After the abolition of slavery in the French West Indies in 1848, the policy of allowing the immigration of Indian and Asians as indentured labourers was established. The ship Réamur transported these indentured labourers from the French controlled ports of Karikal and Pondicherry in the south of India to French Guyana and Martinque. The fonds consists of letters and documents concerning several voyages made by the Réamur. There is correspondence from La compaignie générale maritime, Le gouvernment des establissement français dans l'Inde (India), and La Ministère de l'Algérie (Algeria) et des colonies. Recipients include Monsieur de Challié, capitaine de vaipeau, president de la commission supérieure d'immigration. The fonds also contains two swatches of jute, perhaps woven by artisans in Pondicherry.
