Mauritius was once a part of the complex and far-reaching international slave trade, and people say that hundreds of slaves threw themselves off the cliff rather than face the horrors of dehumanization. Slavery was abolished in Mauritius in 1835 by the British, following the vote of the Slavery Abolition Act in 1833 by the British Parliament. 1st February 1835, is a date that has been written in letters of gold in Mauritian pages of history to commemorate the abolition of slavery and to pay homage to the work that slaves have been doing over centuries. Each year, to celebrate the abolition of slavery, concerts and commemorative events are organized throughout the island, especially at Le Morne, a symbolic place, which was the refuge of many runaway slaves. The Slave Route Monument is located at the foot of Le Morne mountain, in clear view of the caves in the cliff faces where runaway slaves were known to hide, and the sheer drop into what’s since been called the “Valley of Bones. Official Wreath Laying Ceremony and Commemorative Programme.