Le Jardin du Roi

In the times when the spice trade was making the Netherlands one of the richest countries in the world, a patriotic Frenchman named Pierre Poivre was determined his country would get in on the act.

He smuggled samplings out of the East Indies, from under the noses of the Dutch, and sent them to various French overseas dependencies to see how well they would grow.

On the Seychelles, a plantation was soon established, dedicated to the then king. Things were going pretty well until a ship sailed into the harbour flying the British flag, and the panicky plantation owners burned everything, lest the precious seeds should fall into foreign hands.

Only too late did they realise it was a French boat after all, which was just sneakily flying the wrong flag in case the islands had changed hands whilst they were at sea!

Whilst the islands never made the fortunes Poivre had dreamed of, he would be happy to see that the garden is now flourishing, with rich nutmeg abounding amongst the huge bamboo trees, and delicious cinnamon growing wild across the main island.

And yes, he really was called Peter Pepper!