 and September 1762 in Bourbon.
Source: Raphael Thiébaut.  
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[^0]:    15 Inclusion of the Morne cultural landscape on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2011. https://whc. unesco.org/en/list/1259/ (Accessed 19 February 2016.)
16 Bellier, Observations on the Decaen Ordinance of 1 pluviôse XII concerning desertion, St. Denis, 17 germinal XII (7 April 1804). ANOM, COL, C3/23, f. 327: ALPERS, 2005, p. 60: Letter from Sequard to the Colonial Assembly of the Ile-de-France, North-west Harbour, 12 germinal, year IX [1 April 1801]. MNA, E/68, s.f.  
| Year | Enslaved people captured |
| :-- | :-- |
| 1773 | 465 |
| 1774 | 400 |
| 1775 | 510 |  
Figure 5. Maroons captured on Île de France.
Source: Raphael Thiébaut.