/ 
 
 DUKE 
 
 UNIVERSITY 
 
 LIBRARY 
 
 Treasure %oom 
 
4^-2- 
 
 CANDID AND IMPARTIAL 
 
 CONSIDERATIONS 
 
 On the Nature of the 
 
 SUGAR TRADE, 
 
 ■i ■ ■ ■ J L - 
 
 n 1362! ': 
 
101 
 
 
 'All 
 
 CT';iC 
 
CANDID AND IMPARTIAL, 
 
 CONSIDERATIO 
 
 On the Nature of the 
 
 SUGAR TRADE; 
 
 THE 
 
 COMPARATIVE IMPORTANCE 
 
 OF THE 
 
 British and French Islai^ds 
 
 IN THi 
 
 WEST-INDIES: 
 
 W I T H 
 
 yhe Value and Conseq^uence of 
 St. LUCIA and GRANADA, truljr ftatedi 
 
 Illuftrated with Copper-Pl ATEif. 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 Printed for R. B a l d w i n in Pater-niflir Rfiw,-~ 
 
 -^A 
 
 -- .s .J '* «, X 
 
AC 
 
 7 
 
 503M-J3 
 
[ I 3 
 
 Candid and Impartial 
 
 CONSIDERATIONS 
 
 ON T H 1 
 
 Nature of the Sugar-Trade, &^c. 
 
 THERE cannot be any thing more 
 worthy of a good citizen in a free 
 ftate than to ftudy public affairs with 
 candour and afliduity. It is his privilege, it is 
 his birthright to apply himfelf to the know- 
 ledge of thofe things, which as they belong to 
 all, ought to be the care of all, and in order 
 to this ail ought to underftand them. In a free 
 country every man who is properly qualified 
 may be called to take a part in government, 
 and therefore every man who finds he has ta- 
 lents requifice to fuch inquiries fhould purfue 
 them, that whenever occafion offers, or his 
 duty requires, he may be in a capacity to ferve 
 his country; that is, to ferve it cfFcdually, 
 with utility to the common-weal, and with ho* 
 nour to himfelf. For thefe are circumilances 
 B infe- 
 
[ 2 ] 
 
 infeparable, and the public mull be ufefully 
 ferved, otherwife a man cannot be faid, or be 
 confcious to himfelf, of having ferved the pub- 
 .lic with honour. 
 
 It may be truly affirmed of this, as of every 
 other virtuous and honed employment, that a 
 man finds his intereft combined with his duty. 
 The ftudy of public affairs enlarges the mind, 
 llrengthens the faculties, and extends all the 
 powers of his underftanding. It was this, that 
 elevated the great men of antiquity to that 
 height of reputation, and made them feem not 
 only equal, but even fuperior to the mod ex- 
 alted ftations. It enabled them and will enable 
 us, if profecuted with due application, to judge 
 of things from our proper lights, to have opi- 
 nions of our own, and confcquently to be out 
 of the reach of impofuion, which is the only 
 method that leads to fteadinefs in condudl, and 
 to an invariable purfuit of our own interefts, 
 by promoting thofe of our country. This i$ 
 rational and inrelligible patriotifm, by which 
 the happinefs of the individual, fpringing from 
 the welfare of the public, he never can be 
 tempted to digrefs from the right road, or be 
 flattered with the foolifli hopes, of aggrandi- 
 zing himfelf or his family, at the expence of his 
 country, which this lludy will convince him, is 
 a pradice as weak as it is wicked. 
 
 As the turning mens Q:kinds to the confidera- 
 tion of fuch things, would be profitable to the 
 Oate j fo it would at the fame time be ufeful 
 
 ^ and 
 
[ 3 ] 
 
 and ferviceable to government. The views of 
 an adminillration can only, in the opinion of 
 fenfible people, procure ic either the denomi- 
 nation of good or bad j and as the welfare of 
 the (late muft be the fole objedl of an upright 
 adminillration, it is impoiTible chat fuch a one, 
 Ihould diftafte or difcourage fuch ftudies, or, 
 to fpeak with greater propriety, fhould not ef- 
 teem and cherifn them. 
 
 A good adminiftration can derive its {labi- 
 lity from nothing elfe, for they will be bed fup- 
 ported by thofe, by whom their defigns are 
 bed underftood. If then, the generality of the 
 nation, or at lead the men of family and for- 
 tune, bend their thoughts this way, and become 
 thereby both able and candid judges of their 
 condudl, miniilers who mean well, can never 
 have any thing to fear. Fa6lions take their 
 rife, and are ilrengthened from impofitions on 
 weak underflandings, and have always a bias 
 to luxury and licentioufnefs, becaufe they divert 
 the thoughts of men, from the ferious confide- 
 ration of their true interefls to the gratification 
 of their humours or their paflions •, but if the 
 real, certain, and permanent fources of national 
 happinefs, were clofely and candidly examined 
 into, and clearly and thoroughly underftood, 
 there would be no room left for thefe delufions, 
 and the nation, feeling its own felicity, would 
 fear nothing fo much, as an alteration in its cir- 
 cumftances ; and a change of thofe meafures, 
 from which fo many benefits had been derived. 
 B 2 There 
 
[ 4 ] 
 
 There is no doubt, that this kind of know- 
 ledge requires fome labour, and much atten- 
 tion ; that many enquiries are neceflary, in or- 
 der to obtain the proper hghcs •, that fome pains 
 mud be beftowed in comparing them, and in 
 digefting clearly thofe informations we receive 
 from them. But thefe obftacles arife in difco- 
 vering truths of every kind, and the pleafure 
 that is derived from overcoming them, is ne- 
 ver more fenfible or fatisfaclory, than in refpedl 
 to fuch truths, as regard political concerns. By 
 this means, we avoid paffing harfh and hafty 
 judgments, on fubjecls of very great impor- 
 tance, and a little time and patience is certainly 
 well beftowed, in examining things of confe- 
 quence to the public, and in deciding with dif- 
 cretion, where ourfelves and our pofterity are fo 
 deeply interefted in the event, and muft either 
 profper or fuffer fo much, from the juftice or 
 injuftice of the decifion. 
 
 It feems at prefcrnt, to be thought a point of 
 great importance, and worthy of being fully 
 difcufled, whether the iQand o^ Granada and its 
 dependencies, be ajuft, that is a full equivalent, 
 for the iQand of St, Lucia ? In order to difcover 
 this, it is not barely necelTary, to gain as dif- 
 tin£l a knowledge of each of thefe iflands, as 
 it ispolfible; but there are alfo many other 
 things, that ought to be previoufly known, in 
 order to make the comparifon between them 
 with propriety i and more efpecially, we ought 
 to have for this purpofe, a juft or at leaft a ge- 
 neral 
 
[ 5 ] • 
 
 neral idea of the nature and importance of the 
 fugar trade, and a clear conception of the true 
 ftate of thofe, that have been hitherto ftiled the 
 Neutral IJlands, For without making thefe pre- 
 vious inquiries, it is not pofTible to difcern the 
 confequences, that may with probabihty be ex- 
 pected to follow, from this exchange, and yet ic 
 is from the profpecl of thefe confequences alone, 
 that the propriety or impropriety of this ex- 
 change, can be certainly determined. 
 
 The Canes, which produce that fweet li- 
 quor of which Sugar is made, grow in ail the 
 four quarters of the globe, and in three of them, 
 fpontaneoufly. They were certainly known to 
 the ancients, though what we call fugar, was 
 not; for the manufadluring the fweet juice of 
 the cane, into that form, was the invention of 
 the Arabians^ who bcftowed upon it the name 
 it bears, calling it in their own language Succar, 
 It was brought by the Moors into Spain^ and 
 cultivated by them, with the greateft fuccefs, 
 in the kingdoms of Granada^ Valencia^ and 
 Murcia. In the two laft, it is made in great 
 perfev^ion, though not in great quantities, at 
 this day ; for though it is computed, that the 
 Spaniards import to the value of at lead a mil- 
 lion of pieces of eight, in Foreign fugars, yet 
 this is owing entirely to an error in government, 
 and the infupportable Tax of thirty-fix per 
 Cent» which has already reduced their fugar 
 works very low, and notwithstanding all the 
 remonftrances that have been made upon this 
 B 3 'fubjecl. 
 
[ 6 ] 
 
 lubj€(5V, may very probably in procefs of time 
 put an end to them. 
 
 About the beginning of the fifteenth cen- 
 tury, the Spaniards introduced the manufaflure 
 of Sugar, and very probably the canes, into 
 the Canary Iflands, where they throve exceed- 
 ingly •, producing great wealth to the inhabi- 
 tants, as well as a very large revenue to the 
 crown. In 1420 the Infant "Don Henry oi Por- 
 tugal, the great promoter of difcoveries, di- 
 red:ed fugar canes to be carried from the ifland 
 of Sicily, to that of Madera, where they pro- 
 fpered fo happily, as that within a diftrift of 
 nine miles, in compafs, the fifth which that 
 prince referved to his military order, amounted 
 to fifteen hundred \ioo^t2Lds of Sugar, each of 
 a thoufand weight ; and confequentiy the whole 
 produced /^'i;^w thoufand five hundred fuch hog- 
 (heads ; which in thofe early times, and when 
 the veflels employed in trade were fo fmall, was 
 thought, and with great reafon, a very confi- 
 derable improvement. 
 
 The fame nation, having difcovered and be- 
 gun to plant the country of Brazil in America^ 
 turned their thoughts to the cultivation of the 
 fugar canes, which they found naturally grow- 
 ing there, and profecuted their endeavours with 
 fuch effefl, that chiefly from the profit they de- 
 rived from this commodity, they began to form 
 to themfelves very extenfive views ; believing 
 that from the advantages of fituation, climate, 
 fbij, and rivers, they might be able to carry 
 
 theif 
 
[ 7 ] 
 
 their commerce higher than any other nation ; to 
 which prediU6lion in favour of Brazil^ fome 
 authors of good authority have afcribed the d^r- 
 chne of their affairs in the Eaft Indies. But 
 thefe hopes, whether well or ill grounded, were 
 fruftrated, by the invafion of the Butch, The 
 Spaniards having the like views with the Portu- 
 gueze, by the direcftion of Ferdinand the Catholic^ 
 carried fugar canes from the Canaries to the 
 ifland of St. Domingo, where they were firft: 
 planted, by Pedro de Alenca, and the firft fu- 
 gar mill was eredled by Gonzales de Velofa, in 
 1506. But finding the natives unfit for thefe 
 labours, they introduced Negro flaves, and thus 
 we have traced the hiftory of this commodity 
 and manufadlure, which had flourifhed from 
 time immemorial in the Eaft, to its introduc- 
 tion in the Ifeft Indies. 
 
 At what time Sugar was firft brought into 
 England, it is difficult to fay ; but that it was 
 in common ufe in 1466, appears from the 
 record we have of the feaft given by Dr. George 
 Nevil, when he was inftalled archbifnop of 
 Tork, whereMt is faid, there were i^pices, fugj^ed 
 delicates, and wafers plenty. In that very old 
 treatife entitled the Policy of keeping the Sea, the 
 author inveighing againil the ufelefs things 
 brought by the Venetians from the Indies, adds 
 that they furnifhed but very few of the necejfa- 
 ries of life except fugar. In fucceeding times, 
 we had this commodity as may be colleded 
 from our old writers upon trade, from Spairty 
 B 4 Sicil)', 
 
f 8 1 
 
 Sicily^ Portugal, Madera^ Barhary^ and other 
 Places ; which as the Ufe of it increafed, may 
 very probably be fuppofed, to have created a 
 defire of obtaining fome country for ourfelves, 
 in which it might be cultivated, in 4 degree 
 fuHicient for our confumption. 
 
 The famous S\v Walter Ralegh by his Voyages 
 to South America in the reign of queen Elizabeth 
 and king James^ had raifed fo high an opinion 
 of the riches of Guiana^ that after his unfortu- 
 nate death, the projed of planting that coun- 
 try was purfued by Sir Olyff Leigh^ who fent 
 his brother thither, and afterwards by other 
 gentlemen, who at length defifting from their 
 purfuit of gold and filver, were content to form 
 plantations there, and after occupying and de- 
 ferting feveral places, at length fixed upon the 
 mouth and banks of the river Surinam j which 
 though very little notice has been taken of it by 
 our writers, feems to have been the firfl: fugar 
 colony we ever had, and to have grown by de- 
 grees to more importance, than perhaps it has 
 been judged proper to preferve in remembrance, 
 as this country was ceded to the Dutch by the 
 treaty of Breda, It may however be proper to 
 take notice, in fupport of what has been faid, 
 that it appeared a few years before it was given 
 up, to have hady?y/y thoufand inhabitants, two 
 thirds of which were whites, who made there 
 great quantities of fugar, ginger, indigo, and 
 cotton, and by allowing all nations to live and 
 trade there freely, without any civil, religious, 
 
 or 
 
[ 9 3 
 
 or commercial reftraint, employed about two 
 hundred fail of Ihips, amounting in the whole 
 to upwards of fifteen thoufand ton. But tho' 
 the country was given up, it was ftipulated, 
 that the people (hould have full liberty to with- 
 draw with their effeds, and in confequence of 
 this, the greateft part of the Englijb retired to 
 fome or other of our plantations. 
 
 According to fome accounts, a Ihip fent by 
 Sir Olyff Leigh to the country of Guiana^ firft 
 touched at Barbadoes, But according to others, 
 this ifland was difcovered by a (hip of Sir JVtlli- 
 am Curteen^s returning from Fernambuco in Bra^ 
 zily about the beginning of the lafb century. 
 It afterwards as we (hall more than once have 
 occafion to mention, was granted by king 
 Charles I. by Patent dattd June zdy 1627, to 
 the earl of Carlijle together with other IQands, 
 upon pretence that he had been at great expences 
 in fettling them. The inhabitants fpent near 
 forty years, in raifmg indigo, ginger, cotton, 
 and tobacco ; and then bethought themfelves of 
 fugar canes, which were brought hither from 
 Brafily and this in the very fhort fpace of ten 
 years, fo changed their affairs, that the planters 
 from being poor, grew to great opulence, and 
 either importing or purchafing great numbers 
 of 'Negroes from Africa^ extended their planta- 
 tions, not more to their own emolument, than 
 to that of their mother country, and it was ow- 
 ing to the fudden and furprifmg fortunes they 
 made, that the value of the fugar trade came to 
 3 be 
 
[ 10] 
 
 be underftood and cherifhed, as one of the mbfl 
 beneficial in which the Englijh had ever enga- 
 ged. In confequence of which feveral of the 
 mofl: eminent planters were by king Charles II. 
 created baronet s^x.\\2it it might appear the temple 
 of honour was open to thofe, who added to 
 the ftrength of the nation, by improving the 
 arts of peace, as well as to fuch who fignalized 
 themfelves in her defence, in a time of war. 
 
 Thofe who were fettled in our other iflands, 
 led by the example of the people of BarbadoeSy 
 introduced the manufacture q{ fugar likewife 
 into them, and Jamaica being added to our do- 
 minion?, produced a vaft augmentation of fu- 
 gar territory ; fo that during the latter moiety 
 of the laft: century, we greatly exceeded all the 
 other nations, who had hitherto dealt in this 
 commodity, and no new formidable rivals as 
 yet appearing, we carried it on with fuch ad- 
 vantage, as to export great quantities of fugar, 
 even into thofe countries, from which v/c had 
 imported this commodity heretofore ; particu- 
 larly into the Levant^ where by felling our fu- 
 gars cheaper than they could make them, ail 
 the plantations formerly fettled in the Turkifif 
 dominions gradually declined, and, except in E- 
 gypty at laft wore out. But in confequence of 
 our making fuch imm.enfe quantities of fugar, 
 it' became requifite to take every miCthod of pro- 
 moting its confumption at home, in order to 
 the fupport of our colonies, the foreign market 
 having only a certain extent, the conimodity 
 
 was 
 
[ " ] 
 
 was in danger of becoming a drug if this expe- 
 dient had not been found to keep up its price ; 
 this however clearly fhews, what a mighty 
 change was made in our circumftances, in re- 
 fpetfl to this very valuable article of commerce. 
 The French came fomewhat later than we, 
 into thefe parts of the world, as will appear even 
 from their own writers, and were not fo early 
 in making fugars, though they found the canes 
 adlually growing in the ifland o^ MartinicOy nor 
 did they make any great progrefs, for many 
 years after they began to plant fugar -, notwith- 
 ftanding they had the alTiftance of many of the 
 Dutcbf who took fheker in their iflands, after 
 the Portugueze drove them out of Brazil, This 
 was owing to a great variety of caufes ; but 
 more efpecially to moft of their iflands remain- 
 ing a long time in private property, being tranf- 
 ferred from one proprietor to another ♦, their de- 
 fire of grafping more iflands than they could 
 occupy \ their depending too much upon a mi- 
 litary force, and their not having a fufficient 
 number of Negroes, Many of thefe errors were 
 corre(5led in time ; but then they had new diffi- 
 culties to ftruggle with, fo that after all, though 
 they did proceed, they proceeded but flowly, 
 and made little or no figure in the fugar trade, 
 till after the conclufion of the treaty of Ryf- 
 wicky when the nature and confequences of 
 commerce, began to be thoroughly underftood, 
 and vigoroufly profecuted, under the aufpice 
 pf Colbert, who wifely conbdcred the ac- 
 
 quifition 
 
[12] 
 
 qulfition of trade, as a more folid foundatioa 
 for power, than the acquifition of territory, 
 and who was very careful in drawing his lights, 
 from the nioft experienced merchants, not on- 
 ly in France but in all the other countries in 
 Europe^ which he again farther improved by 
 fubmitting all the informations they gave to the 
 ableft politicians. 
 
 The acquifition of part of Hifpaniola^ was 
 another very great, though not an immediate ad- 
 vantage to the French, for they acquired it gra- 
 dually, and not without confiderable refiftance, 
 which as it hindered them from planting, fo it 
 prevented, at lead in a great meafure, the appre- 
 henfions that othervvife would have arifen, from 
 fo great a conqueft. After they had effedually 
 fixed themfclves there, they quitted their fugar 
 plantations in the ifland of ^ortuga, which had 
 fucceedtd very well, but appeared infignificant 
 in comparifon of what was expected from St. 
 Dcmingo, to which the inhabitants removed. 
 The war on account of the fucceflion to the 
 crown of Spain^ gave a temporary check to 
 their improvements ; but at the fame time, it 
 was beneficial to them in another point of view, 
 as it delivered them from any farther difputes 
 with the Spaniards, and tho' we were already 
 jealous of the progrefs of their fugar colonies, 
 yet we were fo much occupied by the war in 
 Europe^ and the efforts we made in America, 
 were fo indifferently condudled, that though 
 they did fuffer, yet flill they fuifered much 
 
 lefs 
 
[13] 
 
 lefs than otherwife they might have done, if 
 we had been more attentive to our own inte* 
 reds, and to the favourable opportunity we then 
 had, of effedtually preventing them from be- 
 coming, as they have fince been, our moft for- 
 midable rivals. By the treaty of Utrecht in- 
 deed, we acquired the celTion of thofe quarters 
 which they pofTefTed in the ifland of St. Chrijlo" 
 pbers. But the French Planters removed from 
 thence into their other iflands, and as they did 
 not want land, this ceflion of their part of St. 
 Chriftophers^ was no difadvantage to them, 
 though it has certainly proved a very confider- 
 able benefit to us. 
 
 From the conclufion of the peace of Uirecht^ 
 they have been much more attentive to their 
 interefts in this particular, have thriven accor- 
 dingly, and have had many other incidental ad- 
 vantages. Their iflands were full of people, 
 when they begarj to fet in earned about their 
 fugar plantations. Their government has been 
 very attentive to their interefts, more efpecially 
 in point of duties, which notwithftanding all 
 the exigencies of their ftate, have ever conti- 
 nued low ; which has been a great encourage- 
 ment to their planters. Befides this, many v/ife 
 regulations have been made in refpect to fending 
 white people, as well as black, and great en- 
 couragements have been given, not only for the 
 fupport of their induftry, but alfo for fupply- 
 ing them with negroes. But polTibly with all 
 thefe advantages, they never could have carried 
 
 their 
 
[ H] 
 
 their Improvcm^ments fo high, if it had not 
 been for the alliftance given them, by the inha- 
 bitants of our northern colonies, in taking off 
 their Rum and Melafifcs, which was a benefit 
 their own government could not give them, and 
 a detriment to us, which though early difcer- 
 ned and loudly complained of, never could be 
 effeclually redrefled. 
 
 The Butch came firft into America with an 
 armed force, and with a Urong fieet attacked 
 Brazil^ being in the hands of the Spaniards^ 
 'who were at that time maflers of Portugal -<, made 
 a great imprelTion theie in 1624, which they 
 profecuted with fuch eficdl, that they became 
 matters q^ Jix of l\\t fourteen caprainfliips, into 
 v;hich that country is divided, which they held 
 about thirty years, and in which they made an- 
 nually about twenty -Jive thoufand c hefts of fugar. 
 After the Portugueze had thrown off the Spunijk 
 yoke, they endeavoured to expel the Dutch from 
 Brazily which at length in confequence of the 
 long war, the republic had with the EngVJh^ 
 they accomplifhed, though the ceflion was not 
 made, till the year 1661, when amongft other 
 advantageous articles, the ftates obtained the 
 fum q\ eight millions of florins, which they con- 
 defcended to take in fugar and other merchan- 
 dize, under the title of an equivalent. In the 
 firft Z)///«r/6 war in the reign oi Charles ih^fecond^ 
 they took from us the country of Surinam^ 
 which was ceded to them in exchange for New 
 Tork^ by the Treaty of Breda in 1667, and that 
 
 celTion 
 
[ i5l 
 
 ceffion confirmed by the Ut^ty o^ PFepninJlerm 
 1674, during which period and for Tome time 
 after, that is, till the French king fupprefled his 
 f^Veft India company, the Dutch availed them- 
 felves of moft of the fugars made in the French 
 iflands, in which commerce they are faid to 
 have employed an hundred fail of lliips. To 
 their colony of Surinam they have now added 
 Brebecie and Ifaquepe upon the fame continent, 
 and though the whole of this country is very 
 marfhy and unwholfome, yet they are thought 
 to make a quantity of fugar there, not much 
 inferior to what they brought from Brazil, while 
 it remained in their hands. 
 
 Befides thefe colonies which are on the con- 
 tinent of South Americay they have likewife the 
 iflands of St.Eufiatia and Curafoa^^c. places that 
 would be very infignificant in the hands of any 
 other nation •, but as they manage them, they 
 are very advantageous. For being a kind of 
 free ports, to which the fhips of all the European 
 nations refort, they avail themfelves in time of 
 peace, by a fmuggling trade to a very large a- 
 rnount ; and in time of war, they are ill 11 greater 
 gainers by a contraband commerce. The vafl: 
 magazines of 2i\\k\ndi^o^ European and Enft -India 
 goods, which they have conftantly weilfupplied 
 in thefe ifles, and the conveniencies they afford 
 to the fhips of all nations, that refort to them, 
 for the fake of trading with each other, for com- 
 modities and in a manner not permitted any 
 where elfe, brings them at all times 5 great re- 
 fort 
 
[ i6 ] 
 
 fort of veffels, by which the Dutch inhabitants 
 are vaftly enriched, and by keeping their duties 
 low, and taking the advantage of all forts of 
 trade, they fend home very confiderable returns 
 annually. 
 
 But befides all this, they have always drawn 
 and dill continue to draw immenfe advantages, 
 from their art in refining fugar, particularly at 
 Amfierdam^ to which port they brought amazing 
 quantities formerly, not only from ^^r^^ry. For- 
 tugaU and Madera^ but alfo from the Levant and 
 Egypt^ as they ftili do, from their own colonies, 
 from Efigland, France, Brazil, and when it can 
 be done with profit, from their fettlements in the 
 Eajl Indies, particularly in Java, where they 
 make vaft quantities. Thefe refined fugars, 
 by means of the great rivers in Germany, the 
 IVefer, the Elbe, the Rhine, the Mein, and the 
 Mofelle, they vend through all that extenfive 
 and populous country, and exchange them for 
 various kinds of raw commodities, which arc 
 afterwards manufadured in their own provin- 
 ces, and thus by their perpetual attention to the 
 wants of all their neighbours, their dexterity in 
 turning thofe wants to their own advantage, 
 their indefatigable induftry, and the cheapnefs 
 of their navigation, they are much greater, and 
 alfo much furer as well as more conflant gai- 
 ners by fugar, than is generally imagined, or if 
 this matter was more fully explained, would 
 be eafily credited. 
 
 The 
 
[17] 
 
 The Banes have been long in pofifeflion of 
 Et, Thomas^ an ide that lies the mod to the weft 
 of any of thofe that are (tiled t\\^Virgins. It is 
 in truth, little more than a very high mountain, 
 with a narrow fkirt of flat ground round it, not 
 quite twenty miles in circumference, but with a 
 tolerable good port, and that when once enter- 
 ed, fafe and commodious. The ufe they for- 
 merly made of this ifland was much the 
 fame, that the Butch ftill make of St. Euftatia 
 and Curasao \ that is, they admitted fhips of all 
 nations, and took no exceptions at any kind of 
 trade. In this they went even beyond the Butcb, 
 or rather, the Butcb carried on in this Bamjh 
 port that fort of commerce with privateers^ 
 which they did not think it quite fo fafe to carry 
 on in their own ; and by this means left the o- 
 dium of fuch pradices upon the Banes ^ and 
 drew the profit arifmg from thence to them- 
 felves. But things are now quite altered. Whea 
 Xht French c\}XiXXQd Santa Cruz^ which lies live 
 leagues from St. Thomas^ the Banes entered into 
 polTeflion of that illand, which is much more 
 confiderable in extent, being thirty miles long, 
 and nine or ten broad ; and though there are e- 
 minencies, yet there are no mountains. Upon 
 thofe rifing grounds they have abundance of dif- 
 ferent forts of fine timber ; but tlte water is bad, 
 and the air unwholfome. Both thefe iflands 
 were in poflelTion of the Banifb Weft India com- 
 pany till very lately, when his prefent Banijh 
 majefty, having bought up their anions, difTol- 
 C ved 
 
[ i8] 
 
 ved that company, and gave every fort of en» 
 couragement that could be devifed or defired, 
 for the improvement of thefe fmall iflands. In 
 confequence of this, the fides of the great moun- 
 tain in the before-mentioned fmall iQe of St. 
 f/jomas, are at this time fo thoroughly cultiva- 
 ted, that it yields between two and three thou- 
 fand hoglheads of fugar annually, and this laft- 
 fnentioned ifland of Santa Cruz, under all its dif- 
 advantages, is in a very fair way of being alfo 
 Very compleatly planted, though chiefly by Bri- 
 iijb fubjedls, and by this means Denmark will 
 be fully fupplied with fugar for the future, and 
 win alfo have fome to fpare for foreign mar- 
 kets. 
 
 By thus tracing fuccindly the hiftory of fugar^ 
 or rather the trade in fugar, we fee through 
 how many different hands it has pafTed. We 
 may alfo without any great difficulty difcern 
 the caufes that have produced thofe alterations. 
 It will from hence appear, that it is not the 
 bare power of cultivating the canes, which is 
 very pra6licable in different parts of Europe^ 
 land it has been fhewn that they grow naturally 
 in the three other parts of the globe -, nor yet 
 the (kill of manufadluring it, which will pre- 
 ferve this trade to any one nation. From thence 
 it follows, that the hopes of monopolizing fu- 
 gar, and in confequence of this, felling it dt an 
 advanced price, is a mere commercial chimera, 
 the very attempting of which, would very pro- 
 bably transfer it back to fome of its former pof- 
 
 feffors. 
 
[in 
 
 fefifors, or, which is full as likely, fix it eife6lu« 
 ally in the hands of the inhabitants of Holland, 
 who owe their fuccefs in commerce to their 
 fteady adherence to a very fimple and plaia 
 maxim, That thofe who can fell the beft com- 
 modity cheapeft, will always command the 
 market. 
 
 There might be many more points of great 
 utilityj deduced from a larger hiftory of this 
 Very lucrative commerce, but attempting that 
 would too much fwell this little work, in which 
 what has been faid, was principally with a view 
 to introduce a very fuccinct enumeration of the 
 advantages that arife to us from the fh.are we 
 have in the fugar trade. For without having 
 a general idea of the whole, it is fimply impof- 
 fible to judge with any degree of certainty or 
 precifion of any of its parts, as the particular 
 benefits that arife from them are chiefly derived 
 from the relation they bear to the whole, and 
 therefore the fureft as v/ell as the cleared way 
 of rendering thefe vifible, is to point out and 
 iliuftrate the feveral circum fiances by which our 
 fugar colonies prove in various refpeds fervice- 
 able to Great Briiain^ and thereby amply repay 
 the protedlion they receive from, and at the 
 fame time merit the continual attention, that for 
 her own fake ought to be paid by them to their 
 'mother country. For without thoroughly un- 
 derftanding and keeping conftantly in our minds 
 this natural, this infeparable connexion of in- 
 terefts, we fhall be liable to continual miftakes, 
 C 2 as 
 
[ to ] 
 
 as in truth all the errors into which we have 
 ever fallen, in this refpefl, has been owing to no 
 other caufe than that of fuppofing, in confe- 
 quence of fome plaufible pretences, that there 
 might be a difference between the interefts of 
 this nation in thofe colonies, and the interefts 
 of our countrymen fettled in thofe colonies, 
 which can really never happen ; fo that in con- 
 fequence of our being deceived by fuch ap- 
 pearances, the wrong meafures into which we 
 have been fo deceived, have been always equally 
 dangerous, and in fome inftances fatal to both. 
 The inhabitants of thofe of our American 
 iflands, which from their principal commodity, 
 or rather manufa6lure, are denominated the 
 fugar colonies^ are compofed of Whites and 
 Blacks^ or in other words of Britijh fubjedls and 
 African (laves. It is from the (kill and induftry 
 of the former, fupported by the painful and 
 indefatigable labour of the latter, that not fugar 
 only, but various other commodities alfo to an 
 immenfe value, are raifed in thofe countries, 
 and exported to different parts of the world. 
 It is to the cheapnefs of the labour of thefe 
 poor people, who like wife procure from thence 
 the greateff part of their own fubfiftence, that 
 thofe coftly and extenfive works, which are ne- 
 ceffary in a fugar plantation, are derived, as well 
 as all the other neceffaries that it requires, and 
 whatever elfe contributes to the fupport, con- 
 veniency, and the afBuence of our countrymen 
 n thefe ifles, who are their mafters j and in- 
 
 . deed, 
 
[ 21 3 
 
 6ced, it is to this circumftanGe of the cheap^ 
 nefs of their labour, that the fugar trade with 
 regard to Europe at leaft, is in a great meafurc 
 confined to Ameriqa^ as on the other hand, its 
 being confined to America^ is the principal caufc 
 of its affording fuch a variety of advantages, 
 and more efpecially of its contributing fo high- 
 ly to the fupport of navigation, and in confe- 
 quence of that to the maintainance of naval 
 power ; from thefe general outlines of the im- 
 portance of our fugar colonies, we will, for the 
 fake of perfpicuity, enter a little more minutely 
 into the branches of their commerce with Great 
 Britain, 
 
 Thefe fo neceffary l^egro flaves are purchafed 
 in Africa by the Englijh merchants with a great^ 
 variety of woollen goods •, a cheap fort of fire 
 arms from Birmingham^ Sheffield^ and other 
 places, powder, bullets, iron bars, copper bars, 
 brafs pans, Britijh malt fpirits, tallow, tobacco- 
 pipes, Manchejier goods, glafs beads -, fome 
 particular kinds of linens, ironmonger and cut- 
 lery ware, certain toys, fo.me Eajt India goods, 
 but in the main, with very little that is not of 
 our own growth or manufadlure. Befides thefe 
 n^ves, which make up the greateft part of their 
 cargo, our African traders alfo purchafe gold, 
 elephants teeth, and dying woods, with fome 
 valuable drugs ; and in the Weji Indies alfo, 
 when they have any furplus of flaves, they dif- 
 pofe of them at a very high price to foreign 
 nations, by which there has been formerly very 
 C 3 large 
 
[ 22 ] 
 
 large fums got, and all returned to Greaf Bri- 
 tain. When thefe Negroes are fold to the Bri- 
 iiffj planters, they cannot be employed in or 
 furnifhed with inftruments proper for their 
 daily labour, but with frefh advantage to the 
 Britijh nation. 
 
 For in his field work the planter muft fupply 
 his Negroes with bills, hoes, axes, iron chains, 
 and other necefifary tools, which in confequence 
 of their being continually ufed, makes it necef- 
 fary to have yearly fuppiies for the making 
 good wear and tear^ which in that moid and 
 fiiltry climate efpecially, rifes to a very confi- 
 derable amount. To this we may add, that 
 thefe poor people living very hard, and felling no 
 fmall part of the provifions they raife, lay out 
 conftantly the little product that thus arifes out 
 of their induftry, which they are allowed to re- 
 tain, with fuch as are filled Negro traders, chief- 
 ly for Birmingham^ Sheffield^ and Manchejler 
 wares, fo that all this, which, their number 
 confidered, amounts to no defpicable fum, is 
 likewife returned hither, which is the rather 
 rnentioned to fhew, that if any means fhould 
 be devife^l to render their condition more tole- 
 rable, and their circumftances more eafy, Uie 
 fruits of their own labour, as well as that em- 
 ployed in their mailer's fervice, would all necef- 
 farily center in this iQand. 
 
 But the field expences are trifling, in compa- 
 rifon of the utenfils neceffary in the fugar works, 
 fuch as coppers, mill cafes, ladles, fkimmers, 
 ■: iv... > mills. 
 
[23 3 
 
 (tills, and almoft: numberlefs other articles^ 
 to which may be added nails, locks, hinges, 
 bolts, and lead, employed by the planter in 
 his other buildings, and the almoft innumerable 
 kinds of iron work that are ufed in waggons, 
 carts, mill works, . and other things not only 
 exceedingly expenfive at the firft fetting out, 
 but which from their being in continual ufe, 
 conftantly wear out and require frefh fypplies. 
 All thefe, at whatever price, muft be had from 
 Britain, and even the lumber, that is timber, 
 cattle, (^c, though it comes from the nor- 
 thern plantations, is paid for by fugar planters, 
 and goes in difcharge of the balances refpec- 
 tively due from thofe colonies to Britain \ or at 
 leaft a very great part of them, are this way 
 difcharged. 
 
 To thefe we muft add, moft of the materi- 
 als necelfary for building their houfes, by far 
 the greateft part of their furniture •, and it is 
 not: only by their induftry and the fuccefs at- 
 tending it, that Britain is enriched, but alfo. 
 by their luxuries, whenever they are in a con- 
 dition to have more than the conveniences of 
 life, fuch as coaches, chariots, chaifes, together 
 with all forts of wearing apparel, and no fmall 
 part even of their proviftons, fuch as cheefe, 
 bacon, pickles, beer, ale, and cyder in vaft. 
 quantities, and flour and bifcuit when they are 
 cheap. Their Negroes alfo, are in this refpeft 
 very beneficial, for flight as their cloathing is, 
 C 4 they 
 
[24 1 
 
 they confume vafl quantities of check linnen, 
 llriped hollands, fuftian, blankets for their bed^ 
 ding, long ells and bays for warm cloathing, 
 coarfe hats, woollen caps, cotton and filk hand- 
 kerchiefs, knives, razors, buckles, buttons, to- 
 bacco pipes, fifhing tackle, fmail glafles, thread, 
 needles, pins, and innumerable other articles, 
 all of Britijh growth or manufa6lure. As the 
 demand for all thefe is limited only by the 
 nieans of acquiring them, it is from thence 
 felf-evident, that in proportion as thefe colonies 
 thrive, the fupplies from Britain continually 
 augment, fo that whatever would contribute to 
 increafe the profperity of either white or black 
 inhabitants in thefe iflands, would at the fame 
 time neceflarily extend and enlarge the Britijh 
 commerce. 
 
 But we muft not forget, that as fugar, rum, 
 and molafTes, fo likewife cotton, indigo, pi- 
 mento, mahogany, fuftic, and, in a word every 
 thing that comes from thefe plantations are bul- 
 ky commodities; they require and employ an 
 immenfe quantity of flipping, the freights of 
 which outward and homeward-bound, infurance, 
 commifiions, and petit charges, are all paid by 
 the inhabitants of thefe iflands, and are all re- 
 ceived by Britijh merchants and fadlors, and in 
 refpedl to thefe alfo, as much as they can be 
 more extended the greater will the benefit be 
 that Britijh fubjeds mud acquire from them, 
 in confcquence of that wife law, by which all 
 that arifes from the produce of thefe Britijh 
 
 colonies. 
 
[ 25 ] 
 
 colonies, is effeflually fecured to Britain. Wa 
 muft alfo take into this accolint the very large 
 revenue which annually arifes from this com- 
 merce to the crown, and which if that com- 
 merce can be any ways enlarged, will alfo reap 
 from thence a continual augmentation. 
 
 If upon the whole we attentively confider, 
 that induftry only ought to be accounted the 
 real wealth of a nation, and that it is not either 
 the fertility of foil, the excellence of climate, 
 or even the number of people, if thofe people 
 are not ufefuUy employed, that can give flrength 
 to a (late, or bellow peace and independence 
 upon individuals, upon which however their 
 happinefs muft always depend : If we revolve 
 in our minds, what an amazing variety of 
 trades receive their daily fupport, as many of 
 them did originally their being, from the calls 
 of the African and JVeft India markets : If we 
 refled: on the numerous families of thofe me- 
 chanics and artifans which are thus maintained, 
 and contemplate that eafc and plenty, which is 
 the conftant as well as juft reward of their in- 
 celTant labours : If wc combine with thefe, 
 thofe feveral tribes of adive and bufy people, 
 who are continually engaged in the building, re- 
 pairing, rigging, victualling, and equipping, 
 the multitudes of feamen who earn their wages 
 by navigating, and the prodigious crowds who 
 likewife obtain their bread, by loading, un- 
 loading, and other necefTiry attendances upon 
 (hips : If we remember, that the fubfiftence 
 
 of 
 
[ 26] 
 
 of all thefe ranks and degrees of men, thus 
 ufefully employed, conflitutes a new fund of 
 fupport to the landed and trading interefls of 
 this country, that their various confumptions 
 contribute to raife the value of land, to caufe 
 a regular and conftant demand for immenfe 
 quantities of our native commodities, as well 
 as to procure a vent for our numberlefs ma- 
 nufaflures, and that all this is equally regu- 
 gular, permanent, and certain •, Vv^e may from 
 thence torm a competent idea of the prodigi- 
 ous value of ouv fugar colonies^ and a juft con- 
 ception of their immenfe importance to the 
 grandeur and profperity of this their mother 
 country, to whom from the circum (lance of 
 this relation, they, pay without repining fuch 
 prodigious tributes. 
 
 The ufual method of treating fuch fubjedls as 
 thefe, in order to place them in the ftrongeft 
 and mofb itriking light, has been to reduce the 
 profits of the particular branch of commerce 
 confidered un^er fome degree of calculation, in 
 which however as there is necefTarily fome part, 
 and too often a great deal of fuppofition, and 
 many things afferted the truth of which (though 
 really foj it might be very dif^cult, if not im- 
 polfibie to prove ; men of critical judgments, 
 very frequently difregard them. Yet it is ho- 
 ped, that all circumllances confidered, what 
 follows with refpe6l to the iQand of Barbadoes^ 
 the oldeft of our prefent IVeft India (ugar co- 
 lonies, will be allowed to be rather much be- 
 low. 
 
[ 27 3 
 low, than any thing beyond the truth. Let us 
 then exclude all that accrued from it to the 
 people of England before the reftoration, and 
 eftimate its produce from one thoufand fix hun- 
 dred fixty, to feventeen hundred and fixty, at 
 fixteen thoufand hogfheads of fusrar, which 
 make twelve thoufand ton annually, and omit- 
 ting entirely the rum or fpirits, molafles, cotton, 
 ginger, aloes, and all the other commodities of 
 the ifland, eftimating this at twenty pounds a 
 ton, it will amount to two hundred and forty 
 thoufand pounds per annum^ or twenty- four 
 million fterling, in the courfe of the century 
 either gained or faved to this nation, which, con- 
 fidering that Barbadoes is not bigger than the 
 IJle of JVight^ mull appear a mofb amazing 
 fum ; and yet in proof of the modefty of this 
 computation, it would be eafy to name a very 
 intelligent author, who before the clofe of the 
 laft century, affirmed that no lefs than thirty 
 millions had been gained by our pofTeffion of 
 Barbadoes at the time he wrote. But though 
 his zeal might pofTibly carry him a little too faf 
 then, there is not now the lead room to quef- 
 tion, that the very beft judges, by which is to 
 be underftood thofe who are beft verfed in thefe 
 kind of things, and who alfo beft underftand 
 this trade, would more readily concur in fixing 
 the amount of our profits, during the period 
 before affigned, at thirty than at twenty-four 
 millions. 
 
 To 
 
[28] 
 
 To conclude this part of our defign with a 
 few general obfervations, which from what has. 
 been already faid, cannot but be clearly and 
 fully comprehended. 
 
 In the lint place then, the old objeAion, 
 which trom an appearance of truth had fome 
 degree of weight before this fubjecl: was tho* 
 roughly undcrftood, that people going to our 
 plantations weakened the mother country, is 
 now, from our better acquaintance with the 
 fubjed, inconteftably obviated. For thofe who 
 go thither, do it either from a principle of 
 neceiTicy, or with a view to the making their 
 fortunes. In the firft cafe they could not, and 
 in the fecond they would not flay at home. 
 So that when we confider attentively the confe- 
 quences of their going to the plantations, that 
 is the confequences of their going thither, with 
 refpedt to Britain ; inftead of looking upon 
 fuch people as loft, we ought to confider them 
 as preferved to this country, which but for our 
 plantations they would not have been. For 
 fureiy the cafe is much better with refpedl to 
 this nation, in regard more efpecially to the 
 inhabitants of the northern part of this iQand, 
 who repair now in fuch numbers to our colo- 
 nics, than when they were fcattered through 
 ■Rujfia^ and even throughout Jfia^ as mecha- 
 nics, fupplied Sweden^ France and Holland with 
 foldiers, or (locked the wide kingdom of Po- 
 land with pedlars. Befides fuch of thefe people 
 as anfwer their end?, and having been fo happy 
 
 after 
 
[ 29 ] 
 
 after that to furvive, generally return hither, 
 which from other countries they feldom did or 
 could^ and therefore no juft or well grounded 
 fear of depopulation from this caufe can poiTi- 
 
 bly arife. 
 
 In the next place, this mode of vifiting our 
 mod diRant territories, is fo far from thinning 
 the mother country of inhabitants, that it is one, 
 and indeed the principal means of making us 
 populous, by providing fuch a vaft variety of 
 methods for the commodious fubfiftence by la- 
 bour and induftry, in this country ♦, as before v/e 
 had thefe plantations were utterly unknown, and 
 which are alfo continually increafing, as the 
 commerce with our colonies is increafcd. Upon 
 this very principle, it may be truly affirmed, 
 that as the plantations preferve the (kili and la- 
 bour of thofe who go thither, from being lofl 
 to their country, as they Vv^ould be if they went 
 any where elfe, Co by furnifliing a great variety 
 of new employments, and different means ot 
 fubfiftence, they take away much of the necef- 
 fity, and many of thofe temptations to going 
 abroad, that there were, and which, as has been 
 obferved, adlualiy operated to this purpofe in 
 former times ; and for the fame reafon that 
 London is always full of people, and Holland is 
 better inhabited than other countries, that is, 
 becaufe there are more means of living in this 
 city than in other parts of Britain^ and in 
 that province than through the reft of Europe \ 
 therefore the fupport given by the commerce ot 
 I the 
 
[3M 
 
 the colonies, keeps more people in, and attracls 
 more people to Britain than othervvife we fhould 
 have, or indeed without thofe helps could be 
 able to maintain. 
 
 For in the third place, if induflry be, as un- 
 doubtedly it is, the wealth of a nation, then 
 whatever promotes and rewards induftry, is a 
 real accefTion of wealth. We are but too apt 
 to fancy that the nation can only gain by its fo- 
 reign commerce and a balance of trade arifing 
 from thence -, whereas nothing is more certain, 
 than whatever enables men to fupport them- 
 felves in eafe and independence, and repays 
 their honefl endeavours with a comfortable Tub- 
 fiftence, is to them^ as well as to their country^ 
 Riches •, whether it comes to them from a- 
 broad, or they acquire it at home. This will 
 appear in the (Irongeft light, if we confider 
 the effects of the fugar trade with refpect to 
 Britain and to France. We formerly, that is 
 in the reign of Charles the fecond^ confumed a- 
 bout a thoufand hog(hcads of fugar, and ex- 
 ported above twice that quantity ; at the clofe 
 of the laft century we confumed about twenty 
 thoufand hogfheads, and exported about as 
 much. We now confume about fourfcore 
 thoufand hogfheads, and except in time of war 
 export but very little. On the other hand, the 
 French make a great deal of fugar, their con- 
 fumption is fmall, and of courfe they export a 
 great deal in time of peace. But does it fol- 
 low, becaufe we confume fourfcore thoufand 
 
 hogfheads 
 
[31 1 
 
 hogfheads of fugar, and confequently import 
 fbmewhat more, we gain fo much lefs by it 
 now than when we imported but half the quan- 
 tity? No certainly, we pay for the lugar now 
 as we did then, that is, we pay for it in our 
 commodities, manufaflures, and in all the 
 other ways before defcribed ; and therefore it is 
 twice as beneficial to us now as it was then 3 
 and if we confume it, this is owing to the in* 
 creafe of our induftry, that is of our afBuence, 
 If the wealth of France was as great, or as ge- 
 nerally difFufed, that is, if the mafs of their 
 people were as thoroughly employed, and there- 
 by as eafy in their circum (lances, as the bulk of 
 the Britijh nation adlually are, they would then 
 of courfc confume much more and export far 
 lefs. 
 
 At the time that great mailer in commercial 
 fcience, Sir Jofiah Child^ wrote his excellent 
 treatife, which is now near a century ago, he 
 ufed many of thefe arguments in favour of our 
 fugar colonies, and treated this fubjed as amply, 
 and as ably, as could be expeded from a 
 perfon of ftrong parts, extenfive knowledge, 
 and found judgment. Yet with all thefe ad- 
 vantages, his writings met with many oppo- 
 nents, and fome of them were ihrewd people, 
 perfedly drilled in all the arts of managing pc^ 
 litical controverfy, by infifting on popular to» 
 pics, drefTing them out plaufibly, and attribu- 
 ting every real and every fuppofed declenfion 
 of feveral branches of our commerce, folely to 
 
 I the 
 
the lofs of thofe who went to the plantations. 
 Thefe they alledge robbed us of our people, 
 and as numbers of men were the wealth as well 
 as ftrength of a nation, in proportion as thefe 
 plantations throve, they would continue to draw 
 away more and more, and go on fwelling and 
 increafing, while the mother country was gra- 
 dually wafting in power, and decaying in fub^ 
 fiance. Sir J q/i a b answered all tliefe difmal ap- 
 prehenfions rationally and folidly •, he forefaw 
 and he foretold very different confequences, and 
 yet only the moft judicious faw the force of his 
 reafonings, and acquiefced from thence in his 
 opinion. 
 
 But we, together with his arguments, which 
 being founded in truth can never lofe their 
 weight, have one which he could not have, and 
 which is more concluHve than them all, that is 
 Experience. The evidence of facls, that evi- 
 dence which cannot lie, and that evidence there- 
 fore which never will deceive, has decided in 
 favour of his reafons, by verifying his predidi- 
 ons. He from his confummate abilities, and 
 his perfect acquaintance with the nature and ef- 
 fecfls of trade, could even at the diftance of a 
 century difcern the happy confequences that 
 would in fucceeding times attend our fettle- 
 ments. But we, having the benefit of hiscon- 
 ceptionSjand having alfo feen thofe confequences, 
 cannot fail of being convinced of the certainty 
 and the efficacy of their caufes. U therefor^ we 
 prefume to look flill a little farther, and afTert 
 
 more ' 
 
[33 J 
 more pofitively what the fame caufes may here- 
 after produce, let not this expcfe us to cenfure* 
 For we muft be dwarfs ,ind^td in underftand- 
 ing, if being thus mounted on this giant's fhoul- 
 ders, and being furniflied with fo much ftron« 
 ger and fteadier lights than he had to ufe, our 
 profpedl fhould not be fomewhat extended, and 
 objcds become proportionably more clear. 
 
 It is from thefe principles we have ventured 
 to affirm, not that the inhabitants of Great Bri^ 
 tain are grown richer, by the mere confuming 
 of fourfcore thoufand hogfheads of fugar in- 
 (lead of one thoufand j but thit this increafe of 
 our confumption is an indubitable proof of the 
 increafe of our riches, confequently of our com- 
 merce, and confidering how very great a (hare 
 of this arifes from our colonies, this affords the 
 mod convincing and conclufive demonftration 
 of the benefits that we have derived from them, 
 as alfo the cleareft evidence that can be defired, 
 of our having in them the mod folid refources 
 for the maintenance and extention of our trade, 
 and of courfe the prefcrvation and augmenta- 
 tion of all thofe innumerable advantages that 
 apparently attend it. It likewife fhews, that 
 notwithftanding France in time of peace exports 
 fuch great quantities of fugar, yet as this vi- 
 fibly arifes from the fmalnefs of her home con- 
 fumption, it muft be confidered as an incontef* 
 tible evidence, Ihe has not as a nation drawn 
 the fame advantages from her commerce as we 
 have, but is now in that very (late we once 
 D Were 
 
[ 34] 
 
 were, when though we brought fmaller quan- 
 tities of fugar from our colonies than we now 
 do, we neverthelefs exported to foreign coun- 
 tries much greater quantities of that commodity 
 than at prefent. 
 
 But we would willingly confume what we do, 
 and export alfoj and in procefs of time, with- 
 out all doubt, we may be able to do this, in 
 confequence of that great accefiion of fugar 
 lands, which we have acquired by the Peace. 
 But before we can fhew how this may and will 
 be done, it is necelTary to difcufs the fecond pre- 
 vious point in regard to the neutral ifiands, to 
 fhew how they came to be confidered in that 
 light, and what advantages we are like to de- 
 rive from their ceafing to be fo confidered, and 
 by their becoming henceforward a part of the 
 territories of Great Britain^ which we will next 
 endeavour to flate as plainly and as briefly as it 
 is pofiible. 
 
 We have before obferved, that the Englijh 
 ca:me earlier into the Weft Indies than the French^ 
 which is hovvever a fad the French writers as po- 
 fitively deny, and found that denial, upon both 
 nations having fixed their firfl: eftablifhment on 
 the iQand or 6V. Chriftophers on the very fame 
 day. This if it fhould be allowed, as to that 
 iQand, has certainly nothing to do with the reft, 
 and even in regard to this it is admitted by their 
 own writers, that there were fome few perfons 
 of both nations found in that iQand, living in 
 3 friendly manner with the Caribbee Indians when 
 
 this 
 
[35 ] 
 
 this fuppofed difcovery was made, fo that thefe 
 fhips were not the firft of either nation which 
 had been in thofe parts, and therefore even ac- 
 cording to this account, we muft look higher 
 for the firft adventurers. 
 
 I'he real truth is, that from the reign of 
 queen Elizabeth^ down to that of Charles 1. fe- 
 veral perfons of great rank in England had em- 
 barked in fuch difcoveries j amongft thefe may 
 be reckoned the earls of Nottingham^ Effex, 
 Ctonherlandy Lindfey^ Pembroke^ Lord Delawar^ 
 Lord Thomas Howard^ liOrd Baltimore, Sir 
 Walter Ralegh^ Sir Robert Dudley (ftilcd in Italy 
 Duke of Northumberland) Sir Richard Greenvile^ 
 Sir Thomas Gates, Sir George Summers, Sir Olyff 
 Leigh, Sir Thomas Rowe, Mr. G. Percy brother 
 to the Earl of Northumberland, Captain Roger 
 North brother to Lord North, Captain Charles 
 Parker brother to Lord Morley, Captain Har- 
 tourt, and others, who mod of them expofed 
 their perfons, and all employed their purfes, in 
 what were then ftiled fea-adventures. 
 
 As to the fettlements in Virginia, New En- 
 gland, and other parts of North America^ and 
 the Bermudas iflands, in the authentic lifts of 
 thofe who contributed to them, may be found 
 the names of the greateft part of the nobility 
 and gentry in the kingdom. But with refpect 
 to thofe who fupported the many expediti ns 
 for eftabliftiing a colony in Guiana^ which is 
 that upon the river Surinam^ ceded as has been 
 before m.entioned, to the Dutch, wc are lefs ac- 
 D 2 curately 
 
[ 36 ] 
 
 curately informed. It was however, in confe- 
 quence of our feveral voyages thither, that we 
 became acquainted with, and formed a delign 
 of fettling fome of the ifiands in the TVeft Indies^ 
 which according to the bed lights that are now 
 in our reach, fell out in this manner. 
 
 In the number of thofe gentlemen who ac- 
 companied Captain Roger North to Guiana^ was 
 Mr. Thomas Warner^ who making an intimate 
 acquaintance there with Captain Thomas Painton^ 
 a very experienced feaman, he fuggefled to him 
 how much eafier it would be to fix and preferve 
 in good order, a colony in one of the fmall ifles 
 in the Weft Indies^ defpifed and deferred by the 
 Spaniards^ than in that wide country on the con- 
 tinent, where, for want of fufBcient authority, 
 all things were fallen into confufion ; and parti- 
 cularly pointed out the iQand of St. Chriftophers^ 
 with which he was fo well acquainted, as to 
 mention many good reafons in fupport of his 
 recommendation. This gentleman dying, Mr. 
 JVarner returned to England in 1620, fully re- 
 folv^ed to put his friend's projedl into execution. 
 He accordingly alTociated himfelf with four- 
 teen other perfons, (all whofe names if necelTary 
 might be given) whofe circumftances inclined 
 them to concur in his defign, and with them 
 he took his paffage on board a fhip bound for 
 Virginia, From thence he and his companions 
 failed for St. Chriftophers, where they arrived in 
 January 1623, and by the month o^ September 
 following, had raifed a good crop of tobacco, 
 f (which 
 
[ 37 ] 
 
 (which was to be their ftaple commodity) but 
 this was totally deftroyed by a hurricane. Thus 
 we fee how, when, and by whom St, Cbrifto' 
 phers was fettled, and this from the relation of 
 the parties themfelves. 
 
 The new fettlement being in this fituation. 
 Captain Jefferfon arrived in the Hopewell from 
 London^ i8th March 1624, and it was about 
 this time that the French landed, and began to 
 plant on the other fide of the iQand. The EngUJk 
 colony had the good fortune topreferve their next 
 crop, and with this Captain Warner having 
 laden his (bipj failed in September 1625 for Lon- 
 don. It is highly probable, that the Hopewell 
 before-mentioned (as we find the fame vefTei em- 
 ployed thither the next year in that nobleman's 
 fervice) was actually fent thither at the expence 
 of the Earl of Qarlijle^ who in virtue of that 
 expedition, folicited and obtained in the firft 
 year of king Charles the firll, a warrant for a 
 grant by letters patent under the broad feai of 
 England^ of the Carihbee iflands, including alfo 
 Barbadoes, But when that grant came to be 
 'adtually pafled, it was oppofed by the earl of 
 Marlborough^ who being then only Lord Leyy 
 but advanced to the rank of Lord High Trea- 
 furcr of England^ had obtained in the preceding 
 reign, a grant of the ifland of Barbadoes^ and 
 upon full proof of this, and of his having been, 
 at great charges in fending fhips, men, and 
 {lores for fettling that ifland, the Karl of Car- 
 lijle^ in order to carry his point, came to an a- 
 D 3 micablf 
 
[ 38] 
 
 micable agreement with the Earl of Marlho^ 
 roughs by which he undertook to pay hiai and 
 his heirs a perpetual annuity of three hundred 
 pounds per annum, as a confideration for wa- 
 ving his clainn, and then the Earl of Carlijle's 
 patent pafTed in 1627. This is as full proof as 
 can be defired, that Barbadoes was a(5lually 
 fettled in the reign of Jmnes the firft, and is 
 founded upon tar better authority than that of 
 voyage writers or general h.ftorians. For this 
 affair being again canvalfed in council, immedi- 
 ately after the reftorauon of King Charles II, 
 thefe letters patent were aduaJly produced, and 
 thefe facts before dated were all clearly proved, 
 as w'e are fully and authentically informed by the 
 great Earl of Clarendon^ who as Lord High 
 Chancellor and as a minifter of ftate had very 
 attentively confidered this whole matter. 
 
 As truth is always confiftent, fo by comparing 
 the French account, and its confequences, with 
 that which we have jufb before given, the reality 
 and credibility of the latter will be fully tfia- 
 blifhed. The French tell us, that the Sieur 
 D'Efnamhiic landed on one fide of the ifland of 
 St. Cbrijlophers on the fame day tjiat Captain 
 Warner^ afterwards ^\x nomas Warner Xz^^^di 
 on the other fide of the fame ifland : but on 
 what day this was, we are not told, the year 
 however was 1625. Thefe two gentlemen, 
 who had been both attacked in their palfage by 
 the Spaniards^ entered into an amicable agree- 
 ment, to. fettle and pofTcfs the country, and 
 
 mutually 
 
[39] 
 
 mut^ually to affift each other againfl the com- 
 mon enemy. They likewife agreed, that each 
 of them fhould return to his own country, in 
 order to obtain a fupply and fupport. Accor- 
 dingly the Sieur U Eframhuc with this intention 
 returned to France^ and having made a very ad- 
 vantageous report of the illand which he propo- 
 fed to fettle, a certain number of perfons aflb- 
 ciated as a company for that purpofe, under the 
 aufpice of the great cardinal de Richlieu^ who 
 when the Sieur B^Efnambuc was ready to fail a- 
 gain to his new colony, thought proper to grant 
 him a commilTion, the beginning of which, li- 
 terally tranQated, runs thus. 
 
 '« Armand John du Plessis de Richlieu, 
 ^' cardinal, counfellor of the king in his coun- 
 '' cils •, chief, grand mafter, and fur-intendant 
 *' of the commerce of France^ To all to whom 
 " thefe prefents fha'.l come greeting: maketh 
 *' known, that the Sieur D^Efnambuc^ and du 
 *' Rojfey, captains belonging to the weftern de- 
 '* partment of the marine, having given us to 
 " underftand, that they have within thefe fif- 
 " teen years pad, by licence from the king, and 
 *' the faid admiral of France, been at great ex- 
 " pences in the equipping and arming fliips and 
 " veflels, for the fearching out of fertile lands 
 *• in a good climate, capable of being poflefTed 
 " by the French, and therein had ufed fuch di- 
 " ligence as that fome time fince they had dif- 
 " covered the iQands of Si. Chriftophers and 
 ^' Barbadoes^ the one of thirty-five, the other 
 
 of 
 
[40 1 
 
 *^ of forty-five leagues in circumference, and o- 
 •* ther neighbouring iflands, all fituated at the 
 ** entry of Peru^ from the eleventh to the eigh* 
 *' teenth degree north from the equinoclial line, 
 '^ making part of the IVeJl Indus^ which are 
 *"- not poiTcffed by any king or chriftian prince, 
 ^' i^c,'^ This commiflion is dated 05lober 
 ^' 31ft, 1626. 
 
 On the return of Captain Warner^ the Earl 
 of Carhjlc very probably obtained his patent, 
 the preamble ot which runs in thefe words. 
 " Whereas our weli-belovrd and faithful coufin 
 ** and councellor, James Lord Hay^ Baron of 
 " Sawley^ Vifcount Z)^«.<//^r, and Earlof ^ar- 
 " lijle^ having a laudable and zealous ca:e to 
 *' increafe chriilian religion, and to enlarg the 
 ^' territories of our empire, in certain i„r.cs fi^ 
 '' tuated to the northward region of the worid, 
 " which region o. iflar.QS are nereatter dd'cri- 
 ^' bed, which before were unknovvn, and by 
 ^' certain barbarous men, having no knowlfige 
 " of the divine power, in fome pnrt pofftflcd, 
 '' commonly called Carbtee ifl..nds containing 
 " in them, thefe iflands fohowing, viz. St. 
 *' Cbriftophers^ Granada^ St, f^'iticent^ St, Lucia ^ 
 " Barbadoes^ Mittalanea^ (that is what the 
 " French call Martimque) BuminicOy Mariga- 
 " la'ite^ Dsjfuday Tcdos' antes^ Guardelupe, An- 
 *' tego^ Montjerrat^ Redendo^ Barbudo^ Mezis^ 
 ^* fproperly Nevis, by the French Nieves) St, 
 ♦' Barthobmew^ St. Martin y Anguilla^ Sembrera^ 
 ♦< 4nd Enegaday and other iflands before found 
 
 '' out, 
 
[41 ] 
 
 " to his great coft and charges, and brought 
 *' to that pafs, to be a large and copious co- 
 " lony of Englljhr 
 
 There need no greater lights, than com- 
 mon fenfe and a very general knowledge of 
 the fubjed, to convince any candid perufer of 
 thefe inilruments, that the Englijh had been 
 longer in, and were much better acquainted 
 with the Wefi Indies than the French \ fince the 
 former is fo poor and vague a defcription, that 
 it is felf-evident they knew not on v/hich fide 
 of America thefe iQands lay, were acquainted 
 only with ^t, Cbrijlophers^ and had barely heard 
 of Barbadoes, very probably from Captain JVar- 
 ner-j whereas the latter is a pretty full defcrip- 
 tion of the Caribhee iflands, and fuch a one as 
 could never have been given, but by perfons 
 who were well acquainted with them, and who 
 very probably had vifited mod of them. Ic is for 
 this purpole only that we have cited them, and 
 fhall now proceed in a curfory manner, to (hew 
 in what manner thefe iflands have been fettled 
 by both nations, that the reader may be truly 
 apprized as to the real caufes of the difputes 
 that may have arifen about them. 
 
 The ifland of St. Chriftopher^ as we have feen, 
 was fettled by both nations in 162 5, and in 1627 
 the two governors, Captain I'Varner and the 
 Sieur D^Efnambuc^ made a treaty of partition, 
 by which the Englijh were fettled on the fouth 
 and north fides of the ifland, and the French on 
 the eaft and weft. In 1629 Don Frederic de To- 
 
[ 42 ] 
 
 kdo came with a great Spanijh fleet, drove the 
 French entirely out of the ifland, and ruined 
 moft of the EngliJJo f(^ttlements. However, af- 
 ter he retired, both nations returned to their 
 former quarters, and the ifland, notwithflanding 
 this and other accidents, was foon very com- 
 pleatly fettled in their refpedive diftricfls by both 
 Englijh and French, Under the protedlorate, the 
 Frefjch, as themfelves inform us, permitted ge- 
 neral Penn (or rather fome of his fquadron) to 
 land their forces, and to march through their 
 territory, in order to oblige the Englijh inhabi- 
 tants to fubmit themfelves to CromweW^ govern- 
 ment, which they accordingly did. In the firft 
 Dutch war in the reign of Charles the fecond, 
 Lewis the fourteenth declaring for the States, the 
 French in St. Chrijiophers difpoffefTed the Englijh 
 of their quarters in the ifland ; who however 
 were reftored by virtue of the feventh, eighth, 
 and ninth articles of the treaty of Breda, figned 
 July the twenty- firif, 1667. Immediately after 
 the revolution, the French m St. Chrijlophsrs at- 
 tacked the EngliJJj before there was any decla- 
 ration of war •, and this moft flagrant breach 
 of treaty is aiugned as one of the caufes in the 
 declaration of King William and Queen Mary 
 ^gainft the crown of France, However in con- 
 fequence of this unexpeded attack, the French 
 expelled the Englijh a. fecond time in 1689, but 
 in 1690 General Codringlon vecovcrtd that ifland, 
 and in their turn drove the French intirely out. 
 ut they were again reflored, in virtue of the 
 
 peace 
 
[43 1 
 
 peace concluded ac Ryfwic^ September loth, 
 1697. In the war relating to the fucceffion of 
 the crown of Spain^ the French were in the very 
 beginning, driven by the Englifi out of this 
 ifle, and finally difpofTefied of their fettlements 
 in St, Chrijlopbers^ which were ceded io Great 
 Britain by the Treaty of Utrecht, 
 
 It has been remarked, that the procuring the 
 ceflion of the quarters held by the French in 
 this iiland, was objected as a crime to the mi- 
 nifters who negotiated the treaty of Utrecht, but 
 pofTibly there was more of party in this objec- 
 tion than of public fpirit. The reafon aiTigned 
 in fupport of it was, that we thereby enabled the 
 French y as a nation, to do what ocherwiie they 
 could not have done for themfelves, that is, to 
 transfer a multitude of able and' experienced 
 planters to their larger ifland of St. BoY/iingo, 
 But to decide impartially we fhould afk, was 
 this done by the peace or by the war ? The 
 French had been expelled from St. Cbrijiophers 
 ten years before the peace was made, and had 
 been from that time adlually fettled in St. Do^ 
 mingo, fo that poflibly it would have been 
 thought as great a hardfhip to have forced them 
 from their new fettlement, as they mud have 
 originally efteemed it to have been driven from 
 their old one. Befides, the multitude was not great, 
 the whole colony confifted but of two thoufand 
 Whites and twelve thoufand (laves. Now it is 
 certain feveral of the beft families remained, and 
 moft of th? Qaves, which was fo much clear 
 
[ 44 ] 
 
 gain to Britciin. The governors of the Leeward 
 Jjlavds made temporary grants of thefe lands to 
 Britijh fiibjeds, who held them under thefe 
 precarious tenures for many years. Then the 
 South Sea company were defirous of obtaining 
 them, but upon the reprefentation of thofe who 
 had fettled and cultivated them, this projcd: was 
 defeated, and at length thefe lands were fold for 
 the benefit of the public. But to what amount 
 it is not eafy to know, this only is certain, that 
 as they contained ten thoufand acres of good 
 land, and five thoufand acres of an inferior fort, 
 they mud have been fold at a pretty round rate; 
 fince the late princefs of Orar.'ge's marriage por- 
 tion of eighty thoufand pound?, was paid 
 out of part of their produce. Upon the whole, 
 it might be very eafily proved, that in the fpace 
 of about fixty years, which have now elapfed 
 fince we were in pofTefiion of thofe lands, the 
 fum of upwards of three millions has accrued 
 from them to this nation. 
 
 Within five years after we were fettled in 5/. 
 Chriftopbers, fome of the planters there received 
 fuch favourable imprefiTions of a fmall ifland ly- 
 ing about thirty leagues to the north eaft, filled 
 by us Barbuda^ by the French^ Barboude^ and 
 wrote home fo- favourable an account of it, that 
 one Mr. Littleton applied to and obtained a 
 grant from the earl of Carltjlcy of that little ifle 
 to whicii thefe new proprietois gave the name 
 of Bulcina, and thither they actually removed 
 in 1628. But upon a more accurate furvey, 
 
 they 
 
[ 45 ] 
 
 they became lefs in love with their new country* 
 They found it indeed healthy and pleafant, but 
 not capable of fupplying any ftaple commodity^ 
 and even if that difficulty could have been over- 
 come, without any commodious bay or harbour, 
 and withal liable to frequent invafions from the 
 Caribbee Indians^ which induced them, to defill 
 as fpeedily from their projedl of planting it, as 
 they had been hafty in forming it. But not- 
 withftanding this, and that our people in at- 
 tempting to fettle it, have been frequently dif- 
 turbed by the Indians^ it was at length peopled 
 and improved, in virtue of a patent granted to 
 an anceftor of the prefent S\x IVdliam Codrington^ 
 to whom it belonged. The fole produce i)ow- 
 ever of Barbuda confifts in corn, cattle, and 
 fruits, which did not exempt it from being 
 plundered by the French^ in the beginning of 
 Queen Anne^s war, rather out of fpleen to Ge- 
 neral CodringtoHy who had driven them out o^ 
 St. Cbriftophers, aid whom they hoped to have 
 furprifcd there, than from any profit they pro- 
 pofed to themftlves. It recovered however in 
 a fhort time, and ftill remains the property of 
 the Codrington family. 
 
 The fame adventurers who quirted Barluda^ 
 fixed the fame year at Nevhy corruptly Mevis, 
 by the French Nieves, which lies at a very fmall 
 diftance fouth from Sx. Chriftophers^ and is about 
 twenty-four EngUJh miles in compafs, and in a 
 fhort time augmented their numbers to one hun- 
 dred and fifty \ for the fpirit of planting was 
 
 very 
 
[ 46 ] 
 
 very flrong In thofe days. They went on with 
 great fuccefs, and were fo fortunate in their go- 
 vernors, the greateft blefling can attend a colo- 
 ny, that in the fpace of a few years, the fettle- 
 ment grew numerous and opulent. At the clofe 
 of the firft Dutch war, this ifland was threatened 
 with an invafion by the joint fleets o^ France and 
 Holland^ but the inhabitants were feafonably re- 
 lieved by an Englijh fleet, which after a warm 
 and obfl:inate engagement, forced the enemy to 
 retire with lofs. After this, they enjoyed an un- 
 difturbed tranquility for near twenty years, and 
 were in fo profperous a condition, that under the 
 governm.ent of S\: JVtUiarn Stapletcrj^ they muf- 
 lered three thoufand effedlive men in this fmall 
 ifland, though their whole force thirty years a- 
 go, did not amount to fo many hundred. In 
 the war with France in the reign of King TVil- 
 Ham, they were not attacked, but on the con- 
 trary adled offenfively, and did the enemy much 
 mifchief. In Qiieen Anne^s war they were lefs 
 fortunate, for the French landing here on Good- 
 Friday, 1706, they v;ere compelled by a fupe- 
 rior force, and by their being abandoned by 
 mofl: of the Negroes, to fubmit to a capitula- 
 tion, which was figned on Rafter Day, and 
 which wus very ill obferved in refpe6t to them •, 
 and in regard to their flaves, who by their de- 
 fertion ruined their mafl:ers, and for this were 
 promifed good terms : the enemy, contrary to 
 the agreement with them, clapped numbers on 
 board theirfhips, and fold ihtm to ih^ Spaniards 
 
 to 
 
[47] 
 
 to work In their mines. By this heavy cala- 
 mity and fubfequent depredation?^ the colony 
 was brought very low ; but having been effec- 
 tually proteded ever unce, is through the fpiric 
 and induftry of the inhabitants put again into a 
 very flourifhing condition. 
 
 In the year 1632, Sir Thomas Warntr fent a 
 fmail number of his people from St. Cbrijiophers 
 10 Montferraty lying to the fouth-eaft, being of a 
 round figure, a little mountainous ifland, which 
 owes its healthinefs and fecurity to that circum- 
 flance. It was become a very populous and 
 well-improved fettiement, when attacked and 
 reduced by the French in the beginning of the 
 reign of King Charles the fecond. But being 
 reftored to its mailer by the twelfth article of 
 the treaty of Breda, it very fpeedily recovered 
 its former fplendor. When the next war broke 
 out with France ; foon after the revolution the 
 people of Montferrat adled with great vigour 
 and fpirir, by which they kept their enemies at 
 adiftance. But by thefe extraordinary though 
 honourable efforts, their numbers were confi- 
 derably diminiflied. This expofed them in the 
 reign of Queen Anne to be extremely harraffed by 
 the French'^ and even after the cefTation of arms 
 was concluded, Mr. Cojfard landed here, and 
 in a great meafure ruined the iQand. For this, 
 it was ftipuiated in the eleventh article of the 
 treaty of Utreiht^ that an enquiry lliould be 
 made into the damages v/hich the people of 
 Montferrat had fuffered. But it does not ap- 
 pear, 
 
[48] 
 
 pear that any fuch enquiry was ever made, of 
 that the lead compenfation was received. 
 
 At what time Antego^ which is the Jargeft of 
 our Leeward JJlands^ lying about twenty leagues 
 eaft from St, Chriftophers^ near ten leagues 
 north -eaft from Mont ferrate upwards of fifty 
 miles in circumference, was firfl fettled, does 
 not appear : but it is pretty certain, that during 
 the government of Sir Thomas Warner in St. 
 Cbrijiophers^ fome EyigUJh families removed hi- 
 ther. The prevailing opinion that it was en- 
 tirely deftitute of frefh water, hindered any 
 great refort of inhabitants, and it certainly made 
 no great figure until granted by King Charles 
 the fecond to the Lord IViUoughby of Parham^ 
 about three years after the reftoration, who fent 
 his brother thither to promote the fettlement. 
 This gentleman, finding fome French who had 
 retired thirher, and lived very amicably with 
 the Enghjh then there, treated them a little 
 harfhly, v^^hich induced them to quit the ifland, 
 and upon the breaking out of the war in 1666, 
 they gave their countrymen fuch informations, 
 as to the weaknefs of the colony, and the pro- 
 perefl means of attacking it, that they under- 
 took to reduce it, and carried their point. It was 
 however reftored, as well as Mont f err at ^ by the 
 12th article of the treaty of Breda^ as by the icth 
 article of the fame treaty the country of Acadie or 
 Nova Scotia was reftored to the French, Upoii 
 the return of peace, the colony began once more 
 to fiourilh, and made fome confiderable progrefs 
 
 in 
 
[49] 
 
 In the fpace of twenty years. Its greated im- 
 provements however, were owing to the fingu- 
 ]ar fldll and adtivity of Colonel Codrington^ 
 who removed thicher from Barbadoes^ and who 
 by his perfed: knowledge in planting, and by 
 his obliging communications, quickly gave a 
 new face to affairs, and redtified many miftakes 
 that had been of an old (landing, fo that the 
 fugars here came to bear as good a price, as in 
 the other iQands, which they had not done be- 
 fore. In the war that followed the revolution, 
 the people of this iQand acfled vigoroufly under 
 the command of General Codringlon againfl the 
 French, in attacking and plundering the iQands 
 of Marigalante, St. Bartholomew and St. Mar- 
 tinis ; and if we except fome trifling depreda- 
 tions committed upon the coaft by French pri- 
 -vateers, fuffered little or nothing. They were 
 no lefs adlive in that of Queen AnnCy when 
 General Codrington made an attempt upon Qua" 
 daloupe v/lth great appearance of fuccefs, and 
 in all probability would have conquered that 
 ifland, if it had not been for an unhappy diffe- 
 rence with the officer who commanded the na- 
 val force. In this reign, the feat of govern- 
 ment, with refpecl to the Lee'joard If.andsy was 
 transferred to AntegOy where it has ever fince 
 remained. This no doubt has contributed not a 
 little to that profperous and flour iflVing condi- 
 tion in which it now is, together alfo with ano- 
 ther circumftance, viz, the conveniency of tnat 
 which is called Eng'tJ}) Harbour, for the careyn- 
 
 Ip'T 
 
[so] 
 
 ing fliips of war, when that is requifite in tfiTS 
 part of the world, and which harbour is at this 
 time improving in fuch a manner, as that it may 
 be able to receive fliips of as large fize as are ever 
 fent hither. 
 
 Thefe that have been mentioned, are thofe 
 that pafs generally under the name of the Britijh 
 Leeward ]fiands \ but befides thefe we have been 
 at different times poifeifed of feveral others in 
 thefe parts. In 1666 we difpoffcfTed thQ DuUb 
 of SL Euftatia^ ^ying a little to ihe north- weft 
 of St. ChriftopherSy which however was reco- 
 vered the next year, by the joint forces of the 
 Dutch and French, In the war after the revo- 
 lution, that iOand being taken from the Dutch 
 by the Frencby the latter were difpoffelTed of it 
 by Sir Timothy Jhornhill^ v^ho left a fmall corps 
 therein o^ ErigliJJj troops, to proicct tlie inhabi- 
 tants, 'till it was finally redored to the Dutch by 
 the treaty of Ryfsjic^ v/ho have enjoyed it peace- 
 ably ever fincc. 
 
 The ifland of SantaCriiZy or as the French cd}A it, 
 Sai/Jtc CroiXj was vifited by tbcE^gl'Jh in 1587, 
 and about 1635 it was fettled by the Ev^lijh and 
 •Dutch in the ijiW.t manner that St. Cirjtophers 
 Iwd been by the Enghfo and French. In 1645, 
 the Dutch governor killed the Englifi governor 
 in his houfe, upon which a civil war began in 
 the idand, in which the Dutch governor was kil- 
 led. At length a pacification enfued, and the 
 Dutch chufc a new governor, \A\o is faid to have 
 been ir.vittd by the Engl^fi governor to his 
 houfc, and thtTe fl.iin. After which, the Dutch 
 
 were 
 
f5ii 
 
 were driven entirely out of the illand, and there 
 being amongd them about one hundred and 
 twenty French^ they at their own requeH: were 
 lent to Guadaloupe* The Spaniards knowing 
 that the Englijh^ though now'fole mailers of the 
 ifland, could be but weak, after all thefe intef- 
 tine troubles, attacked them in 1^50, and ex- 
 tirpated all that they found there. The Dutch 
 then made a bold etfort to recover it, and were 
 in like manner deftroyed by the iuperior force 
 of the Spaniards, The French from St, Chrifio- 
 phrrs next attempted to expel the Spaniards^ 
 which though not without fome difficulty they 
 accomplifhcd, and held it peaceably till about 
 the year 1695 or 1690, when they thought fit 
 to withdraw their colony, and it has been fince 
 occupied by the Dan-es, to whom, according to 
 an opinion that univerfally prevails in the fVefi- 
 Indies^ it was fold by the French for a very large 
 fum of money. But though poiTciTcd by the 
 Danes^ it is at prefent chiefly inhabited, as we 
 before obferved, by Britijh lubjeds, who have 
 fettled it under thtir protection. 
 
 We hold befides thefe, the iQand 0^ Anguilla^ 
 fo c|],ledfrom its form, which refembles that of 
 ^fnakcy lying tv/enty- fix leagues north-eatl from 
 St. Cruz^ and near fifteen north from St. Cbrijio- 
 phersy the idands of St. Bartholomew and St, 
 Martin lying between them ; and though it be 
 but fmall yet it is pleafanr, fertile, and by no 
 means contemptible in its value. Amongft 
 thofc iflands that are filled the Virgins^ or las 
 E 2 Virgines^ 
 
[ 52 ] 
 
 VirgineSy which were fo called by the Spaniards, 
 we hold Tortola^ a very fine ifland, as large and 
 as valuable as Montfenat^ which was taken from 
 the Butch in the firft war againlt them, in the 
 reign of King Charles the fecond. Spanijh Town 
 (or rather Peniflon) by the Spaniards Virgin Gor- 
 da^ or the Great Virgin^ which though of no 
 great extent, yields commodities to a confide- 
 rable value. Befides thefe, there are a great 
 many fmall iflands and iflets, fuchas Great Dog^ 
 Little Beg, Scrubs Great Cumanusy Little Cu* 
 manus^ Guiana^ Beef Jjland^ Jerufalem^ Round 
 Rock^ Coopers IJle^ Salt IJlandy &:c. from which 
 the fea is thought to be continually, though 
 flowly, fubfiding, and of courfe the land gra- 
 dually increafing. In the bofom of thefe Vir- 
 ^r«/,if that exprefiion may be excufed, there is the 
 fineft bafon of water that can be conceived, land- 
 locked from all winds by the regular difpofition 
 of thefe ides, .m.oft of which are cultivated, and 
 yield no fmall quantities of cotton and provifi- 
 ons, from which fome thoufand of Whites de* 
 rive tolerable eftates, and many thoufand Negro 
 (laves 3 comfortable fubfiftence ; there being 
 none of our fettlements in which they live more 
 at their eafe or in greater plenty. We like wife 
 twice fettled, and were twice exterminated by 
 the Spaniards from an ifiand more valuable than 
 any of thefe, called by the natives Boriquen^ by 
 which name alfo Puerto Rico was known, to 
 which it is very near, but from the multitude 
 of thole animdls, that are found upon it, called 
 
 by 
 
[53] 
 
 by oar feamen Crab IJland, We will now turn 
 our eyes more particularly to the acquifitions of 
 the French, 
 
 As foon as their eftablifiiment in St. Cbrijlo- 
 phers began to thrive, Mr. Befnambuc their go- 
 vernor, formed projedls for further acquifiti- 
 ons, and of thefe he wrote his fentiments to the 
 company in France^ where they met with fuch 
 approbation, that in the year 1635 they fitted 
 out Meflieurs du Pkffis and rOlive^ with in- 
 ftru(flions to fettle a colony in any of the three 
 iflands they (hould judge mod convenient, 
 which had been mentioned to them by the go- 
 vernor of St. Cbriftophers. They failed accor- 
 dingly from Dieppe^ and landed firfl on Marti- 
 nko^ but difliking the mountainous appearance 
 of that country, they proceeded next to Guada- 
 loupe, on which they landed, and took poiTefli- 
 on June the 8th, 1635. 
 
 To fpeak with propriety, this French colony 
 is eftabliflied on two iQands, the one properly 
 called Guadaloupe, which is upwards of one hun- 
 dred Englijh miles in circumference, the other 
 Grand Terre, which is above one hundred and 
 fixty in circuit, divided by a narrow arm of the 
 fea, which is called the Salt FJver. Gttadaloupe 
 proper is certainly a very fine ifland, and fo 
 much of it as can be cultivated, is very rich and 
 fertile, but then the mountains in the middle of 
 the iQand occupy near the one half, and the ri- 
 vers and rivulets which defcend from them on 
 both . fides, fo as conftantly and plentifully to 
 E 3 water 
 
[54] 
 
 water the flat country, are the great fources both 
 oF pleafure and profit. On the other hand. 
 Grand Terre which, as we have already obfer- 
 ved, is the larger ifland of the two, is all flat 
 ground, and of confequence has no rivers, in- 
 deed fcarce any water at all, except what is fa- 
 yed in cifterns, which renders ic unhealthy in 
 refpedl to the inhabitants, and fubjedls them fre- 
 quently to fhort crops, from their canes being 
 burned up, and even when there are greater 
 quantities of fugar than in G^5^^/(?«/?^, that fugar 
 is not equally valuable. 
 
 As to the produce of this ifland, we have had 
 fuch a variety, and thofe too fuch difl^erent ac- 
 counts, that it is very difficult to ftate any 
 thing with certainty, or at leafl: that will be 
 thought fo by the generality of readers. Mr. 
 Savary^ in a work of his addrefTed to that great 
 minifter Mr. Colbert^ in the year 1679, tells us 
 it produced then four thoufand three hundred 
 feventy-flve French hogflieads of fugar, of eight 
 hundred weight each. In the Di^iounaire de 
 Commerce^ publirtied by the defcendants of that 
 gentleman and their afiTociates in 1742, it was 
 *faid to produce five thoufand fuch hogOoeads, 
 which agrees very well with the exports in the year 
 1759, 'which was the firfl: after it was reduc- 
 ed by the Britijh arms, when we imported 3625 
 fuch hogfheads, tho' very poflTibly this might not 
 be its entire produce, but that a part might find 
 its way into Eurcfe from St.EuJlatia. In the next 
 year, twenty-one thoufand andflxteen hogfheads, 
 and in the fucceeding, which was the year 1761^ 
 
 t\^^nty- 
 
[55] 
 
 twenty-five thoufand five hundred and elgiiCeen, 
 whence not without great probability, it has 
 been furmifed, that part of the produce of JV/^/r- 
 tinico palTed through Guaddloupe^ and under the 
 name of her fugars into England. 
 
 The iiland of Martinica received that name 
 from the Spaniards^ and is called by the French 
 Martinique. The Indian name was Medanina 
 or Metaninoy but in de Laet\ maps, and jn all 
 our old authors, we find it called Miltalanea. 
 It is certainly a very fine and fpacious iHe, about 
 one hundred and eighty miles in circumference, 
 but very irregular in its form. The air is buc 
 indifi^erent, it is very mountainous, and many 
 of thofe mountains are rocky and inacceffible, 
 others as far as they are cultivable, fertile and 
 pleafant. There are about forty rivers, and ri- 
 vulets, which water thib country, and fome of 
 the former overflow in fuch a manner as to pro- 
 duce great inconveniences. Befides, from this 
 humidity joined to the extreme heat of the 
 climate, it is very much infefted with venomous 
 creatures, as well as feme very noxious and 
 troublefome infers. 
 
 It was fettled by Mr. Dcfnamhuc, who having- 
 intelligence that McfTis. Du Plejfis and UOlive 
 were commifiioned to niake new eftablifhments, 
 he thought it expedient to try how far h.is pro- 
 jedts were capable of being executed by himfeif, 
 and the forces he could raife in his own govern- 
 ment of St. Cbriftophers. Sailing accordingly 
 from thence, he debarked with about a hundred 
 E 4 msoj 
 
f 56 1 
 
 men, ^U'y the fixth, 1635, in this ifland, which 
 was then well inhabited by the Caribbee Indians^ 
 with whom he endeavoured to maintain a fair 
 correfpondence, and recommended this to Mr. 
 du Pont, whom he left there as his lieutenant. 
 Things remained for many years in this fitu* 
 ation, till upon Ibme offence taken, the IndianSy 
 through thpfe mountainous tracks that were 
 thought altogether impaffkbie, broke in upon 
 the French colony, and were not without great 
 difficu'ty repulied, and at length about the year 
 1638, forced to abandon the iOand, and retire 
 to Dominica and St. Vincent. After their expul* 
 fion, that part of the ide which they inhabited, 
 was divided by the conquerors and very quickly 
 fvTtded. Martini CO was for a long ftries of time 
 the principal re fort of the Buccaneers, or, as the 
 French (lilc them, FUbufteirSy who from thence 
 in the firft Dutch war incommoded our fettlc- 
 ments extremely. In the fecond Dutch war it 
 was attacked by Admiral de Ruyter in 1674, 
 who did there a great deal of mifchief. In King 
 U^illiam^s war it felt more fcverely the weight of 
 our power. It efcaped better in the war of Queen 
 '^Ann4y and at the opening of the laft war was 
 thought to be fo well fortified, and to have fuch 
 a flrength within itfelf, as that it had nothing to 
 fear; and perhaps this notion received fome 
 Countenance from the failing of our firfl: attempt, 
 but it was afterwards forced as well as Guada^ 
 loupe had been before, to lubmit to his majefty's 
 Uiuaiphant ^rms. 
 
 A3 
 
[57 3 
 
 As Martinico is the feat of the French go- 
 vernment, in refpe6l to her iQands, and in con- 
 fequence of that being the refidence of her 
 governor-general, it h^s always made a greater 
 figure than any of the reft. There are upon it 
 four confiderable fortifications, the town of St. 
 Pierre is larger and better built than any in her 
 other iflands, and the commerce here in time of 
 peace proportionably greater. The produds of 
 this ifland are fugar, coffee, cocoa, cotton, indi- 
 go, ginger, pimento, drugs, dying woods, and 
 fome more inconfiderable articles. In 1679 it 
 produced fix thoufand two hundred and fifty 
 French hogfneads of fugar, in 1742 its produce 
 was computed at itvtn thoufand five hundred 
 hoglheads, and it has fince raifed twenty -five 
 thoufand, but a great part of thefe v/ere refined 
 fugars, and of confequence the more valuable. 
 If we may credit one of the lateft performances 
 that has been publifhed in France, the fhipping 
 employed from that kingdom to this ifland, 
 confifled in three hundred velTels of between 
 one hundred and two hundred and fifty tons. 
 
 In 1635 they made an attempt upon the 
 iQand of Statia^ or as- the French call it Saint 
 Eufiache, but without fuccefs. They were how« 
 ever more fortunate in the fecond Dutch war, 
 and alfo in that of the reign of King William, 
 but they were obliged to quit it, and the future 
 poileffion of it was fecured to the Dutch by the 
 treaty of Ryfwic, In 1638 they endeavoured to 
 fix tbemfclves in the ifland of St. Martin, which 
 
 though 
 
[ 55 ] 
 
 though fmall in itfelF, is a fertile and pleafant 
 ifland, but chiefly valuable on account of its 
 fait ponds, which induced the Spaniards to build 
 a fort and to maintain a garrifon therein for its 
 defence. It was this likewife that eno-aged them 
 to difpoflefs thefe invaders •, but about ten years 
 after they abandoned the iCand, of which the 
 DuUb having notice, they prefently debarked a 
 body of men there, but- the Frc^uh the fame 
 year, that is in 1648, fent a force to recover it. 
 Upon which, to prevent the tffufion of blood. 
 It was agreed to divide it between the two na- 
 tions, in the fame manner that Si. Chrijlophers 
 had been. In this (late it has continued ever 
 fince. Tht French indeed have more than once 
 endeavoured to withdraw their colony, but the 
 inhabitants, better pleafed to remain there, have 
 concluded what they call a concordat with the 
 Dutchy by which in time of war each nation is 
 bound reciprocally to afTift the other, and under 
 this protection the French continued quiet, du- 
 ring the wars in King PFiltiam's and Queen 
 yfnne^s reigns, and have not been molefted fince. 
 The very fame year, in which they went firfl: 
 to SL Martin'' s^ they fent a very fmall ftrength 
 to attack the iHand of Granada^ then poiTciTed 
 by the CariJ?he: India'fis, who difputcd it witii 
 them for many years, as we fhall hereafter havQ 
 occafion to fhew in its proper place. 
 
 The iQand of St. Bartholomew^ or as the 
 French call it, 6"/. Bartbelemi, which lies three 
 leagues from S:. Martin, and fix from St. Chri^ 
 
 Jtopbers^ 
 
I 
 
 [59 ] 
 
 flophers^ and which is about twenty five miles 
 in compafs, was poiTeired by them in 1648, it 
 is a very pleafant and a very wholeibme iOand, 
 produces all the neceflaries of life, together 
 with fome cotton, a great deal of good timber, 
 and fome drugs, but no commo-^iities of any 
 great value. It has however a v^ry fafe and com- 
 modious port, where Sir Timothy Thornhil lan- 
 ded in 16S9, and reduced the ifiand, which the 
 inhabitants were nocwithftanding allowed to re- 
 poiTefs, and remained quietly under the pro- 
 te6lion of the crown of Great Britain, till it 
 was reftored by tlie peace of Ryjzvic, fmce which 
 it feems to have continued unmolefted. About 
 the fame time they fettled thofe three fmall 
 iflands called the Sai?its, upon which the Spani- 
 ards beftowed the name, becaufe they difcove- 
 red them on All Saints day. They lie between 
 Guadaloupe and Dominica^ two of them only 
 being inhabited, the third, v/hidi is a rock, af- 
 fording by its fituation a harbour for the refl". 
 They are tolerably inhabited, though without 
 freOi v/ater, and the people in them fubGil by 
 ralQng provifions, of which in time of war they 
 are liable to be plundered, and they are chiefly 
 remarkable for the fbipwreck o^ Francis Lord 
 Willoughh}\ v;ho was iofc near them in the 
 firfl: Butch war. 
 
 Marigalante derives its name from Co^ 
 Itimhus^ fhip. It is nearly round in its form, 
 and about fifty £;?^///Z> miles in compafs, lies 
 four leagues fouth-eaft from Grande Tcrre, and 
 
 fcven- 
 
(6o] 
 
 fcventeen north from Maninique, The French 
 made many attempts to fettle it before they fuc- 
 ceeded, being more than once cut off by the 
 Carihbee Indians^ but in 1652 they carried their 
 point, and obhged the natives to retire to Do- 
 minica^ fmce which time they have been pof- 
 fcfTed of it. This ifland is in general flat, very 
 indifferently watered, tolerably well cultivated, 
 though it has been thrice reduced by the Bri- 
 iijb arms, exclufive of the laft war, when, af- 
 ter the taking of Guaddoupe it yielded without 
 refiftance. The foil when cultivated, is faid to 
 be fertile, and at the time it came into our pof- 
 felTion, it produced about a thoufand hogfheads 
 of fugar, befides moft of the other commodi- 
 ties common throughout the reft of the iflands. 
 Deseada, DeJJiiday or Dejtrade, is a fmaller 
 iOand than the former, lying four leagues eaft 
 from Grande Terre, and between fix and feven 
 north-eaft from Marigalante, It has a deep 
 black foil, produces much timber, and particu- 
 larly lignum vitas of a large fize, fome fugar, 
 but a large quantity of cotton, which is eftee- 
 med the very beft in the French ifles. There is in 
 it a good harbour for privateers, and it was very 
 well inhabited, when in the laft war it fhared 
 the fame face with Guadaloupe and Iviarigalante^ 
 the people efteeming themfclves happy, to 
 fhare alfo in that moft favourable capitulation 
 granted to thofe iflands. 
 
 We have now run through all the French 
 iflands, in refpect to their fize, fituation and 
 
 produce, 
 
[ 6i 1 
 
 produce, excepting the part that they hold in St. 
 Domingo or Hifpamola, which being one of the 
 greater Antilles, would be more properly oppo- 
 ied to Jamaica than to the Leeward IJlands, and 
 therefore lies without our plan. From this fuc- 
 cindl detail, we fee in a very narrow compafs 
 what is the true extent of the French territory, 
 and may from thence colled, what a degree of 
 ftrength may refult from the combined force 
 of their iflands, and to what height their navi- 
 gation and commerce may arife from the cul- 
 tivation of thefe countries ; for to thefe they 
 will be hereafter confined, as there feems to be 
 now no opening left for them to augment their 
 dominions at the expence of any other nation 
 in thefe parts. But in order to underftand this 
 fubjedt more clearly, and to acquire a more di- 
 ftin£l profpedt of what may hereafter happem 
 to both nations, a few general obfervatlons will 
 be necefTary, founded in the relation between 
 caufes and effedls, deduced chiefly from what 
 has happened to them in former times. 
 
 At their firft fettlement in the Wefi Indies^ 
 the Englijh were more wifely diredled and bet- 
 ter fupported as the French writers themfelves 
 confefs, and indeed it is to them we owe alt 
 our information, than their colony, though 
 planted under the powerful protection of Cardi- 
 nal Richlieu. It was this that enabled us to 
 fpread ourfelves fo foon into different iflands, 
 and it appears that our countrymen chofe the 
 neareftj though fmall and not over fertile, that 
 
 they 
 
[62] 
 
 they might be t!ie better able to afTift each ei- 
 ther, and that all their fettlements in thofe 
 fmall iOands lying near the Tea, their cultivation 
 and their commerce, might from thence de- 
 rive reciprocal advantages. In this they followed 
 the truefpirit and genius of planting, by which, 
 in the fpace of a very few years, they became 
 numerous, brought their lands into good order, 
 and drove for thofe times, and that commodity 
 in which they chiefly dealt, which was ^ohacco^ 
 a very regular and lucrative trade, to which 
 they bent all their endeavours, and from which 
 they derived a profperous fecurity. 
 
 The French^ on the other hand, were fiower 
 and lefs fuccefsful in their improvements, for 
 reafons that will be prefently explained ; but as 
 foon as they had acquired a little ftrength, ac- 
 cording to the enterprizing temper of the na- 
 tion, they began to meditate new conqucfts, 
 and to affect a wide extent of territory, inftead 
 of making the mod of what they pofTeffed- 
 They were not in thofe days much inclined to 
 indiiflry, had very imperfefl notions of trade, 
 and no conftant or regular communication with 
 their mother country. But this did not hinder 
 them from attempting to feize, as we have feen, 
 various iflands, and where they wanted force 
 they made ufe of policy, cajoling the Indians 
 while they were fuperior to them in ftrength, 
 and as their power increafed, picking quarrels 
 with ihem, and driving them gradually out of 
 their poHefnons -, io thjc for the fpace of near 
 
 thirty 
 
I 
 
 [ 63 ] 
 
 thirty years, their chief employment was war, 
 and their principal aim the acquifition of terri- 
 tory, in which by their difcipline and perfeve- 
 rance, they gradually fucceeded. 
 
 Both the Englijh and the French began to 
 form their eftabiilhments in the JVeft Indies^ when 
 the affairs of their refpedive nations were in an 
 unfettled condition at home ; fo that inilead of 
 wondering at any delay in their progrefs, there 
 is more reafon to be fiirprifed that they grew at 
 all inftead of not growing fader. In refpedt to the 
 Englifl), the Earl of Carlijle^ who was really the 
 patron, as well as proprietor of the Leeward 
 Jjlands^ died in i$36, and left his affairs in great 
 confufion. The civil war broke out a few years 
 after, during which our colonies were in a man- 
 ner left to themfelves, and their inhabitants were 
 obliged to fhift as well as they could. But the 
 Butch^ always attentive to their own intereft, 
 and in confequence of that attentive to a certain 
 degree to the interefts of thofc by whom their 
 own may be bed promoted, fell into a trade 
 v/ith our iflands, encouraged them in turning 
 their thoughts to the cultivation of fugar, fur- 
 nidied them with the utenfils neceffary for tlieir 
 works, and affifled them likewife with Negroes, 
 After the ruin of the King's affairs, many who 
 had been officers in his army, took (lielter in 
 Barbadoes and the other iQands, where they be- 
 came planters, and King Charles the fecond be- 
 ing then in HoUarJ^ fcnt Francis Lord TFil- 
 kugkhj of Par bam from thence, with the title 
 
 of 
 
f 64 ] 
 
 of governor of Barhadoes and the Leeward 
 JJlands^ who was chearfully received and obeyed 
 in that quality by the inhabitants, whom he 
 found in a thriving and profperous condition. 
 
 But in 1 65 1, the parliament fent out Sir 
 George Ay f cue with a fquadron of fhips of war, 
 to reduce thofe illands to their obedience, which 
 though he m^et with a confiderable reliftance he 
 effeded, feized and confifcated many Dutch 
 fiiips, and put an end to their correfpondence 
 with the fubjedh of that republic. It was in 
 thefe times of confufion that we were difpolTef- 
 fcd of ^anta CruZy and our colonics were twice 
 extirpated in Boriquen or Crab IJland by the Spa- 
 niards^ which though fcarce mentioned by our 
 hiftorians, were very great national lolTes, if we 
 rriay compute the value of thofe iflands accor- 
 ding to the profits that have arifen to us from 
 thofe that are left. 
 
 Cromvv'ell's war with Spain^ though it pro- 
 cured to us Jamaica^ weakened our other iOands 
 by the numbers drawn out of them for the St. 
 Domingo expedition, and then by the fupplit'S 
 icnt to people our new conquefl:. The natural 
 confequence of this was, that as we have already 
 ffcn, the firft Dutch war in the reign of King 
 Charles the fecond, which happened but eight 
 years afterwards, and in which we had to con- 
 tend both with that nation and the French^ 
 proved fo unfortunate to us in America^ where, 
 as we have already obferved, we were forced to 
 redeem our JJlands from the French^ at the 
 
 cxpence 
 
[ 65 ] 
 
 expence of Nova Scotia^ and to give up Surl' 
 nam^ that we might retain New York and its 
 dependencies, which, during our Troubles the 
 Dutch had feized, on the continent of North A- 
 merica. Both thefe cefllons by the way, plainly 
 prove what the fentiments were, both of Great- 
 Britain and of France^ with refpedl to the con- 
 fequence of thofe countries. 
 
 The French in this refped, that is, as to na- 
 tional tranquillity, were not at all in a happier 
 fituation. The firfl: company, though erefted, 
 as we have obferved, with the participation, 
 and under the aufpice of the great Cardinal de 
 Richlieu, had no larger a fund than forty -five 
 thoufand livres, and that able minifter had the 
 mortification to fee its affairs in a very declining 
 ftate before his death, which happened in 1642. 
 After this, their concerns fell into fuch confu- 
 fion, and the diftraCiion of the government un- 
 der the firft years of Mazarine^ miniftry, were 
 fo unfavourable for eftablilhments of this na- 
 ture, that in 1661, the company fold to the 
 Bailiff de Poinds in truft for his order of Mahay 
 the idands of St, Chrijiopher^ St. BartholoineWy 
 St, Martin^ and St, Croix, In like manner they 
 difpofed of GuadaloupCy Marigalante^ Befirade^ 
 and the Saints^ to the Sieur HoueU and Marti- 
 nico and Granada to the Sieur Parquet^ in which 
 fales nothing was referved to the crown of 
 France but the bare title of fovereignty ; and 
 having thus parted with their poiTefTions, this 
 Erft company was difTolved, 
 
 F Whea 
 
[66] 
 When Lewis XIV. with the afTiftance of 
 ablef minifVers, came to look into his own af- 
 fairs, he by letters patent dated in July 1664, 
 creded a new Weft-India company, to which 
 were afTigned all the pofTeffions of France in A- 
 merica^ both continent and iflands, and this com- 
 pany had funds proportioned to the extent of 
 their powers, and to the views of the King and 
 his minifter in erecting it, They were diredVed 
 in the firft place, to purchafe from the order 
 of Malta and the other proprietors, the iflands 
 which they held •, they were next enjoined to 
 relcue the trade of all thefe fettlements out of 
 the hands of the Dutch^ who had carried it 
 on all this time •, and laftly, they were charged 
 with the greateft part of the expences of the war 
 maintained againft England ; and when with much 
 fpirit and at a vaft charge they had anfwered 
 all thefe important purpofes, and that too in fo 
 fhorta fpace as nine years, they were difiblved, 
 becaufe they had anfwered thofe purpofes, and 
 fo were no longer neceflary ; and from the time 
 they were fupprefled in 1674, the crown of 
 France entered into the full pofTelTion of thefe 
 iflands •, the trade of which, as much as pof- 
 fible, was confined to France^ but as we fee by 
 the memorials prefented to the council of trade 
 in 1701, they were fo perplexed and embarraf- 
 fed by the Guinea company, and the intrigues 
 of the farmers general, that all the great views, 
 and all the wife, contrivances, of the famous 
 Colbert and his fucceffors^ were in a great mca- 
 
 fiire 
 
fure though not wholly defeated. It was to 
 thefe memorials, penned with equal (kill and 
 fpirit, that the French miniflers ftocd indebted 
 for the true knowledge of the nature of this 
 commerce, the value of their iflands, and the 
 many advantageous confequences, that might 
 follow from things being put into a right train. 
 But it mufl: not be underftood, that domeftick 
 confufions and inteftine troubles, have been fa- 
 tal only to thefe two nations, in this part of the 
 globe ', the like caufe has produced exadly the 
 fame effe£b, with refpedl to others. It was the 
 falling of Portugal under the fubjedion of 
 Spain^ that not only gave occafion to the Dutch 
 to attack Brazil^ who had other wife no caufe 
 of quarrel whatever with the Portuguefe, but 
 alfo difpirited and difcouraged them to fuch a 
 degree, that a great part of the country was 
 loft; and thus it appears that a very fmall (late^ 
 fuch as Portugal was, while well governed un- 
 der a feries of wife and brave princes, was able 
 to make a glorious figure, and to become one 
 of the greatefb maritime powers in the world ; 
 and yet, VN^hen united as a province, to a flill 
 greater power, from the difcord and difcontent 
 which this occafioned, became fo weak and fo 
 unlike to v/hat it had formerly been, that the 
 people of Holland, under a free, mild, and pru- 
 dent adminiftration, gained fuch an afcendantj 
 as to eredl on the ruins of the Portuguefe em* 
 pire in the Eaft-Indies and South America^ an em- 
 pire of their own. 
 
 F 2 But 
 
[68 3 
 
 But when the Portuguefe recovered their in- 
 dependency, though broken and extenuated by 
 having been under the Spanijh yoke, they reco- 
 vered alfo fo much ftrength and ipirir, as to 
 attack their conquerors, and that with fo much 
 fuccefs, as to oblige them to leave 5r^z//, which 
 however they might not perhaps have atchieved, 
 if the Dutch themfelves had not been in a great 
 degree difunited, fince in all probability, the 
 States would never have fu omitted to evacuate 
 and quit their claim to Brazil^ if the Zelanders^ 
 who were the moft interefted in that valuable 
 acquifition, had not been at that time warmly 
 attached to the Prince of Orange, afterwards 
 King WiUiam III. from whom the States were 
 then difpofed to wrefl the dignities hereditary 
 in his family, and from thence inclined to de- 
 fert, for the furtherance of their own views, a 
 conqueft of fuch confequence to the republic. 
 
 It was likewife to the imbecility of the three 
 laft monarchs of the Houfe q\ Auftria in Sfain^ 
 that her dominions in America fuffered as they 
 did. It was this that rendered it pradicable for 
 the EngliffQ and French with fuch inconfiderable 
 forces, to polTefs themfelves of the lefTer Antilles^ 
 and the Dutch after their example, to fix them- 
 felves in thofe iOands which they dill continue 
 to pofTefs. It was this, that rendered it pradti- 
 cable for the Buccaneers^ FlibuftierSy or Free- 
 hooters, to harrafs, plunder, and ruin, almofl 
 M the rich and great places near the fea, in 
 South as well as North America^ unowned and 
 
 unfup- 
 
f 69 j 
 
 unfupported by any other power, though con- 
 nived at and privately afiifted by feveral. It 
 was this alfo, that rendered them unable to de- 
 fend Jamaica againft us, and put it in the power 
 firft of the Buccaneers^ and then of the French 
 to difpodefs them of one moiety of the ifland 
 of St, 'Domingo or Hifpaniola, In a word, it 
 appears from hence, impofiible for a maritime 
 (late to maintain her naval power and the terri- , 
 tories which in right of that fhe poiTefles abroad^ 
 if confummate wifdom does riot direcfl, and the 
 mofl perfect harmony fuftain her counfels at 
 home. 
 
 We are fometimes apt, from pride and felf- 
 conceir, to exaggerate and overvalue the per- 
 formances of our own nation j and at others, 
 either through envy or caprice, to depreciate 
 them, in compari Ton of foreigners. But if lay- 
 ing afide this over- weaning paflion, and rejedl- 
 ing all unbecoming prejudice, we are content 
 to look for truth through the medium of fa5is^ 
 we fhall be able to difcern clearly, that in re- 
 fpeft to our Weft-India iQands, we in the firft 
 place improved much fafter than \ki^ French \ 
 for Barbadoes was arrived at the very meridian 
 of its glory, precifely at that period, when by 
 difolving their fecond Weft-India company, the 
 French but began to put their ifland s into a pof- 
 ture .of thriving, or at lead into a pofture of 
 thriving for the benefit of France, 
 
 In the next place, we have carried our im- 
 provements much farther ; for all the advan- 
 F 3 cages 
 
[7°] 
 t&gts we have derived from Barhadois, and the 
 reft of our Leeward IJlands^ we have derived 
 from z fifths perhaps the error would not be 
 great if we faid, from a iixth pare of the land, 
 that is in the hands of the French, This cer- 
 tainly does very great honour to the fkill and 
 induftry of the Britijh planters, and it is an ho- 
 nour which ought not to be undervalued, fince 
 in this kind of national conteft, it is the greateft 
 at which a people can pofiibly arrive. It is ftill of 
 farther confequence, as it ferves to lay a rational 
 foundation for our future hopes ; fince if we 
 have by the fuccefs of our arms, and in virtue 
 of that by the terms of the peace lately concluded, 
 acquired as it will hereafter appear we have, a 
 much larger extent of territory than all we be- 
 fore poflcfled, there are good grounds to ex- 
 ^ed:, that our countrymen will be no lefs fuc- 
 cefsful in their future labours ; and that this 
 maybe confidered, as the epoch, from whence 
 pur pofterity may date the increafe of their 
 profperity, of which even the prefent genera- 
 ration may enjoy confiderable fruits, as well as 
 the comfortable profped of ftill greater profits, 
 that in confequence of future improvements, 
 will arife in time to come. 
 
 But this is not all. If our improvements 
 ^ere not only quicker and greater, than thofe 
 oixj^tVrench'y they have been alio much more 
 jconducive to the wealth and power of the mo- 
 ther country \ they have augmented our na- 
 ijpnal ftcck ^ they have extended pyr naviga- 
 tion j 
 
[71 ] 
 
 tion ; they have added (trength and fplendour 
 to our naval force. All this may not only be 
 fairly affirmed, but may alfo be fully proved. 
 We have feen that in the firft Dutch war, in 
 the reign of Charles II. we were not able to 
 defend thefe iQands, though, confidered fimply 
 in refpedl to themfelves, they were then at leaft 
 as ftrong as they are now. But during the peace 
 that fucceeded, the benefits that accrued to this 
 nation from thofe colonics, had fuch an influence 
 on the affairs of this country, that in every fuc- 
 ceeding v/ar, we have been able to defend them, 
 by a maritime force from hence, and in the laft 
 war, not only to defend, but to deprive our 
 enemies of the great'eft part of their pofTefTions, 
 This, therefore, is a conclufive argument, in 
 fupport of the propofition, that we have laft 
 advanced, and taking the whole into our con- 
 fideration, will teach us to think juftly and in a 
 becoming manner of the importance of thefe 
 fettlements, and to conceive a true idea of what 
 does fo much honour to our national charader; 
 the reciprocal advantages that are derived to us 
 from the induftry of their inhabitants, and that 
 protedion which we have afforded to them, in 
 confequence of thofe large and long continued 
 ftreams of wealthy that we have drawn from 
 them. 
 
 We may from this hiftorical dedu6lion, clear- 
 ly difcern, that it was upon the firft eftablifhment 
 of our colonies, they were fo thoroughly inha- 
 bited, more efpecially by whites. We may 
 F 4 learn 
 
[72 1 
 learn from the letters written by Cromwell's land 
 and Tea officers, during their 'American expedi- 
 tion, that our iQands then fwarmed with people* 
 and that more than one half of that puiflanc 
 force, the greatefl: inconteflibly that till then, 
 had ever been feen in thofe parts, was raifed in 
 thofe iflands. To defcend a little to pardculars, 
 tbre'2 thoufand five hundred were taken out of 
 Barbadoes^ and fifteen hundred from the other 
 iflands, though Antigua^ the largeft of them, 
 was not at that period, in any degree fettled. 
 A little after the reftoration, that is before the 
 firft Dutch war, we have the authentic tefti- 
 monyofMr. Lewis Roberts^ that there were forty 
 thoufand whites in the colony of Surijiam. The 
 French writers confirm thefe accounts, and af- 
 fert that the EnglifJj were fo numerous in their 
 iflands, that they were forced to difcharge a part 
 of their inhabitants upon the continent. But at 
 this time, furely men did not go there fo much 
 from motives of profit, as from the fpur of ne~ 
 ceflity. They went thither, becaufe they knew 
 not where elfe to go. 1 hey vvent, becaufe they 
 wanted employment, and knew not how to live 
 at home, Perfons in this fituation, had there 
 been no colonies, would have left this country % 
 «nd therefore happy for this country, that they 
 bad colonies to which they might go. This is 
 a dem.onftration drawn from fails, of the truth 
 of thofe principles, upon which Sir Jofiah Chili 
 reafoncd. But does the prefent ftate of our 
 colonies fhew, that they have been ever fince 
 
 ''uch 
 
[73] 
 
 fuch a drain upon this country ? Are there now 
 in all the Leeward IJlands^ as many whites as 
 there wcre^xty years ago in the fingie ifland of 
 Barhadoes ; or go there any number thither even 
 now, but from motives of necelTity ? If this be 
 the cafe, as moft certainly it is, and if mofl: of 
 thofe who go there, in narrow circum (lances, 
 find their way back, if they furvive to fee an 
 alteration in their circumftances, does not this 
 fulfil his prophecy, and can we any longer have 
 the leaft fhadow of doubt, as to the certainty 
 of thofe principles upon which he argued ? The 
 colonies, at leaft the fugar colonies, are no more 
 than tranfmarine pvovmcQSoi Great Bn tain ; the 
 countries they inhabit belong as much to us, as 
 any of our counties ; and the people in them 
 are as much our countrymen. It is we that 
 reap the benefit of their labours, the wealth they 
 acquire centers here, and it is that wealtli, and 
 the ftrength arifing from it, that enables us to 
 defend them, againft their enemies and our^ 
 This is the true and real itate of the queftion, 
 which every man enlightened by common fenfe, 
 and actuated by public fpirir, will eafily com- 
 prehend, and none but people of narrow and 
 contradted minds, will fuffer themfelves to en- 
 tertain feparate ideas of the Island of Great 
 B.RiTiAN and the Empire of Great Britain. 
 No, let politicians and ftaceffnen conceive the 
 bounds of both to be the fame, and afford his 
 majefty's fubjecls the fame protection, whether 
 ^hey live within the ver^e of his royal palace, or 
 
 live 
 
[ 74 1 
 live for his and their country's fervice, on the 
 very i;^r^^of his extenfive dominions. 
 
 Aftrr the conclufion of the peace of Breda^ 
 the great value of our colonies appeared ; and as 
 all matters relative to commerce, were then fre- 
 quently canvafled, and cf courfe generally un- 
 derflood, great attention was fhewn to them, 
 which of courie raifcd a fpirit of emulation in 
 the French^ and as Mr. Colbert had didlated both 
 the eftablifhment of the company in 1664, and 
 the fupprtfTion of it nine years after, fo the prin- 
 ciples, with which he infpired his mafter, induced 
 Lewis XIV. foon after the acceffion of King 
 James II. to propofe a treaty for regulating the 
 affairs of both crowns \n/imema, fo as to prevent 
 all future difputes between their fubjedts. This 
 after a long negotiation, was adlually concluded 
 and figned at IVbitehall^ under the title of a 
 a treaty of peace, good correfpondence, and 
 neutrality in America^ November 5, 1686, by the 
 French ambaffador Mr. Barillcn^ and by the Lord 
 High Treafurer, Lord High Chancellor, prefi- 
 dent of the council, and two fecretaries of (late 
 on the part of Great Britain. The points fettled 
 by this treaty were j Firft^ That the fubjedfs of 
 both crowns, fhould live in perfedl peace and 
 amity with each other, that they might recipro- 
 cally purfue their refpedlive improvements, 
 without interruption or apprehenfion. Secondly^ 
 Both crowns to retain in their full extent, their 
 pofTeflicns, prerogatives, and jurifdiclions; by 
 winch it appeared they meant to fecure the ad- 
 
 vantages 
 
I 75 1 
 
 vantages refultlng from thefe colonies, to their 
 refpedive dominions ; and therefore the fubjeds 
 of either crown, were not to enter into the ports, 
 or trade, or in any manner interfere, with the 
 commerce belonging to the fubjedls of the other. 
 'thirdly ^ In cafes of necefllty however, the fhips 
 of either power, whether merchant-men or men 
 of war, might enter the ports of the other na- 
 tion, under certain rellridlions ; and in cafe of 
 wrecks, the utmoft care was to be taken on both 
 fides, to lelTen the misfortune to the fuffering 
 party. Fourthly^ It was ftipulated, that the Eng- 
 lijh might load fait at the ponds in the ifland of 
 St. Chriftopher^ and that the French might enter 
 the mouths of rivers in the faid ifland, to take 
 frefh water j but in both cafes this 'was to be dona 
 in open day, with a flag fiying, and after the 
 thrice firing of a gun. Fifthly^ The fubjedls of 
 either nation, were not to harbour either wild 
 inhabitants, or the flaves or goods, which they 
 might have taken from the fubjecls of the other 
 nation. Sixthly^ It was agreed, that if any de- 
 predations were committed by the privateers of 
 either power, full fatisfadion fhould be made 
 for the injury ; and that this might be tht 
 more eafily done, commanders of privateers 
 were to give fecurities in both countries, in one 
 thoufand pounds fterling, then equal to thirteen 
 thoitfand livres, and that the fhip alfo fhould be 
 liable to make fatisfaclion for any act of injuf- 
 tice, by them committed. Seventhly^ Neither 
 party were to give countenance or afiiflance to 
 3 pirates 
 
[ 76 ] 
 
 pirates or free-booters, nor in cafeof a war be- 
 tween either of the crowns with any other power, 
 were the fubjeds of the other power, to apply 
 for commifTions, or to ad under any fuch com- 
 miflions, to the prejudice of the other contrad- 
 ing party. Eighthly^ No differences, difputes, 
 or difturbances arifing in America^ were to create 
 a rupture in Europe^ but in cafe they could not 
 be determined in the fpace of a year in that 
 part of the world, they were to be dated and 
 ient home, by both parties. Ninthly^ In cafe 
 any war broke out in Europe^ between the two 
 crowns, a ftrid neutrality was to be maintained 
 by their fubje6ls in America notwithdanding. 
 
 The (lipulations in this treaty of neutrality, 
 feem to be equally calculated for the common be- 
 nefit of both nations, but in reality were moft 
 ufeful to the French^ who at this juncture were 
 but entering into the bufinefs of planting, were 
 fcattered through a number of large iflands, by 
 which they were not only rendered weak, but at 
 the fame time, extremely fenfible of their own 
 weaknefs ; which was what chiefly inclined them 
 to this neutrality. On the other hand, our fubjects, 
 in a very profperous and flourifhing condition, 
 were extremely defirous of being free from thofe 
 inconveniences, which the libertine fpirit of the 
 French Buccaneers^ and Flibuftiers, often pro- 
 duced, notwithllanding the two crowns lived in 
 good intelligence with each other in Europe^ 
 againll: which the b^O: precautions pofnble were 
 
 taken 
 
[ 11 \ 
 
 taken in this treaty, which was what made It 
 mod acceptable to us. 
 
 Yet with all thefe appearances of mutual be- 
 nefit, this treaty was no fooner tranfmitted to 
 the governor of Barhadoes^ than it produced 
 a mifunderftanding. For he, in obedience to 
 his inftru(5lions, having caufed the fubftance of 
 it to be proclaimed in Dominica^ St, Lucia, and 
 St. Vincent, as members of his government, the 
 French took exceptions at that, and qutflioned 
 our right to any of thefe iflands. They infifted, 
 that they had a claim to St. Lucia, and that Bo- 
 minica and St, Vincent belonged to the native 
 Caribbees, who were under their protedion. Up- 
 on this a new negotiation arofe, conformable to 
 the fpirit and letter of the treaty, and in virtue 
 of the king's inftruflions, the government of 
 Barbadoes warmly infifted upon, and exhibited 
 the proofs neceffary to eftablifh the rights of the 
 crown of Great Britain to all the three iflands, 
 as we fliall in fpeaking to thofe iflands fhew par- 
 ticularly. 
 
 The French, in taking upon them to be the 
 prote6lors of the native Indians, adopted the 
 Spanijh maxim. For though the Spaniards had 
 extirpated all the natives, in the great Antilles 
 which they poflTelTed, yet upon other nations 
 coming into the TVeJl- Indies, found it expedient, 
 ;o ftile them their allies, and under that title to 
 afiift: them, in maintaining their poflfefllon in the 
 other ifles, to fruftrate the endeavours of the 
 Eiiglijh^ French, and Dutch, to fettle and plant 
 
 them ; 
 
[78] 
 
 them 5 and the French after they became m^f* 
 ters of Guadaloupe^ and Martimque^ as they made 
 no fcruple of deftroying and expelling the inha- 
 bitants, fo when that was once done, they un- 
 der colour of a treaty pretended themfelves to be 
 under an obligation of defending them in Bomi- 
 tiica and ^S/. Vincents^ that they might hinder us 
 from extending our territories, 'till they fhould 
 grow ftrong enough to occupy thefe as they had 
 done the reft. 
 
 The negotiation lad mentioned, was adtually 
 depending, when the revolution happened. But 
 notwithftanding this, the French^ thinking the 
 opportunity favourable, broke without cere- 
 mony the treaty of neutrality, by attacking the 
 Engtifi quarters in the ifland of St, Cbrijlopher^s^ 
 which, as we have already obferved, was infifted 
 upon by King William and Queen Mary, as the 
 grounds of declaring war againft the French King 
 in America. From this period, down to the 
 treaty of Ai:^-la-Chapelle, both nations have 
 kept up their claims, and by the laft mentioned 
 treaty, things were again reduced to their old 
 fituation, by a pofitive declaration that the three 
 iflands before-mentioned, fhould be efteemed 
 neutral *, and, confidered in that light, not to 
 be fettled by either nation. By that treaty like- 
 wife, a fourth idand was added, to which the 
 French had never laid any exprefs or diredl 
 claim before, and this was ^ahago. Such were 
 the regulations this treaty made, and fuch the 
 ftate of things, or at kail fuch the ftate of things 
 
 ought 
 
[79l 
 
 ought to have been, at the opening of the late 
 war. By the ninth article of the peace figned at 
 Paris ^ February lo, 1763, all the three iflands 
 of Dominica, Si, Vincents, and Tahago, were 
 yielded in full and perpetual fovereignty to Great 
 Britain, the iQand of 6'/. Lucia being ceded by 
 our gracious Sovereign to France, in exchange 
 for the ifland of Granada, which by the before- 
 mentioned ninth Article, together with the Gre- 
 vadines or Grenadillas, and all their dependencies, 
 are abfolutely and for ever yielded to Great Bri- 
 tain. We will therefore, in order to fhew what 
 we have obtained in virtue of this peace, firll 
 defcribe the three formerly neutrcU which are 
 now become Britijh iOancs, and then confider 
 diftindly and at large, the nature and value of 
 the two IJlands, that v/ere thus exchanged. 
 
 DoAii'NiCA lies as it were in the bofom of all 
 the French ifles, eight leagues north- weft from 
 Martinico \ about the fame diilance, fouth-eaft 
 from Guadaloupe ; having the three fmall iflands, 
 called the Saints, which have been already de- 
 fcribed, between them -, and at the diilance of 
 five leagues fouth-wefl from Marigalante, The 
 id and of Dominica lies ftretched out from fouth- 
 eaft to north-weft, fomewhat refembling in its 
 ftiape a bent bow, of which, the windward fide 
 may be confidered rs the ftring. It is a very 
 large fine ifland, at ieaft twenty- eight Englijh 
 miles in length, and full thirteen of our miles in 
 breadth ; in circumference, about thirty leagues. 
 It is not broken or interfered by large inlets of 
 
 the 
 
[ 8o ] 
 
 the fea, as many others, both of the larger and 
 lefTer of our own and the French Weft - Indian 
 iflands are, and of courfe contains the more 
 ground. Some have judged, that it is about 
 twice as big as Barbadoes^ and the French efleem 
 it, to be near half the C\zqo^ Martinique. The 
 air, except in feme places that are marfhy and 
 over-grown with wood, is generally reputed 
 wholfome, as a proof of which thefirft Europeans 
 ■who vifited it report, that it was at that time 
 very populous, and that the inhabitants were 
 the talleft, beft (haped, and at the fame time 
 the mod robuft, active, and warlike of all the 
 Caribbee Indians. It may perhaps be thought 
 an additional argument, in fupport of the falu- 
 brity of the air, that P. Labat faw Mrs. H^arner 
 here, who had lived with, and had many chil- 
 dren by Sir nomas Warner cur firft governor 
 in 5/. Chriftophers^ and this fo late as in 1 700, 
 when (he was upwards of one hundred years of 
 age. It is true, he fays (he was btnc double, but at 
 the fame time allows her eyes were ftill very 
 quick, and that (he had mod of her teeth. There 
 is no doubt, that when this ifland is cleared, it 
 will like the reft become ftill more healthy, or 
 at lead more agreeable to European conftitutions. 
 The face of the country is rough and moun- 
 tainous, more efpeciajly towards the fea fide, 
 but within land, there are many rich and fine 
 vallies, and fome large and fair plains. The de- 
 clivities of the hills are commonly gentle, fo as 
 to facilitate their cultivation, and the foil almoft 
 
 every 
 
[ 8i ] 
 
 fevery where a deep black mould, and thence 
 very highly commended for its fertility, by the 
 Spanijh^ Englijh^ and Frenchy who have had oc- 
 cafion and opportunity to examine it ; and up- 
 on whofe concurrent teftimonies therefore, we 
 may fafely rely. It is excellently well watered^ 
 by at lead thirty rivers, fome, and particularly 
 one of which, fs very large and navigable for 
 feveral miles, the reft very commodious for all 
 the purpofes of planting, and abounding with a 
 variety of fine fifh. There is a fulphur moun- 
 tain here, like that in Martinico^ but not fo high, 
 and not far from the fea, rife two hot fprings, 
 which upon trial, our countrymen have reported, 
 to be as falutary in their effedls as thofe o'i Bath, 
 In refpe6l to its produce, it abounds with all 
 the kinds of valuable timber, that are to be met 
 with in any of the Weft-India iflands, and all of 
 thefe are excellent in their refpedlive kinds, as 
 the French know by experience, and have de- 
 rived great benefit from them. The fruits like- 
 wife, by their confefTion, are fuperior to thofe 
 in Martinico and Guadaloupe. Hogs both wild 
 and tame are here in great plenty, as well as all 
 forts of fowls, and for what are called ground 
 provifions, fuch as bananas, potatoes, manioc, 
 from whence the Cajfada is made, v/hich is the 
 common bread of the Indians^ Negroes^ and even 
 of the Europeans y none of the iflands produce 
 better, and their pine apples are reputed to be 
 extraordinary large and of the fineft flavour. 
 The fettlements made by the French upon the 
 G coaft. 
 
[ 82 ] 
 
 coad, were in all refpedls equal, if not fuperiar 
 in their produce, to thofe in any of their own 
 iflands. The Spanijh writers, particularly Oviedo^ 
 fay, there are feveral fafe ports and convenient 
 creeks •, the French for reafons that may be eafily 
 guefTed, pofitively affert there are no ports at all. 
 But we know, that at the north-weft end of the 
 ifland, there is a very deep, fandy, fpacious bay, 
 well defended by the adjacent mountains from 
 moft winds, which, from Prince Rupert^ s an- 
 choring in it, when in thefe parts, has received 
 his name, where our armament under Lord 
 Cathcart^ lay very commodioufly, and which 
 was of great fervice to our fquadrons in the 
 courfe of the late war. Befides, it is out of all 
 difpute, that there is good anchoring ground 
 along all the Leeward Coaft^ and when the ifland 
 comes to be more thoroughly known, and bet- 
 ter examined by our feamen, there is little rea- 
 fon to doubt, that farther conveniences in this 
 refpecl: will be difcovered, and if they are capa- 
 ble of it improved. 
 
 This ifland was difcovered by Admiral Co- 
 lumhis, on Sunday, November 3, i493> and from 
 thence received the name of Domwica. But 
 except putting a few hogs upon it, the Spaniards 
 did little more than give it a name, and the na- 
 tural ftrength of the ifland with the martial fpi^ 
 ric of its inhabitants, rendered it early the prin- 
 cipal retreat of the Carihbees, In 1596, the Earl 
 of Cuffiberland*^ fquadron touched here ; it was 
 then very well inhabited, and our countrymen 
 
 appear 
 
[83 1 
 
 appear to have been kindly received, and cour- 
 teouQy entertained by thofe people. In 1606, 
 the honourable Mr. George Percy ^ brother to the 
 Earl of Northumberland, bound with a fupply 
 of people to the colony of Virginia, came like- 
 wile hither. Thus it appears to have been well 
 known to the Englifi, long before the French 
 had any thing to do in thefe parts, and therefore 
 we need not wonder that this Ifland as well as 
 many others was inferred in the Earl of Carlijle^s 
 patent, or at its being conftantly included in 
 every commiffion granted in fucceeding times 
 to the governors of Barhadoes. William, Lord 
 Wilkughby o{ Par ham, in purfuance of his in- 
 flruclions, fent people to fettle there, and ap- 
 pointed a lieutenant governor, and upon fome in- 
 juries done to the Englijh by the natives, he fenc 
 an armed force there in 1668, by which they 
 were obliged to fubmit, and by a folemn inftru- 
 ment furrendered their ifland to the Englijh, and 
 acknowledged themfclves fubjedls to the crown 
 of Great Britain ', which inftrument as appears 
 by the public papers of the ifland o{ Barhadoes ^ 
 was delivered to Edward Littleton, Efq^ then 
 his lordihip's fecretary. About four year after 
 this (A, D, 1672) the French firfl openly dif- 
 puted our right to this ifland, under pretence of 
 a peace made by them with the Indians in 1640, 
 and as they allcdged made at the fame time by 
 us. But the council of trade and plantations, 
 by a letter dated December i\\t nth, 1672, ac- 
 quainted the governor of Barhadoes^ that never 
 G 2 any 
 
[ 84 ] 
 
 any fuch treaty exifted. Colonel Thomas War- 
 ner. Ton to Sir Thomas Warner^ by the Indian 
 woman before- mentioned, continued lieutenant 
 governor there, by commiffion from the go- 
 vernor of BarbadoeSy till the time of his death 
 which happened in 1674. In the reign of King 
 James II. after the conciufion of the before- 
 mentioned treaty of neutrality with France^ co- 
 Jonel Stede then lieutenant governor of Barbadoes^ 
 afterwards Sir Edwin Stede of Stede- hill in the 
 parifh of Harrietjham in Kent, caufed that treaty 
 to be proclaimed here, as in an ifland dependant 
 upon, or rather comprehended within his govern- 
 ment ; and the following year burned the huts of 
 feme Frenchmen who had fettled on the coafl, 
 and feized a (hip of the fame nation, that was 
 carrying on a trade> and had been cutting wood 
 and taking in water without leave firft: obtained 
 from the Englifij. But King James having af- 
 terwards figned an a£l of neutrality, in order to 
 the fettling all difputes, by the fame minifters 
 who had negotiated the treaty, irr conftquence 
 thereof fent inflrudlions to that gentleman to 
 tranfmit the foundations of his Majefty's claim 
 to this and the reft of the iflands, inferted in his 
 commiffion. Accordingly, in obedience to this 
 jnftru6lion, after a ftrid: enquiry made, and nu- 
 merous depofitions taken, fuch a report, bearing 
 date September 23, 1688, was adlually figned ; 
 from which, to ufe that gentleman's own words, 
 it did fully appear, that the crown of Britain had 
 a fole and undoubted right to thi-s- and the reft 
 
 of 
 
[ 85] 
 
 of the iilands that then were, and conftantly had 
 been inferted in his commiflion. After the 
 treaty of Ryfwic^ wc refumed onr claim, and 
 attempted to make a fettlement. But then, as 
 we are informed by P, Labat, the French burned 
 our huts, and obliged the people to withdraw. 
 By the treaty of /UpC'la-Cbapelle in 1748, this 
 ifland was declared neutral -, and yet, though 
 the French never claimed, or pretended to claim 
 any right to or property in it, when it was reduced 
 by our forces under the command of Lord Rollo 
 in 1759, he found almoft the ^ho\t Windward 
 Coaft fettled by the French, But now in virtue 
 of the late treaty, figned at Paris^ as before has 
 been mentioned, all cavils and difputes are to- 
 tally and for ever removed, and this ifland is 
 abfolutely ceded and guarantied to the crown of 
 Great Britain •, fo chat our ancient rights are 
 thereby fully and authentically acknowledged, 
 and this iQe of Dominica^ is as much a part of 
 his Majefty's territories, as any other ifland we 
 pofTefs in the Weft -Indies, 
 
 It is evident from the foregoing hiflory, 
 that notwithfl:anding all the pretences of the 
 French to di fin cere fled nefs in their oppofltion to 
 to our claim, as if this proceeded folely from 
 their good faith, in refpe<!:t to their treaty with 
 the Indians^ made during our domeflic troubles, 
 when the Englijh had no fupport from home •, 
 their true and real deflgn, was filently and fur- 
 reptitioufly to occupy this ifland themfelves, as 
 foon as it fhould be in their power. At the be- 
 G 3 ginning 
 
[ 86 ] 
 
 ginning of this century, as wc have feen, the na- 
 tives were very numerous, and in that ftate the 
 French availed themfelves of their aihance, and 
 as we fliall fee in another place fomented their 
 hatred, and encouraged their expeditions againfl: 
 us, which anfwered two ends, it rendered it im- 
 pra6ticable for our people to form any fettle- 
 ment except by force, and contributed to di- 
 miniQi them as it expofed thofe Indians to our 
 refentment. By the clofe of the century the 
 French writers inform us thefe poor people were 
 reduced to about two, or at mod three thou- 
 fand fouls, and at prefent there is not a tenth 
 part of that number upon the ifland. The 
 French who from their fuuation knew much bet- 
 ter than we could do, the declining ftate of the 
 Caribbee nation, have been for forty years pad, 
 gradually fettling along the Windward Coaft^ ex- 
 tending their plantations within land, and, if the 
 the laft war had not given us an opportunity to 
 prevent them, would moft certainly have exe- 
 cuted their projeft, notwithftanding their alli- 
 ance with the Indians^ notwithftanding our claim 
 folemnly acknowledged by thofe Indians with 
 which they were well acquainted, and notwith- 
 ftanding their feveral treaties of neutrality. We 
 niay therefore, confidering things in this light, 
 look upon the acquifuion of the ifland o( Bomi- 
 vico^ as an actual conqueft from the French^ and 
 the ftate of their plantations, though not very 
 large or confiderable, will fufF>ciently enable us 
 to iudge of the value of this couiurv, fince they 
 
 
 fttv^ 
 
[ 8/ ] 
 
 fhew us, that fugar, cotton, coffee, cacao, and 
 indeed every thing, that either they or we have 
 been able to raife, in any of the other iflands, 
 may be produced in Jarge quantities as well as 
 in the higheft degree of perfedion here ; and, 
 if we confider the fize and the fituation of this 
 ifle, compared either with their polTeflions or 
 with our own, we may eafily eftimate the future 
 worth of this country, if properly cultivated by 
 our countrymen abroad, and the interefts of thofe 
 planters vigoroufly and conftandy attended to by 
 government at home. 
 
 But it may poffibly be furmized, that its fitua- 
 tion, as it Is before defcribed, is rather a circum- 
 llance that may be liable to objedlion, than any 
 obje6t of commendation, as great danger and 
 difficulty may be from thence apprehended in the 
 fettling it. Upon a ftridt review however, thefe 
 dangers and difficulties, which fome have thought 
 alarming, will not appear to be fo very great. 
 In the firfl: place, we have already troops in that 
 part of the world, which upon our evacuating 
 our prefent conquefts, will be fufficient to oc- 
 cupy it. As for the Indians^ there is no need 
 of removing them, they may for the prefent, 
 without the lead prejudice to our people, have 
 a convenient diftrict of land allotted to them ; 
 in which, by prudent management and mild treat- 
 ment, they may in raifing ftock and in other 
 things, be made very ufeful to the new colony, 
 as for a century pad they have been to the French 
 in Martinico^ who will feel and regret their lofs, 
 G 4 It 
 
[ 88 1 
 
 It may be very proper on our firft eftabliKhment 
 to allot fmall p-antations, to fuch foldiers, and 
 if they could be found^ larger ihares to fuch of- 
 ficers, as have famiHes and are inclined to fettle 
 upon the iQand, and to afford them every kind 
 of encouragement, that may increafe their num- 
 ber, as thofe people would be moft willing, as 
 well as able to defend their property. Numbers 
 of our countrymen fettled in St. Euftatia^ St. 
 Croiz, and at Ca^e Ifcquepe^ might be invited 
 to return upon advantageous terms into the ter- 
 ritories of their natural Sovereign. A form of 
 government modelled upon thofe of our other 
 iflands, guarded againft the acquifition, by all- 
 grafping individuals, of large quantities of un- 
 fettled and uncultivated land, with thofe reftric- 
 tions, that take place in Barbadoes^ for the con- 
 flant maintenance of a numerous and well difci- 
 plined militia, and fuch other improvements, 
 as thofe who are the befi: judges of rhefe matters 
 jnay fuggeft, could not fail of drawing thither^ 
 and that too in a fhort time, a fufficient num- 
 ber of inhabitants, and with the help of regular 
 fortifications, and a competent military force fo 
 long as it fhould remain neceffary, with the af- 
 fiilance of a fmall naval ftrength, would in a 
 very lliort fpace render the ifland fecure, and 
 this alone would be fufficient to render it fiou- 
 rilliing, which once effected, would attract ftill 
 greater numbers thither, in hopes of bettering 
 their fortunes. We are the rather induced to 
 hope this, bccaufe many inftances might be 
 
 givenj 
 
[ 89 ] 
 
 given, where with much lefs encouragement 
 than rpight be afforded here, and far lefs fecu- 
 rity, they have been tempted to feat themfelves 
 in other places, and this too under the preca- 
 rious protedlion of foreign potentates, and with 
 manifefl prejudice to the interefts of their mo- 
 ther country, Britain. 
 
 If the old poffeffors of Dominica^ the Indians ^ 
 barely aflifted by the natural flrength of the 
 country, while they were at all numerous, were 
 able to preferve their freedom and independency, 
 furrounded as they were with enemies on every 
 fide, furely under an attentive and prudent go- 
 vernment, advantageous to every fettlement, 
 but abfolutely neceffary in a new colony, the 
 Britijh inhabitants fettling here, might be very 
 foon put into a condition to protefl themfelves. 
 Under fuch a government, the few remaining 
 Indians, as has been already fuggefted, but which 
 can never be too frequently inculcated, would 
 find themfelves as much at their eafe, and de- 
 rive more affiftance from it, than they ever did 
 from the French^ and of confequence become 
 more attached to its intereft. This pofTibly, if 
 wifely managed, might induce them to difco- 
 ver that mine, for which the ifland has been al- 
 ways famous, which the EngliJJj believe from 
 tradition, and report, to be filver ; but which 
 the French very well know to be gold ; and, 
 though very probably it may not be expedient 
 to open it, yet the knowledge of it could not 
 do us any hurt, and the very fame of it, might 
 
 invite 
 
[ 90 ] 
 
 invite people, and in time pofTibly do us good. 
 In cafe of a war, with the apprehenfions of which 
 fome people fright themfclves, this new acqui- 
 fition would moft certainly be in no danger, for 
 befides the immediate alliftance it might receive 
 trom Barbadces^ while we retain our fuperlority 
 at fea, a refpedtable fquadron upon the firfl ap- 
 pearance of a rupture, might be fent to Prince 
 Rupert's bay, with a force fufficient to quiet 
 the fears of the inhabitants. But, if as is much 
 more probable, fuch an event be at great dif- 
 tance, the illand in that time will be fully fet- 
 tled, and from its extent and fortifications out 
 of all jeopardy, from any fudden invafion, and 
 in that ftate would ferve as a place of arms, and 
 the rendezvous of our forces, from all parts of 
 the Weft Indies^ when from the nature of its fi- 
 tuation the whole of the French commerce muft 
 intlantly become precarious, and all their fettle- 
 inents in a very Ihort fpace, be entirely at our 
 mercy. A circumftance, which as we (hall here- 
 after have occafion to remark, the French in 
 the fFeft-Indies^ who in this refpedt are the bed 
 judges, have always forefeen j and therefore very 
 juftly dreaded. 
 
 We come now to the ifland of St. Vincent^ 
 which lies between five and fix leagues fouth- 
 vveft from St. Lucia -, twenty-three fouth-wefl 
 from Martinico ; thirty- fix fouth from Domi- 
 nica ', thirty welt by (outh from Barbadoes •, and 
 Seventeen north-eafl: from Granada, Being thus 
 fituated, direclly to the leeward of Barbadoes^ 
 
 it 
 
r 91 ] 
 
 it may in a few hours be reached from thence, 
 and is at the fame time fo feated, as to cover 
 and conned the fmall iflands that lie between it 
 and Granada, It is faid by de Laet^ to have a 
 great refemblance to the idand of Ferro^ which 
 is one of the Canaries ♦, but this is to be under- 
 ftood of the afped of the country, rather than 
 of its Ihape. It is from fouth to north, about 
 twenty-four of our miles in length, and about 
 half as many in breadth, fixty, or it may be 
 fomething more in circumference. In point of 
 fize, it is rather bigger than Antigua^ if not 
 larger, at lead as large as Barbadoes^ fomewhat 
 fmaller than St. Lucia, and much about two 
 thirds of the bignefs of Dominica, It is necef- 
 fary to ftate its fituation and extent circumftan- 
 tially, not only to fhew its importance more 
 certainly, as well as more clearly, but alfo as 
 we may have occafion to have recourfe to this 
 account, when we come to fpeak of that neutral 
 ifle that we have ceded. The warmth of the 
 climate, is fo tempered by the fea breezes, that 
 it is looked upon as very healthy and agreeable, 
 and on the em'inencies which are numerous the 
 air is rather cool. 
 
 The foil is wonderfully fertile, tho' the country 
 is hilly, and in fome places mountainous. But 
 amongfl the former, there are very pleafant val- 
 lies, and at the bottom of the latter, fome fpa- 
 cious and luxuriant plains. No idand of the fame 
 extent is better watered, for from the moun- 
 tains there defcend rivers, and lefler dreams 
 
 run 
 
[92] 
 
 run on both fides from almofl: every hill. There 
 are feveral ftne fprings at a fmall dillance from 
 the lea, and the flopes are lb eafy and regular, 
 that there are hardly any marfhes, and no (land- 
 ing waters in the ifle. There are here great 
 quantites of fine timber, and excellent fruit- 
 trees, feme peculiar to this illand. It abounds 
 with wild fugar- canes, from which the natives 
 make a very pleafanc liqour •, corn, rice, and all 
 forts of ground provifion, are raifed in plenty, 
 and with little trouble. In the fouth part of 
 the ifland, where the French have raifed fome 
 .fpacious and flourifhing fettlements ; they have 
 coffee, indigo, cacao, anotta, and very fine to- 
 bacco. They likevvife raife abundance of cattle 
 and poultry, and fend from thence iignum ^7/^, 
 and other kinds of timber to Martimco^ where 
 they are employed in building houfes, and in 
 their fortifications. The rivers are flored with 
 various kinds of frefh filli, and the Tea near its 
 coafts abounds with thofe proper to that ele- 
 ment. Here are alfo both land and water fowl 
 in plenty. We may therefore from thefe fpeci- 
 mens coliecl, that if this country were thorough- 
 ly and regularly cultivated, it would in refpect 
 to its produce, be very little if at all inferior, 
 to any of the iflands that we already poficfs -, 
 more efpecially, if we confider that it has many 
 commodious bays, on the north-weft and fouth- 
 weft fides, with abundance of convenient creeks, 
 and good anchoring ground on every iide. At 
 the fouthern extremity there is a deep, fpacious, 
 
 fancy 
 
[ 93 ] 
 
 fandy bay, called in the old charts the bay of 
 Sl Antonio^ where fhips of large fize may lie 
 very fafely and commodiouQy, and when it is 
 better and more thoroughly known, other ad- 
 vantages may probably be difcovered, for hi- 
 therto we have no good defcription of it by any. 
 Englijh writer, and the French take care to re- 
 prefent it, as an infignificant difagreeable defart. 
 The Spaniards beftowed the name it has ever 
 born upon this ifland, becaufe they difcovered 
 it upon the twenty-fccond of January^ which is 
 St. Vincents*s> day in their Calendar, but it does 
 not appear they were ever properly fpeaking in 
 pofieffion of it, the Indians being very nume- 
 rous here, on account of its being the rendez- 
 vous of their expeditions to the continent. It 
 was frequently vifited by the Englijh in the be- 
 ginning of the laft century, when they had their 
 northern and Guiana fettlements in view, which 
 was the reafon of its being inferted in the Earl 
 of Carlifie's patent, v/ho certainly intended fet- 
 tling ail the iflands therein mentioned, and might 
 pofTibly have efFedled it, if our civil wars had 
 not interfered. In a little time after the reftora- 
 tion, when that Earl's patent was furrendered. 
 King Charles II. granted to Francis, Lord PFil- 
 kugbby Q^ Par bam ^ a commifllon to be Governor 
 and Captain General of Barbadoes and all the 
 Leeward JJlands, which he held to his death, 
 and being lofl in a ftorm going on an expedition 
 againft the Butcb^ towards the latter end of the 
 month Q^ July 1666, the King was pleafed to 
 
 grant 
 
[94] 
 
 grant the like commiflion, to his brother JVilliam^ 
 Lord Willoughhy^ who was very careful in main- 
 taining the rights of his government, which in- 
 duced iiim in 1668 to fend a force thither; 
 when as P. du Tetre very frankly owns, he re- 
 eftablifhed the Englijh government, which the 
 Indians had rejedled, and obliged thofe of St, 
 Vincents as well as of 'Dominica^ to acknowledge 
 themfelves fubjecls to the crown of Great Bri- 
 tain, 
 
 In 1672, Y^\x\^Charles thought fit to divide 
 thefe governments, and by a new commiflion 
 appointed Lord JVilloughhy Governor of Barha- 
 does^ St. Lucia, St, Vincent, and Dominica •, Sir 
 William Stapkton being appointed Governor of 
 the other Leeward JJles, and this feparation has 
 fubfifled ever fince, the fame iflands being con- 
 ftantly inferted, in every new governor's patent. 
 On the demife of Lord Willougbby, Sir Jonathan 
 yltkins, was appointed Governors of Barbadoes 
 and the reft of thefe iflands, and fo continued 
 till 1680, when he was fucceededby Sir Richard 
 Dutton, who being fcnt for into England in 1685, 
 appointed Colonel Edwin Siede Lieutenant Go- 
 vernor, who vigoroufly aflferted our rights by ap- 
 pointingDeputy Governors for the other iflands ; 
 and particularly fent Captain temple hither, to 
 prevent the French from wooding and watering, 
 without our permifllon, to which they had been 
 encouraged, by the inattention of the former 
 governors, perfifl:ing fl:eadily in this conduft, 
 till it was fignified to him, as we have had oc- 
 
 cafion 
 
[95] 
 
 cafion to reniark before, that the King had 
 figned an a6t of neutrality, and that commif- 
 iioners were appointed, by the two courts, to 
 fettle all differences relative to thefe iflands. 
 
 Some years after, a fnip from Guinea^ v/ith 
 a large cargo of flaves, was either wrecked or 
 run on fhore upon the iQand of St, Vincent^ in- 
 to the woods and mountains of which, great 
 numbers of the Negroes efcaped. Here whe- 
 ther willingly or unwillingly is a little incertain, 
 the Indians fuffered them to remain, and partly 
 by the accefTion of run away flaves from Barba- 
 does, partly by the children they had by the In- 
 dian women, they became very numerous -, fa 
 that about the beginning of the current century, 
 they conftrained the Indians to retire into the 
 north- weft part of the ifland. Thefe people as 
 may be reafonably fuppofed, were much dififa- 
 tisfied with this treatment, and complained of 
 it occafionally, both to the Englijh and to the 
 French, that came to wood and w^ater amongft 
 them. The latter, at length fuffered themfeives 
 to be prevailed upon, to attack thefe invaders, 
 in the caufe of their old allies ; and from a per- 
 fuafion that they fhould find more difficulty in 
 dealing with thefe Negroes^ in cafe they were 
 fuffered to ftrengthen themfeives, than with the 
 Indians, After much deliberation, in the year 
 1719, they came with a confiderable force from 
 Martinico, and landing without much oppofi- 
 tion, began to burn the Negroes huts, and de- 
 ftroy their plantations, fuppofing that the In- 
 dians 
 
[96] 
 
 dians would have attacked them in the moun- 
 tains, which if they had done, the Blacks had 
 probably been extirpated, or forced to fubmic 
 and become flaves. But either from fear or 
 policy, the Indians did nothing, and the Ne- 
 groes fallying in the night, and retreating to 
 inacceffible places in the day, deftroyed fo many 
 of the French (amongfl: whom was Mr. Paulian^ 
 Major 0^ Martinique^ who commanded them), 
 that they were forced to retire. When by this 
 experiment, they were convinced that force 
 would not do, they had recourfe to fair means, 
 and by dint of perfuafions and prefents, patched 
 up a peace with the Negroes as well as the In- 
 dians^ from which they received great advantage. 
 Things were in this fituation, when Captain 
 Uring^ came with a confiderable armament, 
 to take pofleffion of St, Lucia and this ifland, 
 in virtue of a grant from our late Sovereign 
 King George I. to the late Duke of Montague^ 
 of which we fhall have occafion to fpeak again 
 hereafter. When the French had diflodged this 
 gentleman, by a fuperior force, from St. Lucia 
 he fent Captain Braithwaite^ to try what could 
 be done, at the ifland of St. Vincent^ in which 
 he was not at all more fuccefsful, as will befl 
 appear from that gentleman's report to Mr. 
 Uring^ which as it contains feveral curious cir- 
 cum.ftances, relative to the country and to the 
 two independent nations who then inhabited it, 
 belongs properly to this fubjed, and cannot but 
 prove entertaining to the reader. 1 he paper 
 
 is 
 
<c 
 
 t 97 J 
 
 13 Without date, but it appears from Mr. Uringh 
 memoirs, that this tranfadion happened in the 
 fpring of the year 1723. 
 
 THE REPORT. 
 
 •* In pufuance of a refolurion in council and 
 ** your order for fo doing, the day you failed 
 •' with his Grace's colony for Antego^ I failed 
 with the Griffin floop, in company with his 
 Majefty's (hip the JVinchelfea to 5t, Vincent, 
 We made the ifland that night, and next 
 morning run along fhore, and faw feveral 
 Indian huts, but as yet no Indians came off 
 to us, nor could we get afhore to them^ by 
 reafon there was no ground to anchor in. 
 Towards the evenings two Indians came oa 
 board and told us, we might anchor in a 
 bay to leeward, and when we were at anchor, 
 they , would bring their general on board. 
 Here we came to an anchor in deep water, 
 and very dangerous for the floop. One whom 
 they called General came on board, with fe- 
 veral others, to the number of twenty two. 
 I entertained them very handlbmely, and 
 made the chief fome trifling prefents^ but 
 found he was a perfon of no confequence, 
 and that they called him Chiefs to get fome 
 prefent from me. Here two of the Indians 
 were fo drunk they would not go afliore, but 
 ftay'd on board fome days, and were well 
 entertained. After this, little winds and great 
 H *' curents 
 
[98 1 
 
 curents drove us off for feveraldays; but 
 
 at laft we came to an anchor in a fpacious 
 
 bay, to leeward of all the ifland, the draught 
 
 of which I ordered to be taken by our fur- 
 
 veyor, for your better underflanding the 
 
 place, being the only one, where a fettle- 
 
 ment could be made. The fhip and fioop 
 
 were fcarce come to an anchor, before the 
 
 ftrand of the fliore was covered with Indians, 
 
 and aniongft them we could difcover a white^ 
 
 who proved to be a Frenchman. I took 
 
 Captain IVatjon in the boat with me, with a 
 
 Frenchman^ and immediately went afhore. 
 
 As foon as I came amongll them, I aflved 
 
 why they appeared all armed ? For every 
 
 man had cutlafTcs, fame had mufquets, pif- 
 
 tols, bows^ and arrows, i^c, I'hey with 
 
 very little ceremony incloled me, and carried 
 
 me up the country, about a mile, over a 
 
 little rivulet, where I was told I was to fee 
 
 ■ their general. 1 found him, fitting amid fb a 
 
 ' guard of about a hundred Indians^ thofs 
 
 ' neartft his perfon had all mufquets, the reft 
 
 • bows and arrows, and great filence. He or- 
 ' dered me a feat, and a Frenchman flood at 
 ' his right-hand, for an interpreter: he de- 
 ' manded of me, what brought me into his 
 ' country, and of what nation? I told him 
 ' Engl'ijh^ and I was put in to wood and water, 
 ' as not caring to fay any thing elfe before the 
 " Frenchman •, but told him if he would be 
 
 * pleafcd to come on board our fhips, I would 
 
 " leave 
 
r 99 ] 
 
 leave EngUjhmen in hoftage for him, and thofe 
 he fhould be pleafed to bring with him ; but 
 I could not prevail with him, either to come 
 on board or fuffer me to have wood and 
 water. He faid, he was informed we were 
 come to force a fettlement, and we had no 
 other way to remove that jealoufy, but to 
 get under fail. As foon as I found what in- 
 fluence the Frenchman'^ company had upon 
 them, I took my leave after making fuch 
 replies, as I thought proper, and returned 
 to my boat, under a guard. When I came to 
 the fhore, I found the guard there were in- 
 creafed by a number of Negroes^ all armed 
 with fuzees. I got in my boat, without any 
 any injury, and went on board to Captain 
 Orme and told him my ill fuccefs." 
 *' Immediately after I fent on Ihore, the 
 floop's boat with a mate, Vvith rum, beef, 
 and bread, ^r. with fome cutlafies, and or- 
 dered a Frenchman who went with the mate, 
 to defire the guard to condudl them to their 
 general, and to teil him that tho' he denied 
 mc the common good of water and a little 
 ufelefs wood ; ncverthelefs I had fent him 
 fuch refrefhments, as our fhips afforded. 
 Our people found the Frenchman gone, and 
 that then the Indian general feemed pleafed, 
 and received what was fent him, and in re- 
 turn fent me bows and arrows." 
 " Our people had not been long returned, 
 but their general fent a canoe with two chief 
 H 2 '* Indians^ 
 
[ ^oo ] 
 ^* Indians^ who fpoke very good French^ to 
 *' thank me for my prefents, and to afk par* 
 " don for his refufing me wood and water, and 
 " aflured me I might have what I pleafed, and 
 *' they had orders to tell me, if I pleafed to 
 " go afhore again, they were to remain hoftages 
 •' tor my civil treatment. I fent them on board 
 *' the man of war, and with Captain Watjon 
 " went on fnore. I was well received, and con- 
 " duded as before. But now I found the bro- 
 " ther of the chief of the Negroes^ was arrived 
 '' wich five hundred Negroes^ mod armed with 
 " fuzees. They told my interpreter, they were 
 *' afTured we were come to force a fettlement, 
 *' or elfe they would not have denied me what 
 *' they never before denied any Englijby viz. 
 *' wood and water. But, if I pleafed, 1 might 
 '^ take in what I wanted under a guard. Find- 
 *' ing them in fo good a humour, I once more 
 *' introduced the defire 1 had to entertain them 
 " on board our fhips, and with feme difficulty, 
 *• prevailed with them, by leaving Capt. Watfon 
 *' on fhore under their guard, as a hoftage. I 
 *' carried them on board the King's fhip, where 
 *' they w^ere well entertained by Captain Orme^ 
 " who gave the Indian general a fine fuzee 
 *• of his own, and to the chief of the I^e- 
 " groes fomething that pleafed him. Captain 
 " Orme alTiired him of the friendfhip of the 
 *• King of England^ &:c. The rJcgroe chief 
 " fpoke excellent French^ and gave ani wers with 
 ^' the F'rsKch complements. Afterwards I car- 
 
 *' ried 
 
$£ 
 
 r loi] 
 
 ried them on board the Duke's (loop, and 
 after opening their hearts with wine, for they 
 fcorned to drink rum, I thought it a good 
 time to tell them my commifllon, and what 
 brought me upon their coaft. They told me 
 it was well I had not mentioned it afhore, 
 for their power could not have proteded me; 
 that it wasimpoITible •, the Buub had before 
 attempted it, but were glad to retire. They 
 likewife told mt two French (loops had the 
 day before we came, been amongft them, 
 gave them arms and ammunition, and afiiir- 
 ed them of the whole force of Martinico for 
 their proteflion againft us. I'hey told them 
 alfo that they had drove us from St. Lucia ^ 
 and that now we were come to endeavour to 
 force a fettlement there, and notwithftanding 
 all our fpecious pretences, when we had 
 power, we fhould enflave them, but declared 
 they would truft no Europeans^ that they 
 owned themfelves under the protection of the 
 French^ but would as foon oppofe their fet- 
 tling amongft them, or any acl of force from 
 them, as us, as they had lately given an ex- 
 ample, by killing feveral •, and they further 
 told me, it was by very large prefents, the 
 French ever got in their favour again, but 
 they refolved never to put it in their power, 
 or any European to hurt them. They ad- 
 vifed me, to think what tlaey faid was an 
 a6t of friendfiiip. This being all I could get 
 from them, I difmifled them, with fuch pre- 
 H 3 «« fents 
 
[ 102 ] 
 
 " fents as his grace ordered for that fervice •, 
 " with a difcharge of cannon, and received in 
 " return, as regular vollies of fmall fhot, as I 
 " ever heard. In the night, the V/inchelfea 
 " drove from her anchors, which as foon as I 
 •' perceived, and had received Captain Watfon 
 " from the fliore, I got under fail and flood 
 '' to the man of war." 
 
 There is nothing faid in this paper, that can 
 lead us in any tolerable degree, to compute the 
 numbers either of the JSIegroes or the Indians^ but 
 Captain Uring in his map of the Wejl-hdies^ 
 probably from the bed accounts he could colled, 
 fays that together they made about twelve hun- 
 dred. In fpite of the alTurances they gave him, 
 and notwithftanding the attempts which the 
 French had made to deilroy them, it was not 
 Jong before they fuffered fome of that nation 
 to fettle about the great bay, in the fouth part 
 of the iQand, fiom whence in the fpace of about 
 fixteen years, they gradually fpread along the 
 coaft, till at length they fixed themfelves in 
 every bay, and at the mouth of every river, al- 
 mod throughout the ifiand. In the year 1735, 
 it appeared by an authentic report, that was 
 then made to the government of Barbadoes^ 
 that according to the bed information, which 
 could be at that jundure obtained, there were 
 about fix hundred French^ four ihouhndlndians^ 
 and ^ix thoufand Negroes in St, Vincents. But it 
 any credit be due to the reports, that have been 
 fince recieved from mafters of fhips who have 
 
 frequented 
 
[ J03 ] 
 
 frequented the Weft- Indies^ hoftllitles having 
 fome time after broke out between the Indians 
 and the Negroes^ they have carried on for fe- 
 veral years a mod cruel and continual war 
 againft each other; in which fo many have 
 been flain, that it is thought both nations 
 are at this time very much decreafed in 
 their numbers. This diflention between them, 
 muft have been very advantageous of courfe to 
 the French^ who have gone on fettling, plant- 
 ing, cutting timber, and raifing every kind of 
 Weft- India commodity, except fugar, and car- 
 rying on a very lucrative trade to their other 
 iflands, in which a number of fioops have been 
 employed, while under colour of protedling 
 their allies, the inhabitants of our colonies have 
 been excluded from all the benefits they formerly 
 received from this ifland, at leaft in a great mea- 
 fure, for it muft be neverthelefs acknowledged 
 whenever either the Indians or the Negroes have 
 had it in their pov/cr, they have traded as rea- 
 dily, and afforded their afliftance as willingly to 
 the fubje6ls of Great Britain as to the French. 
 Thus the reader has feen the hiftory of 6"/. Vifi' 
 cent2LT\d its inhabitants, both Indians and Negroes^ 
 as truly and as fuccindtly fet down, as it could 
 be obtained, and upon this it may not be amifs 
 to make a few general remarks. 
 
 The Caribbee Indians^ and the independent 
 Negroes^ ought from principles of policy as well 
 as juftice to lofe nothing by their change of pro- 
 tectors. The Britijh government will certainly 
 preferve to them all that they have hitherto en- 
 H 4 joyed. 
 
[ I04 1 
 
 ]oyed, rcdorc peace between them, and by giv* 
 ing them fecurity in the poffefTion of their lit* 
 tie dwellings, acquire a number of new and 
 ufeful fubjeds, which in all countries, and in 
 thefe efpecially, are of more confequence than 
 extent of territory. It is well known, that the 
 Indians are very adroit in raifing poultry, as 
 well as in many other refpedls, when treated 
 with lenity and indulgence •, as the Negroes are 
 in cultivating all kinds of ground provifions, as 
 well as in fowling, hunting, and fifhing. By 
 thefe employments to which they are naturally 
 addidted, as well as by many others, they have 
 been for a longferies of years, as the inhabitants 
 of our plantations well know,* very ferviceable 
 to the Frenchy who took care to reward their 
 fervices with fuch things as were mod agree- 
 able to them ; and which, no doubt, will be 
 as well received from us. Their alTiftance in thefe 
 refpeflis as it rnay facilitate the fpeedy eflablifh- 
 nientof a compafl and refpedlable bodyofBrinJb 
 fettlers, by diminifhing their otherwife neceflary 
 attention to thefe and fuch like fmaller concern?, 
 would be exceedingly beneficial to a new colony, 
 and when they fhall have e^^perienced the jufr 
 tice, nioderatipn, and equity of a Britijh govern- 
 ment, they will not only be reconciled to, but 
 become fcnfible alfo of their being gainers by 
 ;he alteration, and from thence become tho- 
 rovighly attached to our interefts, as finding 
 them infeparably ^nd perpetually blerkicd with 
 \\\i;\x pwn. 
 
 -if 
 
[ X05 ] 
 
 If it fliould be objeded, that their former 
 condu6t feems however to fhew the contrary ; 
 the anfwer is equally eafy and decifive. The 
 circumftances of things by which that was occa- 
 fioned, are now entirely changed, and as it is 
 an invariable maxim with the Indians^ to adhere 
 to the ftrongefb, they will certainly quit the 
 French^ when they fee they have made no fcru- 
 ple of quitting them. On the other hand, the 
 Negroes are ever true to their own interefts, 
 without being at all flow in apprehending them, 
 and if they receive the like or greater encourage- 
 ments from Britijh fubjedls, for their voluntary 
 afTiftance in bringing provifions, felling timber, 
 ^c, than they did from the French^ they will 
 moft certainly prefer freedom with thefe advan- 
 tages, to what mud otherwife certainly prove 
 their lad refource, leaving the ifland retiring to 
 and remaining amongft the French^ and fubmit* 
 ting to them, and fo gradually becoming flaves. 
 If thefe reafons are not fufficient to convince, 
 let us have recourfe to fad:s. Our countrymen 
 in Jamaciay have felt no inconveniences, but 
 quite the contrary (fince thofe people are now 
 regarded as making a part of the (Irength of 
 that ifland) from the peace they made with 
 their free Negroes. Befldes, we fee that notwith- 
 ftanding the profeflions both of the Indians and 
 the Negroes in this very ifland, they have a<5lu- 
 aily allowed the French to fettle amongfb them, 
 and to raife very fine plantations ; and, if the 
 French lived in peace and with fecurity amongft 
 |hem, without any regular eflablilhrnent, or force 
 
[io6] 
 
 to proted them, why with the afTiflance of 
 both, may not we ? There is no doubt, that 
 a competent military force muft be fent to 
 protedt our firft eftablifhments, and as aflillance 
 may be derived from Barbadoes at any time in 
 the fpace of a few hours, thefe people can never 
 be formidable to a Britijh colony, though by a 
 wife and prudent adminiftration, they may be 
 made very fubfervient and ufeful to it, more 
 cfpecially, when our taking poffeflion of this 
 country is fo clear and incontellable a proof of 
 our fuperiority, an argument of all others the 
 mod conclufive to thefe people, and by the opi- 
 nion of which alone, they were for half a century 
 pafl: attached to the French^ and not from any 
 prediliclion in favour of that nation. 
 
 But even fuppofing, which however it is un- 
 juft to fuppofc, there were (till any weight in 
 this objeclion. The evil is not without the 
 reach of remedy ; for the Indians may be re- 
 moved to one end of the ifland, and the Negroes 
 left at the other. If even this fhould not be 
 judged fiifRcient, the Indians may be tranfported 
 to their countrymen in Dominica^ which coun- 
 try being fo much larger, and having but very 
 few Indians in it, they could not then be very 
 dangerous ; or if this expedient fhould not be re- 
 iifhed, the Indians \n this iQand and in Dominica^ 
 may be fent into fome of the iflands in the Gra- 
 nadilks, which they now frequently vifit, and 
 where they might live in their own way, under 
 our protedion, and at fuch a diftance from the 
 Frencby as to remove all kinds of jealoufy of 
 
 their 
 
[ 107 ] 
 
 their being excited by them to give us any kind 
 of difturbance. The Negroes by this diminu- 
 tion of ftrength, would be lefs able and perhaps 
 Jefs inclined, to rifle the advantages they might 
 derive from our protedion, for the miferies of 
 (livery, or the chance of being fold to the Spa^ 
 niardsy to work in their mines, the evil in the 
 world, of which (and with great juftice) they 
 are mofb apprehenfive. 
 
 This in itfelf, from the foregoing defcription, 
 appears unqueflionably to be a very fine and 
 fertile ifland. All the ancient and of courfe un- 
 biaiTed relations we have of it by authors of 
 every nation, Spanijh^ French^ and Butch^ as 
 well as our own, concur in this alTertion. The 
 number of inhabitants who lived folely upon its 
 produce, and yet were fo far from being ftraitned 
 for any of the necefTaries of life, that they were 
 always in a condition to fupply ftrangers with 
 whatever they wanted, is a concurrent proof 
 of this, fo that confidered fimply in this poinc 
 of view, our eftablifhing our ancient rights to 
 St. Vincent by the late peace, ought to be con- 
 fidered as a very valuable acquifition. Nor is 
 this at ail diminiflied by its having inhabitants 
 upon it, but quite the contrary, fince they may 
 have fpace enough to purfue their former man- 
 ner of living, without any prejudice to our fet^ 
 tlements, for the reafons that have been already 
 given ; and, therefore, if this can be brought 
 about, it will be a great additional advantage, 
 as it may polTibly afford us the means of dif- 
 covering, how blacks may be rendred adlive and 
 
 induftrious 
 
[ io8 ] 
 
 induftrious who are not flaves. In the mean 
 time it is, as we have already obferved, a very 
 convincing proof of its being both a wholefome 
 and a fruitful country, for otherwife the Indians 
 might eafily have quitted it, to retire to their 
 countrymen in Dominica ; or the Negroes^ if 
 they had thought they could have exchanged it 
 for the better, might without any great difficulty 
 have pofTeiTed themfelves at lead in part of St, 
 Lucia J and that neither of thefe nations were in- 
 clined to the taking fuch a (lep, feems to be a 
 conclufive argument, that they preferred this 
 to any other ifland, and whatever their motives 
 for that might be, thofe motives are certainly 
 favourable with refpeft to the idea we ought to 
 form of this country, and fo far ought to weigh 
 with us, not to think lightly of it, or in any 
 degree to induce a perfuafion that the French^ 
 from their knowledge of both iflands, chofe to 
 leave us the worfb. 
 
 We may be the more clearly convinced of 
 the reality of this obfcrvation, by adverting 
 to the certain, indeed to the avowed defign of 
 the French^ which was gradually to feize and 
 occupy all thefe iflands, not only with a view to 
 benefit themfelves, but alfo at the fame time to 
 ftraiten and diftrefs us. We may therefore re- 
 gard the recovering our right to and polTcf- 
 fion of St, Vincent as well as we before remarked 
 in refpefl to Dominica^ in the light of an ac- 
 tual conqueft from the French^ as much as if 
 we had retained any other of their iflands. For 
 
 by 
 
[ 109 ] 
 
 by our pofTcffing Si, Vincent^ we plainly de- 
 prive them of all the fettlements thfy had 
 made there, of the produce of thofe fcttlemenrs, 
 and of the advantages arifing from the trade, 
 which was already fettled between this and their 
 other iflands, which was continually increafing, 
 and confcquently adding to their wealth and 
 ftrength. We have alfo deprived them of their 
 Indian and Negroe allies, who by this cefTion 
 become inconteftibly our fubjeds, which is not 
 only a lofs to them, but a benefit to us. Add to 
 all this, that we deprive them of the power, 
 which in confequence of their plantations upon 
 the ifland, and the protedion they gave to the 
 Indians and Negroes therein, they had acquired 
 of difturbing our colonies, and diftreffing our 
 navigation, which they never failed to do to 
 the greatefl: degree polTible. This is of fo much 
 the greater confequence, as though thefe hard- 
 fhips in time of peace, in direct violation of 
 treaties, and more efpecially of the laft treaty 
 of AiX'la-Chapelle, were fufficiently known and 
 felt, and became thereby the foundation of re- 
 peated complaints \ yet for the fake of main- 
 taining peace, and the apprehcnfions of enter- 
 ing into an expenfive war, on difputes that were 
 thought in comparifon with that expence of lit- 
 tle confequence, our fubjed:s entertained fmall 
 hopes of rcdrefs. The cafe is nov/ quite altered ; 
 this iQand is become perpetually and incontefti- 
 bly ours, and the^ French have no colour or pre- 
 tence. 
 
[no] 
 
 tence for reviving, or will be ever fuffered to 
 revive any fuch practices again. 
 
 But even tnis, though a great deal, is not all 
 that may be faid, and faid with truth, upon 
 this fubjecl. By the acquifition of St, Vincent^ 
 we have likewife gained a perpetual check upon 
 the Trench iflands, and particularly on that of 
 5/. hucia which is ceded to them. There can 
 be no meafures taken there, of which we 
 may not have immediate notice, and if we con- 
 fider the firuation of this iQand in refpe6t to 
 that, and the reft of the French iQands, now 
 that Granada and all its dependencies are be- 
 come ours, it is alfo apparent we may from 
 thence eftablifh a cruize, by which they will 
 be effectually blocked up, or at leaft de- 
 prived of all commerce, in cafe of a future 
 war. Nor is it much to the purpofe to ob- 
 jedl, that poQlbly the bays in this iQand may 
 not be convenient for a large fquadron, fmce 
 in reality, our fquadrons avoid as much as pof- 
 fible coming into or continuing long in bays 
 howevtjr commodious, for many and thofe alfo 
 Very juft reafons ; nor does experience evince, 
 that our naval armaments have hitherto fuffered 
 much from the want of fuch conveniencies, to 
 which when wanted moft, that is in the Hur- 
 ricone months, they would hardly truft, and 
 from which dangerous ftorms they will, for 
 the future, have a conftant ind fate retreat, in 
 the ports of Granada. It may alfo ferve us for 
 a place of arms, to which forces may be tranf- 
 
 porte I 
 
 Dfl 
 
[ 111 ] 
 
 ported from the other iflands, and embarked 
 very conveniently for any future expedition. 
 It likewife contributes to cover and conned all 
 our other poiTelTions, that together with it have 
 been acquired by the peace j and from thence 
 reinforcements and fupplies may be fent with 
 equal eafe and expedition to Bo7nimca \ fo that 
 all circumflances confidered, we muft be great 
 y^ i perpetual gainers by our having obtained 
 this iQand, without, as (hall be hereafter Ihewn, 
 feeling any material inconveniences from the 
 celTion of St. Lucia, 
 
 Tab AGO, the mod remote of our iQands, 
 lies near forty leagues fouth by weft from Bar- 
 hadoesy about thirty five leagues fouth-eaft from 
 St. Vincent, forty leagues eaft from Granada^ 
 twelve leagues north-eaft from Trinidaday^ind be- 
 tween thirty and forty leagues north- eaft from the 
 Spanijh main. According to the lateft and moft 
 certain accounts of this ifland, it is thirty- two of 
 our miles from fouth-eaft to north-weft, which is 
 its greateft length ; and where broadeft may be 
 about nine miles, from eaft to weft, fomewhat more 
 than feventy miles in circumference. It differs not 
 much in bignefs from the ifland of St. Vincent^ 
 is rather larger than Barhadocs^ and of confe- 
 quence than any of our Leeward IJlarids, Near 
 the north-eaft extremity, there lies a fmall ifland 
 called Little Tahago^ which is near two miles in 
 length, and full half a mile broad. The rocks 
 of St. Giles lie to the north, and there are many 
 fmall rocky iflets on the weft fide of it, which 
 
 tho' ufelefs are not however at all dangerous. 
 
 The 
 
[ "2 ] 
 
 The climate, though it lies only eleven de- 
 grees and ten minutes north from the equator, 
 is not near ib hot as might be expeded, the 
 force of the fun's rays being tempered by the 
 coolnefs of the fea breeze. When it was firft 
 inhabited, it was thought unhealthy, but as 
 foon as it was a little cleared and cultivated, it 
 was found to be equally pleafantand wholefome, 
 which the Dutch afcribed in a great meafure, to 
 the odoriferous fmell exhaled from the fpice and 
 rich gum trees, a notion borrowed from their 
 countrymen in the Eaji-Indies^ who are perfuad- 
 ed that cutting down the clove trees in the Mo- 
 luccas has rendered thofe iflands very unhealthy. 
 There is likewife another circumftance, which 
 may ferve to recommend this climate, and that 
 is the ifland's lying out of the track of the//«r- 
 ricanes^ to which our own iflands and thofe of 
 the French are expofed, and from which their 
 plantations and fhipping fufrer frequently very 
 leverely. 
 
 There are many rifing grounds over all the 
 ifland, but it cannot be properly ftiled moun- 
 tainous, except perhaps in the north-wefl: ex- 
 tremity •, and even there, they are far from be- 
 ing rugged or impaflable. The foil is very finely 
 diverfified, being in fome places light and fandy, 
 in others mixed with gravel and fmall flints, but 
 in general it is a deep, rich, black mold. Ic 
 is from the extraordinary flze of the fame fort 
 of trees that grow in the other iflands, as well 
 as from the trials made by the Courknders and 
 
 the 
 
[ ii3 ] 
 
 the Dutch efteemed to be luxuriantly fertile, 
 well fuited to the different produdionS that are 
 raifed in the TFeJl- Indies^ and from the concur- 
 rence of various favourable circumftances, which 
 will be hereafter mentioned, may be wrought 
 with eafe, and is not liable to the blaft and other 
 accidents, which are fo fatal to the moft promi- 
 fing crops in fome of our Leeward IJlands. 
 
 We find it generally agreed, that hardly any 
 country can be better watered than this is. For 
 befides fprings that are found in plenty all over 
 the ifland, there are not fewer than eighteen 
 rivulets, that run from the hills into the fea, 
 fome on the eaft and fome on the weft fide. Of 
 thefe, there are fome, that take a ferpentine 
 cburfe through the meadows -, and others that 
 being pent up by rocky channels, roll with fuch 
 rapidity, as renders them very fit for driving mills, 
 but there are very few or no moralTes or mar- 
 fhes, or any lakes, pools, or colledions of ftand- 
 ing waters, which of courfe muft render it more 
 healthy, and all parts of it alike habitable, and 
 from the happy difpofitionof the running ftreams 
 and numerous fprings, almoft every where ha^ 
 bitable, with the like convenience. 
 
 Yet this diftribution of frefh water, is not at 
 all more commodious, than the difpofition of 
 the bays and creeks of the fea upon its coafts. 
 At the fouth end of the idand lies the bay of La 
 Guiray and at a fmall diftance from thence the 
 leiTer and the greater Rockley bays. The latter 
 of thefe, may with propriety be ftiled a har- 
 I bour. 
 
[ iH] 
 hour, for it is land-locked on every fide, and 
 very fecure. It was in this bay the Dutch and 
 French fleets engaged in 1677, and in which the 
 Count d^EJlrees'^ fhip, called the Glorieux of fe- 
 venty guns, was blown up, which fhews that it 
 is capable of receiving as confiderable fqua- 
 drons, and thofe too of as large fhlps, as are 
 ufualiy fent into thefe Teas. To the northward 
 of thefe lies Cochon Gras or Fat Hog bay, and 
 beyond thofe Grand Rivier bay. Great Hog bay. 
 Little Hog bay, U Ance Batteau^ covered by the 
 ifland oi Little T'abago \ and therefore in tht Dutch 
 maps called Little Tahago bay. Oppofite to 
 this, on the other fide of the ifland, is what the 
 Dutch called John Moore's, bay, now Man of 
 War bay, very deep and fpacious, with ten fa- 
 thom water clofe to the fhore, with two fine ri- 
 vulets running into the bay, where our fliips 
 may therefore careen, with the utmoft: conve- 
 niency, as well as with the greatefl: fafety, as it 
 is furrounded by high hills, that come down 
 clofe to the fliore, by which the veflfels lying 
 there, will be mod efl^tdtually flieltered from 
 both wind and weather. There are alfo feverai 
 little commodious bays, between this and Great 
 Courland bay, which is very fpacious, capable 
 of containing a large fquadron, with a beauti- 
 ful level country adjoining to it on the coafl» 
 which when cleared may render it a commodious 
 and pleafant habitation. Beyond this, lies Lit- 
 tle Courland bay, and Sandy Point bay, which 
 brings us again to the fouthern extremity of the 
 
 ifland. 
 
idand. Hence It appears, that it is in all re^ 
 fpe<fls mod convenient for commerce, and tho' 
 it be true, that having fo many places that ad- 
 mit of eafy landing, and lying in the neigh* 
 bourhood of warlike Indian nations, it muft of 
 necefiTity require proper fortifications, the many 
 obvious and extraordinary advantages thereby 
 afforded to trade, when the iQand fhall be 
 once fettled, will amply compenfate the expence^ 
 that may be found necefTary to provide for, and 
 to preferve its fecurity. 
 
 This ifland is covered with all that vafl: va- 
 riety of valuable timber, that is to be found in 
 mod countries in the PVeJl-Indies, and many of 
 thefe as extraordinary in their fize, as excellent 
 in their nature. The fame may be faid, with 
 refpeft to fruit-trees, and amongft thefe, there 
 ^re fome that are peculiar to Tahago, Such for 
 inftance as the true nutmeg-tree^ which ihtDutcb^ 
 who of all nations could not in that refpeft be 
 deceived, affirm to have found here. It is true, 
 they fay it is a wild nutmeg, that the mace is 
 lefs florid, and the tafte of the nut itfelf more 
 pungent, though larger and fairer to the eye, 
 than the fpice of the fame kind brought by 
 them, from the Ecifi- Indies. The cinnamon^trec 
 grows likewife in this iQand, though the bark 
 is faid to have a tafte of cloves as well as cinna^ 
 mon. Here likewife grows that tree which pro- 
 duces the true gum copal^ refembling that 
 brought from the continent of America^ and 
 I 2 very 
 
[ ii6 ] 
 
 very different from what goes by the fame name 
 in the reft of the Weft -India iflands. 
 
 All ground provifions are produced here in 
 the utmoft abundance, as well as in the higheft 
 perfection. Here likewife is plenty of wild hogs 
 and other animals, together with great quantities 
 ©f fowl, and an amazing variety both of fea 
 and river fi(h. In the time the Butch were in 
 poflefifion of this ifland, which was not many 
 years, they exported large quantities of tobacco, 
 fugar, cafTia, ginger, cinnamon, fafiafras, guRV 
 copal^ cacao, rocou, indigo, and cotton v be- 
 fides rich woods, materials for dying, drugs of 
 different kinds, and feveral forts of delicious 
 fweetmeats. Thus, we have not only the pro- 
 bability, arifing from the climate, foil, and fi- 
 tuation, but likewife the certainty, that all the 
 valuable commodities which the TVeft- India 
 iflands produce, have been adually and may 
 eonfequently be again unqueilionably raifed in 
 Tahago. We may add to this, that though the 
 Dutch boafted much of the v/orth of their fet- 
 tlements in, and the valuable cargoes they an- 
 nually brought from thence, yet Sir Jojab 
 Childj within that very period, mentions the de- 
 fect in their improvement of Tabago^ in fup- 
 port of his dodtrine, that ihtButch^ as a nation, 
 were lefs fuccefsful in planting than commerce 5 
 which is, enough to convince us, that in his 
 time, this was confidered as an ifland capable ot 
 beh:ig made at leaft as valuable, as any of itj 
 fize in the poITeflion of Europeans. 
 
 Tabaco 
 
t ^ry ] 
 
 Tab AGO was difcovered by Admiral Cbrif- 
 topher Columbus in the year 1498, but it does 
 not appear, that the Spaniards ever made any 
 eftablifhment thereon. It was near a century 
 after this, before it became known to us, and 
 this in confequence of the expeditions made in 
 the reign of Queen Elizabeth into thefe parts, 
 againft the Spaniards^ and particularly by that 
 able feaman Sir Robert Dudley^ who in 1595, 
 took notice of it, as v/ell as of other iflands in 
 his expedition to Trinidada. It was from this 
 time, that thofe adventurous Englijhmen^ who 
 meditating the extenfion of our naval power in 
 the moft diflant parts of the world, began to 
 entertain thoughts of planting fome of the 
 fmall iQands neglefted by the Spaniards^ and 
 ^abago amongfl: the reft. It was with this view, 
 that William Earl of Pembroke^ a nobleman of 
 great merit, who had diftinguifhed himfelf iri 
 contributing to other enterprizes of the like 
 kind, follicited and obtained in the reign of 
 King Charles I. Anno Domini 1628, a grant of 
 the illands o^Tabago^ Barbuda^ and St. Bernard, 
 It is incertain whether he ever actually attemp- 
 ted to carry his defign into execution, and very 
 poflibly the fetling them might be hindered by 
 that nobleman's death, which happened in lefs 
 than two years after. It is not at all however 
 improbable, that he was led to the knowledge 
 of thefe iflands, by the mafter of fome fhip of 
 his own, or by the captains of veftels fitted out 
 for other difcoveries, in which he had an in- 
 I S tereff, 
 
[ii8] 
 
 tereft, becaufe as we have already fhewn, in 
 fpeaking of the iQand of SL Chriftophers^ this 
 was in thofe days a thing not very extraordinary. 
 It was not long after this, that feme fhips 
 belonging to a company of merchants fettled in 
 Zealand^ coming into thefe feas, took notice of 
 this ifland, and made fo full and favourable a 
 report of it, at their return, as induced that com- 
 pany to think of plmting it. They fent accord- 
 ingly fome people thither, about 1632, and by 
 that means acquired fuch lights, as enabled 
 John de Laet to give a mi ore copious and much 
 better defcription of it, than of any of the Ca- 
 rihbee iflands. Thefe Dutchmen bellowed on 
 this their favourite acquifition, the appellation 
 of New Walcheren in honour of the ifland of the 
 fame name, which was and is one of the moft 
 confiderable in the province of Zealand. When 
 their fmall colony was increafed by repeated 
 fupplies to the number of about two hundred 
 fouls, they -began to think of ereding a fort 
 for their iecurity. This was fo much the more 
 neceffary, becaufe the country being very eafy 
 of accefs, the warlike Indians from the conti- 
 nent, frequently pafTed over thither, and the 
 Caribhes Indians on the other hand, confidered 
 it as a convenient place of arms, for aflembling 
 their forces, when they went to make dcfcents 
 upon their enemies territories on the continent. 
 1 he Dutch having macie a good progrefs in 
 ^heir fort, held thef:; people in great contempt, 
 who thereupon applied thernftives to the Spa- 
 niard: 
 
["9] 
 
 fiiards In the ifland of Trinidada^ who very rea- 
 dily liflened to their follicitations, and fending 
 a competent force to affift thefe Indians^ the 
 Dutch fort not quite finifhed was eafily taken, 
 and the whole of the little colony, according to 
 the barbarous cuftomofthofe people, was utter- 
 ly deftroyed. This as we have before obferv- 
 ed was very confident with the Spanijh policy, 
 which always leads them to aflift the Indians^ 
 when by fuch a ftep, they can defeat the pur- 
 pofes of other European nations. And thus end- 
 ed the firfl attempt to fettle this ifland. 
 
 It was about ten years after this, when this 
 ifle was totally deftitute of inhabitants, that James 
 Duke of Courland or rather Curland who had 
 our King James I. for his god-father, and who 
 was a Prince of great enterprize, as well as preg- 
 nant abilities, entertained a notion of augment- 
 ing the wealth of his fubje<5ls and incrcafing his 
 own revenue, by making a fettlement in feme 
 of the uninhabited iflands in America^ and it fo 
 fell out, that the lights he received upon com- 
 municating this projecl, diredled his views hi- 
 ther. He fent accordingly a competent num- 
 ber of men well fupplied with every thing for 
 their accommodation, and diredled them to be- 
 gin with providing for their own fecunty. They 
 accordingly fixed themfelves upon that, which 
 has been ever fince called Great Courland bay, 
 where with great expedition, they ereded a 
 fmall regular fortification •, to which in honour 
 of their Sovereign, they gave the name of James 
 i 4 fort. 
 
[ 120 ] 
 
 fort. When they had done this, they bpilt^ 
 little town near ity^and keeping up a conftant 
 corefpendence, and receiving continual fupplies 
 from their own country, they in the fpace of a 
 very few years, cultivated a confiderable fpace 
 round them, and thereby raifed a very com- 
 pa6l and flourifhing colony, living upon fo 
 good terms with all their neighbours, and dif- 
 covering fo little inclination to hurt or difturb 
 others, that it does not appear, that either the 
 Indians or the Spaniards made any attempt to 
 difturb them. Such was the good fortune, ari- 
 fingfrom the good conduct of this fecond colony. 
 Two opulent magiftrates of the town of Flu- 
 fifing^ MelTrs. Adrian and Cornelius Larnpfins^ 
 being defirous of fupporting the honour which 
 their idand had acquired, by beftowing its name 
 upon another in the JVeJi- Indies^ fitted out fome 
 fhips at their expence, which arrived at 'Tahago 
 in 1654, and debarked a confiderable numbei^ 
 otpeople. But finding the Courlanders in pof- 
 feflion, with a good fort and a refpedabls 
 ilrength, they judged it better to compromife 
 matters for the prefent, and to feat themfelve^ 
 on the other fide of the ifland, acknowledging 
 themfelves to derive that fettlement from, and 
 to hold it under the protedlion of James Duke 
 of Courland, The place where they ftxed their 
 refidence v/as upon Rood KiypSy that is RedcUff^ 
 now Rockley bay, and there by a continual accel- 
 fion of recruits, from their own county, they be- 
 came very numerous. In the mean time a great; 
 
 misfortune 
 
{ 121 1 
 
 j^isfortune happened to the Duke of Ccurhndy 
 who notwithftanding the neutrality which had 
 been granted him, during the war between Swe- 
 den and Poland^ was by the fuperior power of 
 Charles Gujiavus King of Sweden difpofleired of 
 his dominions, and himfelf carried prifoner firft 
 to Riga and next to Ivafiogorod in 1658, from a 
 mere motive of policy, or it may be of jealoufy, 
 as he had exceedingly improved his country, 
 and raifed a refpeflable marine, his Swedijh Ma- 
 jeily declaring, that though his coufin of Co.Ur^ 
 land was too little to be a King, he was too 
 great to be a Duke. The Dutch m Tabago^ 
 receiving the firft news of this unfortunate revo- 
 lution, immediately took up arms, invefted 
 fort JameSy declared to the C our landers the (i- 
 tuation of their Prince, and demanded pofTef- 
 fion of their fortrefs and town, promifing to 
 reftore both, whenever the Duke recovered his 
 liberty. The governor of Fort James would 
 have defended it, but his garrifon mutinied and 
 forced him to deliver it up ; by which the Dutch 
 became pofTefTors of the whole ifland. This re- 
 volution happened in 1659 or 1660. 
 
 In order to maintain this poITeflion, and at the 
 fame time to acquire fome colour of title, Mr. 
 Cornelius Lamp/in^ who had a confiderable inter- 
 eft at the court of France^ procured letters pa- 
 tents from l^ewis XIV. creating him Baron of 
 Tabago, which letters patents pafTed the great 
 feal in the month o^ Auguft 1662, and were 
 regiftred in the parliament of Paris the year fol- 
 lowing. 
 
[ 122 ] 
 
 lowing. The Lampfms procured alfo a concefllon 
 from the Butch IVefi-lndia company, and with 
 the concurrence and confent of the States Ge- 
 neral fent over Mr. Hubert de Beveren, with 
 the title of governor of "Tabago. This gen- 
 tleman upon his arrival there, began to put all 
 things upon a new foot. He called the harbour 
 Lamp/in bay, the town, now much enlarged and 
 decorated with feme public buildings, Lamffw- 
 lurgb •, he conffruded likewife upon an emi- 
 nence that commanded it a regular fortrefs called 
 Lampjinberg^ and another to which he gave the 
 name of Fort Beveren^ and made it the place 
 of his refidence ; he likewife added two other 
 forts for the protedlion of the town and harbour, 
 and proje6ted the building another town, on a 
 convenient neck of land, which it was intended 
 ihould be called New Flujhing, Under his ad- 
 miniftration this Dutch fettlement began to 
 make a figure, many fine cacao walks were laid 
 out, feveral indigo works eredled, and like- 
 wife fome fugar mills, fo that a regular corre- 
 fpondence was now eftablifhed, between the in- 
 habitants of Zealand^ and their countrymen in 
 Tab ago. 
 
 The treaty of Oliva^ between Charles XI. of 
 Sweden and John Cafimlr King of Poland^ hav- 
 ing reftored the Duke of Couriand to his liberty 
 and to his dominions, he foon after applied 
 himfelf to the States Qeneral to demand the 
 reftitution of Fort James and his colony in Ta* 
 bagOy but without any- fuccefs. The Duke 
 
 thereupon 
 
[ 123 ] 
 
 thereupon addreffcd himfelf to our King Charles 
 II. for the fupport of his title ; and in confe- 
 qucnce of this, that monarch by an inflrument 
 bearing date, November ijy 1664, granted to 
 James Duke of Courland and Semigallia his heirs 
 and fucceflbrs, the faid iQand of "^ahago^ in con- 
 fideration of fervices therein refcrved to the 
 crown of Great Britain ; and of this concelTiori 
 due notice was given both by the King and by 
 the Duke of Courland to the republic. But as 
 at this time, difputes were beginning to arife be- 
 tween the King and the States^ they took very 
 Jittle notice of that grant, and the Lampjins on 
 the other hand, fent over repeated orders to 
 their governor and colony, to put every thing 
 there, into the befl ftate of defence polTible, 
 forefeeing, as indeed it was not difficult to fore- 
 fee, that their polTeflions in that ifland might 
 be very fpeedily attacked. 
 
 In the firft Dutch war which quickly follow^ 
 ed, we are told by the French writers, that the 
 Dutch fort in Tabago was taken, and the colony 
 reduced by a few Englijh privateers, who upon 
 xhe people's fubmitting to the Britijh crown, 
 fufFered them to remain at quiet in their habi- 
 tations. The fame writers fay, that after the 
 French declared for the Dutch^ this ifland was 
 recovered for the latter by the governor of Gre- 
 nada, \x. is certain it was during the remainder 
 of that war, the rendezvous of the combined 
 fleets of thofe nations, who from thence did in- 
 ;Credible damage, as well to our fettlements as 
 
 commerce 5 
 
 3 
 
[ -'24 ] 
 
 commerce •, and, it their joint fleets had not 
 been defeated, as we have before obferved, a lit- 
 tle before the clofe of the war by Sir John Har- 
 rtan^ who purfued the remains of the French to 
 St.Cbriftophers^ and totally deftroyed them there, 
 we fhould have had very little left in the Ji^eft- 
 hidies. The Butch continued in pofTeffion of 
 this ifle, in virtue of the general flipulations, 
 but without being exprefsly mentioned in any 
 article of the treaty of Breda. In the fpace of 
 about hvt years, which intervened between the 
 jBrft and fecond Butch war, they fortified this 
 ifland with incredible diligence, fo that at the 
 time it broke out, they looked upon their new 
 town, under the protection of three good forts 
 with a numerous artillery, to be in a manner im- 
 pregnable. In 1673, however. Sir Tobias Brid- 
 ges plundered the ille, and carried off four hun- 
 dred prifoners. As we made a feperate peace 
 in the fucceeding year with the republic, the 
 Butch in I'ahago were freed from the apprehen- 
 fions of our making them any farther vifitSjwhich 
 encouraged them to attempt the conqueft of the 
 ifland of Cayenne from the French^ in which they 
 fucceeded. But the Count d'EJlrees Vice Ad- 
 miral of France^ being fent with a powerful ar- 
 mament into thofe parts, recovered Cayenne and 
 appeared before Tabago j in the port of which 
 lay Javjies Binkes Admiral of Zealand^ with a 
 (lout fquadron of Dutch {hips. The Count at- 
 tacked him on the third of March^ which was 
 Good-Friday^ in 1677, both by land and fea, and 
 
 after 
 
[ 125 I 
 
 after a very obftinate engagement, in whicli 
 he loft his own fhip and feveral others, was 
 forced to retire. The condud of the Count 
 d'EftreeSy notwithftanding this repulfe as he de- 
 ftroyed the enemies fquadron in port, was high- 
 ly applauded by the French court, who fenthim 
 thither again with a ftronger fquadron towards 
 the clofe of the year. He then landed his forces, 
 invefted the principal fort, but finding it (trong- 
 ly fortified, and well provided, he had recourfe 
 to a bombardment, and the third bomb thac 
 was thrown, falling into a magazine of powder, 
 a great part of the fortrefs was blown up, in 
 which Admiral Binkes^ moft of the officers, and 
 a great part of the garrifon perifhed. This 
 made the redudlion of the colony very eafy, 
 and the Count d'EJirees, no doubt in confe- 
 quence of orders he had received at home, ut- 
 terly deftroyed it, December ly^ ^^ll-> upon 
 which Lewis XIV. caufed a magnificent medal 
 to be (truck, in order to perpetuate the memory 
 of that event. 
 
 The Butch being thus entirely difpoffefTed of 
 ^abago, the Duke of Courland refumed his de- 
 fign of fettling it, for which he appointed one 
 Capt. Foint% his agent in England^ and obtained. 
 his Britannic Majcfty's orders to Sir Jonathan At- 
 kins^ then our governor of the Leeward IJlands^ to 
 protect his (hips and fubjeds in that enterprize. 
 In 1683 Capt. Pointz publifhed here at Londen^ 
 propofals at large in the Duke's name, promifing 
 great encouragement to any En^UJh fubjecls, 
 
 who 
 
[ 126 ] 
 
 who were inclined to go thither. It docs not 
 however appear, that thefe had any great effedlj 
 but it manifeftly proves, that the Duke's title to 
 this ifland, under the grant from the crown of 
 Great Britain^ was then looked upon as inconte- 
 ftible. As a ftill farther proof of this, it may 
 not be amifs to obferve, that upon an applica- 
 tion made to Lewis XIV. by fome of his own 
 fubjcdts, for a grant of that ifland, under colour 
 of its belonging to the crown of France in right 
 of conqueft, it was rejedled. The King faying, 
 it belonged to a neutral Prince, from whom he 
 had received no provocations, and to whom he 
 would do no hurt. In 1693, when both we 
 and the Butch were at war with FrancCy Mr. 
 Pointz republilhed his propofals, under the pa- 
 tronage and protection of King fVilliam^ of 
 which no notice was taken by the dates. 
 
 The male line of xhtHoufe of Kettler^ Dukes 
 of Courlandy cxtinguifiied in 1737, intheperfon 
 of Duke Ferdincwd, fon to Duke JameSy to 
 whom the iQand of Tahago had been granted, 
 and of courfe upon his demife, the Fief return- 
 ed to the crown of Great Britain •, in confequence 
 of which, our right thereto was aflerted by the 
 governor of Barbadoes, The Butch notwith- 
 ftanding this, fuffered their Wefi- India company 
 to grant a commiflion of governor of ^ ah ago to 
 one of their fubjefts ; and though the neutrality 
 of the four iflands was ftipulated by the treaty 
 of AiX'la ChapellCy yet the Marquis ^^ CayluSy 
 then general of the French iflands, declared 
 
 roundly 
 
[ 127 1 
 
 roundly and pofitively that it belonged to Pranc^^ 
 and adually fent down a force thither to fettle 
 and fortify it, notvvithfbanding the prefenc Admi- 
 ral, then Captain Tyrrel, in his Majefty's Ihip 
 the Chejierfieldy was fent by the government of 
 Barbadoes to prevent fo flagrant an infringement 
 of treaties. On the fpirited reprefentation how- 
 ever of his Grace the Duke of Bedford then fe- 
 cretary of ftate, and the application of the late 
 Earl of Albemarle^ then our ambaflador at the 
 court of Verfailks ; the French court thought 
 proper to difavow this proceeding, to difpatch 
 a frigate to bring home the Marquis de Caylus to 
 anfvver for his condud, and to direct that the 
 ijland fhould be immediately abandoned. 
 
 It has ever fince remained in this condition 
 without any fettled inhabitants, except a very- 
 few Indians, who live in huts upon the fea 
 coafts towards the north extremity of the ifland. 
 It is true, both the Englijh and French turtlers 
 come hither occafionally, remain fome time up- 
 on the ifland, and during that fpace erect huts 
 as a kind of temporary dwellings, till they have 
 fupplied themfelves with turtle and manatee, 
 and then they return to their refpedive homes. 
 As to the Indians before-mentioned, they are a 
 very quiet, harmlefs, tractable people, and be- 
 ing well ufed and treated with indulgence may 
 without quefl:ion be rendered very ferviceable. As 
 cnthuflaftically fond as they are of liberty, they 
 may be eaflly made fenflble of the advantages 
 derived to them by Britijh protedion, for bi-ing 
 
 equally 
 
[128] 
 
 equally afraid, and not without juft reafon of 
 the lndia72s in Dominica and St, Vincent^ and of 
 thofe upon the continent ; they cannot but be 
 pleafed to find themfelves covered frorA their 
 infults, and fure of Hving in peace and in their 
 own manner. It is true they labour little, becaufc 
 they are not fenfibie of many wants, yet it is 
 not labour of which they are afraid, but of be- 
 ing forced to labour. If therefore they have af- 
 furances given them, that their freedom fhall be 
 preferved, that they fhall be confidered as Bri- 
 tijh fubjeds, by having flrift and fpeedy juflice 
 done them ; and, if they have prefents made 
 them of thofe trifles that they value, and thofe 
 cheap and common inftruments which are requi- 
 fite for cultivating their land ; it may reafonably 
 be prefumed, that they will quickly become fami- 
 liar with the firfl fettlers, aiid that the younger 
 fort efpecially may be wrought upon by gentle 
 ufage and rewards, to do a multitude of little 
 fervices to the colony, which will fave time to 
 the white people, and labour to their (laves. 
 When they are once ufed to this fort of employ- 
 ment, come to have a rehfli for gratifications, 
 '^x\d by feeing our manner of living become 
 fenfibie of their own wants, and with how much 
 cafe they may be fupplied ; they will gradually 
 grow more fociable, and of courfe be rendered 
 more ufeful. 
 
 As this iQand in the (late it now is, abounds 
 (as has been already obferved) with a vaft va- 
 riety of different forts of timber, all of them 
 
 allowed 
 
[ 129 3 
 
 allowed to be excellent in their refpeftive kinds ; 
 ic may perhaps deferve fome confideration in the 
 firfl fettling it, whether proper officers might not 
 be appointed to fecure all the advantages that 
 may be drawn from this circumf^ance to the pub* 
 iic. It is by no means intended, that the Eril 
 planters Ibould be deprived of the nccetlary iifs 
 of all kinds of timber for buildings and utenfils, 
 but that this fhould be cut in a proper method 
 and with difcretion> and the rather, bccaofe 
 nothing has been more loudly exclaimed againfl 
 by the fenfible men in all the other iflands, than 
 the undiftinguifhing and dedrudive havock made 
 amongft the woods, without any regard to the 
 general interefl, or the lead refpet^ paid to iliat 
 of pofterity* By fuch a method the country may 
 be properly and regularly cleared and opened, 
 and as from the nature of the foil and climate, 
 vegetation is extremely quick, a fuccefOon of 
 ufeful trees may be conilantly maintained. By 
 this means, valuable cargoes will be furniOied 
 of fine woods for the ufe of joiners, cabinet- 
 makers, and turners; the necelTary materials 
 for dying cloth, filk, and linnen, obtained in 
 the higheft perfection, and a vaft variety of 
 gums, balfams, and other collly and efficacious 
 medicines may be procured in their genuine and 
 mod perfedt ftate. By this precaution very large 
 fums, which we now pay to foreigners will be 
 faved to the nation, the improvement of our 
 manufaflures facilitated, and the exportation of 
 thefe bulky commodities prove a great benefit 
 K to 
 
[ I30 ] 
 to our navigation. By putting the diredion of 
 thefe things under the management of capable 
 perfons, new lights will continually arife from 
 experience, and new acquifitions may be made 
 of rich and valuable plants from the continent 
 of South- Amen ca^ from Africa^ and even from 
 the Eaft-Indies, The looking after thefe woods 
 may furnifh a proper and eafy employment to 
 the Indians-^ in which, if bred to it, their chil- 
 dren would certainly delight, and the profits 
 arifing from the exportation to Europe^ might 
 contlitute a public revenue for the fupport of 
 the fortifications and other expences of govern- 
 ment, which would be a great eafe to the induf- 
 trious planters, and thereby procure a conftant 
 attention in their aflemblies, to prelerve and pro- 
 mote a defign equally ferviceable to their mo- 
 ther country and themfelves ; and confidered in 
 this light, it might become a ufeful precedent 
 in the eilablifriment of fomething of the like 
 kind in other colonies, and would be attended 
 with no inconveniences whatever. 
 
 In the next place we (hall take the liberty of 
 obferving, that there is at lead the higheft pro- 
 bability of our being able to produce all the va- 
 luable fpicesof the Ei^Ji-Indies in this ifland. To 
 begin with cinnamon. This is faid to grow iq 
 fome of the other JVeft-hdia iflands, and Ge- 
 neral Codrington had once an intention to try 
 how much it might be improved, by a regular 
 cultivation in his ifland of Barbuda, It is uni- 
 verfally allowed, that the bark of what is called 
 
 Z the 
 
f '31 ] 
 
 the wild cinnamon-tree in Tahago is beyond com- 
 parifon, the beft in all the Weft-Indies^ and even 
 in its prefenc (late may be made an article of 
 great value. The bark, when cured with care, 
 differs from that in the Eaft- Indies^ by being 
 ftronger and more acrid while it is frefh, and 
 when it has been kept for fome time, it lofes 
 that pungency and acquires the flavour of cloves. 
 This is precifely the fpice which the Portuguefe 
 callCr^i;^ de Maranahon^ iht French CanelleGerO" 
 ftee^ and the Italians Canella Garofanata. There 
 is a very confiderable fale of this at h'foon^ Fa* 
 ris, and over all Ilaly. This kind of fpice is 
 drawn chiefly from Brazil, and the Portuguefe 
 believe that their cinnamon-trees v/ere originally 
 brought from Ceylon while it was in their pof- 
 feffion, but that through the alteration of foil 
 and climate they are degenerated into this kind 
 of fpice, and this may very probably be true. 
 However from their Iize and number it fcems 
 to admit of no doubt, that the cinnamon-trees 
 adually growing in Tabago, are the natural pro- 
 dudion of that iQand, and the point v/ith us is 
 to know what improvements may be made with 
 refped: to theie. 
 
 It may feem a little new, but we hope to 
 Tender it highly probable, that the fole diffe- 
 rence in cinnamon arifes from culture. In the 
 firft place it is allowed, both by the Dutch and 
 Portuguefe, that there are no iefs than ten diffe- 
 rent kinds in the ifland of Ceylon, which is the 
 cleared evidence, that this tree is every where 
 K 2 fubjed 
 
[ 132 ] 
 
 fubjedl to variation from the circumftances of 
 foil and expofition. It is fecondiy allowed, that 
 even the beft fined and firft fort of cinnamon-tree 
 does not preferve its high quaHtes beyond fe- 
 venteen, eighteen, or at moil twenty years. 
 The reafon affigned for this by the Butch^ is 
 that the campbire^ as the tree grows older, rifes 
 in fuch quantities as to penetrate the bark ; and 
 thereby alter its flavour, which accounts very 
 well for the different talle of the Brazil and la- 
 hago cinnamon, as the trees mud be at lead five 
 times more than their proper age. It is thirdly 
 allowed, that the faired and fined cinnamon grows 
 upon young trees, planted in vallies near the fea 
 fide, naturally covered with white fand, where 
 they are perfedlly undiaded and expofed to the 
 hotted fun ; that at five years old they begin to 
 bark the branches ; and, that the tree continues 
 to produce fine-flavoured cinnamon for the num- 
 ber of years already mentioned^ They then cut 
 it down to the root, from whence in a year or 
 two it fprouts again, and in five or fix they be- 
 gin to bark the young plants. There is one 
 circumdance more neceflTary to be obferved, the 
 true cinnamon is the inner bark of the branches 
 grown to a proper fize, and when taken off and 
 expofed to be dried is of a green colour and 
 has no fmell, but as the watry particles are ex- 
 haled, and the bark curls in the manner we re- 
 ceive it, the colour changes, and the odour of 
 the cinnamon gradually increafes. What then 
 is there to hinder our attempting the cultivation 
 
 of 
 
[ 133 ] 
 
 of Cinnamon, which nature feems to have pro-* 
 duced in as much perfedtion in Tahago as in 
 Ceylon ? 
 
 In the fecond place, we have mentioned that 
 the nutmeg as well as the cinnamon-tree^ is a 
 native of this ide ; and as we like wife obferved, 
 is reported, to be defedive and inferior in its 
 kind, to the fame fort of fpice in, or at lead 
 as it is brought to us from the Eaji-Indies. 
 We cannot doubt of the fad, that is, of the 
 nutmeg's growing here •, becaufe we find it af- 
 ferted, in a book addrefTed to Mr. de Beveren 
 then governor of Tahago, A man who had 
 invented a falfehood, would hardly have had 
 the boldnefs to repeat it, not only to a refpe6table 
 perfon, but to the perfon in the world, who 
 mud have the cleareft knowledge of its being 
 a falfehood. There is a current tradition in 
 Guadaloups^ that one of the Butch fugitives 
 who fled thither from Brazil^ brought and 
 planted a nutmeg-tree in that ifland, which 
 grew and fiourifhed, but before it bore frtiit, 
 another Dutchman^ jealous of the intereft of his 
 country, cut down and deftroyed it. It has 
 lince then been always matter of doubt amongft 
 the French ; whether this tree grew originally 
 in Brazil^ or whether the Dutchman who plant- 
 ed it, had brought it thither from the Ecifl- In- 
 dies. The latter feems to be the mofl probable, 
 fince we have no account of nutmeg- trees gro vy- 
 ing in Brazil, In refped however to this ifle^^ 
 we have no oceafion to tranfport it either from 
 K 3 Brazil^ 
 
f 134 ] 
 
 Brazilj if it was there, or from the Eaji-Indies^ 
 if it was not. The nutmeg- tree that naturally 
 grows in Tabago^ is in all probability as true, 
 and may by due care and pains be rendered as 
 valuable a nutmeg as thofe that grow any 
 where elie, for the fa£l really is, that wherever 
 there are nutmegs, there are wild nutmegs, or 
 as fome ftile them mountain nutmegs, which 
 are longer and larger, but much inferior in the 
 flavour to the true nutmeg, and are very liable 
 to be worm-eaten 5 the point is, to know how 
 thefe defeds may be remedied, or in other words, 
 wherein the difference confifts, between the 
 wild, taftelefs, and ufelefs nutmeg, and that 
 which is true, aromatic, and of courfe a valuable 
 fpice. 
 
 The nutmegs which the Butch bring into Eu- 
 rope^ grow in the iflands of Banda^ which are 
 fix in number, but the Butch long ago con- 
 fined the nutmeg plantations to three of them 
 only, and took all the precautions imaginable, 
 to hinder their being cultivated any where elfe, 
 that they might the better confine the profits 
 arifing from this rich fpice, to their own com- 
 pany. The true nutmeg, is of the fize and 
 height of a pear-tree, the wild or mountain 
 nutmeg is a larger tree, not fo well furnifhed 
 with branches, but the leaves are broader and 
 longer. The nutmegs are planted in clofes or 
 parks^ in a regular order, and with much la- 
 bour and induftry are carefully kept free from 
 ail weeds or plants that may exhault their nou- 
 
 rifhment. 
 
[^35] 
 
 riiliment, or to fpeak more intelligibly are at- 
 tended with the fame diligence as a Cacao walk. 
 Befides this, they are defended on the outfide, 
 by one or two rows of trees, taller in fize, which 
 fecure them from fudden gufts of wind and 
 from the fea air, by boch of which they would 
 be otherwife prejudiced. 
 
 They afford three harvefts in the year, the 
 firfl is towards the latter end of March and the 
 beginning of A-pril^ the produdt then is but 
 fmall, confiding only of fuch as are full ripe 
 or fallen •, but then thefe are the fineil, both 
 with refpedl to the nut and to the mace. The 
 fecond is the great harveft, in the latter end 
 of July and the beginning of Augufi^ when all 
 are gathered that are ripe. The third is in 'No- 
 vember^ and is properly the gleaning, for then 
 they take all that are left upon the tree. When 
 they are thus gathered, they are dripped with 
 a knife of their outer hufl^s, which refemble 
 thofe of walnuts ; the inner coat which is the 
 MACE, is next taken off, with great cars 
 and as whole as it is poffible, it is then of a 
 bright crimfon colour, but when cauticufly dried 
 becomes of a yellow brown, thin, brittle, fhin- 
 ing, oily, and of a pleafing aromatic fragrance. 
 The nut thus dei'poiled of both coats is expofed 
 to the fun for a day to dry, and this operation 
 is finilhed in three or four days more, by ex- 
 pofmg them though at a convenient diflance to 
 the heat of fire. Then the (hell which is thin, 
 and has a very flight pellicle adhering to it, is 
 K 4 removed. 
 
[ 136 ] 
 
 removed, and the kernel or nutmeg taken out. 
 This is likewife very carefully dried, and when 
 that is done, the nuts are put by fmall parcels 
 into wicker bafkets, in which they are dipped 
 in a ftrong folution of lime, made with cal- 
 cined fhelis, mixed with fea water. The great 
 fecret lies in thus curing of them, by which they 
 are hindered from corrupting, from fuffering by 
 the worm, or lofing their virtue by the humi- 
 dity of the fea air when tranfported to Europe, 
 
 We may reafonably conclude from this ac- 
 count, that the nutmeg-tree being a delicate 
 plant, owes its high aromatic flavour, to its 
 being induflrioufly cultivated, with great cau- 
 tion, and all this in a proper foil. It muft be 
 alfo obferved, that even amongft the trees in 
 the nutmeg parks, there are fome that produce 
 long and ill-fliaped nuts, with very little fla- 
 vour, which are fl:iled male nutmegs •, whereas 
 the round aromatic fruit, which is brought to 
 Europe^ is called the female nutmeg. The fmal- 
 leilof the nutmeg parks or clofes, do not con- 
 tain above an E7tgiijh rood of land, but the 
 largeft contain three, four, or ^wt times as 
 much. The whole quantity colledled in the 
 three harvcfl:s, and in a favourable feafon, fel- 
 dom amounts to more than three hundred tons 
 of nutmegs, and from feventy to eighty tons of 
 mace. From this fuccincl account of the na- 
 ture and method of cultivating this valuable 
 fpice, it will certainly appear that it may be 
 very well worth the trouble and expence of 
 
 making 
 
f ^37 1 
 
 making the experiment, whether by the fame 
 method, the wild nutmeg-tree as k is called in 
 Tabago^ may not be reclaimed and improved, 
 io as gradually to acquire all the virtue and 
 odour of the true fpice. There may no doubt 
 many difficulties occur, both in the cultivation 
 and in the curing; but the vigour, the faga- 
 city, the indefatigable diligence of Britijb plan- 
 ters, will very probably overcome all thefe. 
 
 It mud be acknowledged, that we have no 
 account of the tree, that produces cloves, grow- 
 ing either in this, or in any other ifland in A- 
 merica. It is not however impoflible, that 
 when the produ<5tions of Tahago fhall be more 
 attentively examined, by capable perfons, we 
 may poflibly find, that nature has produced 
 this fpice here, as well as the reft. No great 
 weight, indeed no weight at all ought to be 
 laid on this fuppofition, which is mentioned 
 only, that an enquiry may be made. But if 
 we take it for granted, that the clove does not 
 grow here, we may neverthelefs venture to af- 
 fert, that the nature of the foil and climate 
 confidered, together with the fize and fituation 
 of the iQe, the natural produdion of other fpices, 
 and the flavour of cloves, that is faid to pre- 
 dominate in thefe, make it not at all impro- 
 bable, that if the clove was introduced, it would 
 thrive here. That it may be introduced, and 
 without much difficulty^ will appear no unrea- 
 fonable affertion, when we confider that this 
 plant may be obtained from Bsrneo^ Cera7n^ 
 
 Mindanao^ 
 I 
 
[ 135 ] 
 
 Mindanao, and perhaps other places, without the: 
 leave of the Dutch, They are at prcfent indeed^ 
 in the fole poflefTion of the fpice trade, and this 
 they owe, as in truth they do mod of their ad- 
 vantages, to a very commendable care, inde- 
 fatigable induftry, and conftant circumfpedion. 
 For as on the one hand, they have been at in- 
 exprefiible pains, in procuring and preferving 
 the perfection of thefe valuable commodities, 
 by a ficilful cultivation -, fo on the other hand, 
 they have been at little lefs trouble to extirpate 
 thefe precious vegetables, where nature had pro- 
 duced them, but where they found it extreme- 
 ly difficult, if not impofifible to confine their 
 produiftion folely to their own profit. There 
 feems to be no juil caufe therefore, why we 
 Ihould not imitate them, as far as it is fit to 
 imitate them, or any political injuftice, in ref- 
 cuing, if we are able to do it, for our own bene- 
 fit, any of the gifts of nature, that they from 
 the fame motive would keep vv^ithin their own 
 pov/er. 
 
 The tree which produces the dove, is faid to 
 refemble an olive, round in its form, with a 
 fmooth glofiy bark, rifing to the height of fix 
 or feven feet, and then throwing out branches 
 which afpire and form at length a kind of a 
 pyramid. The leaves are fl^iapcd like thofe of 
 the laurel, but fmaller, of a deep dark green 
 on one fide, and of a lighter yellowifh green on 
 the other. The pifiils of the flower, form 
 what is Ciilied the clove, which is fo well known, 
 
 that 
 
[ ^^9 ] 
 
 that it need not be defcribed, of a lively green 
 colour before it becomes ripe, afluming then 
 a bright crimfon hue, and becoming of a dark 
 brown when it is cured. The leaves are pro- 
 duced regularly on the fides of the young twigs, 
 at the extremity of which, the flowers and con- 
 fequently the cloves hang in clufters. This is 
 a fuccinct, but it is hoped an intelligible ac- 
 count of this fpice, fo far as regards our pur- 
 pofe, thofe who would be more minutely in- 
 formed, may have recourfe to Botanical writers, 
 and particularly to a work lately publifhed in 
 Holland^ where they may meet with every thing 
 they can defire, and be from thence more effec- 
 tually convinced, that what has been already 
 alferted, is ilridiy agreeable to truth. 
 
 The clove like the nutmeg-trees^ are planted 
 in fmall clofes, and there cultivated with z\\ 
 polfible care and attention. The foil and ex-r 
 pofuion are chofcn with great (kill, and all the 
 ground is kept continually clear of vv^eds, plants, 
 and bufhes. Some old writers tell us, that this 
 plant is of io very hot a nature, as to fuffer no- 
 thing to rife under it, but the real fa(5t is, as we 
 have ftated it. There is no other vegetable fuf- 
 fered to grow in the clofes deftined for the 
 cloves, becaufe this would deprive them of 
 their nutriment, and diminifh the ftrength and 
 perfection of the fpice, which though it derives 
 its form and texturt: from nature, owes much of 
 its delicate fragrance and flavour, as all other 
 fpices do, to cultivation and art j and to that 
 
 aflTidjJous 
 
[ I40 ] 
 
 alTiduous attention, that is employed in the 
 planting, preferving, gathering, and curing 
 them, without which they would not either have 
 gained or maintained that degree of excellence, 
 which has now fubfifted for ages. 
 
 The harveft of the cloves^ according to the 
 forwardnefs or backwardnefs of the feafon, is in 
 the middle of the month of O£ioher^ through 
 the whole of JSJcvemher^ and even to the middle 
 of December, The common notion that they 
 are fhaken down from the tree, is abfolutejy 
 falfe, and they are on the contrary gathered 
 with much attention and precaution. They 
 climb up the tree, and collect with their hands 
 the bunches, as far as they are within reach, 
 and lay them in bafkets. In order to come at 
 the reft, they ufe long canes with a little hook 
 at the end, with which they beat down the 
 clufters, but with all pofTible tendernefs, that 
 they may avoid breaking the extremity of the 
 twigs, by which the tree would be much injured. 
 When the cloves are thus colledled in bafkets, 
 they are dried with the fame caution that is ufed 
 in regard to nutmegs, and after they are thus 
 cured, they are like the nutmegs carefully forted. 
 Such as are quite green, and fuch as are come 
 to their full crimfon colour are rejeded, for 
 both ^vould fpoil in their paflage. Thofe, and 
 only thofe that are in proper order, are packed 
 with the greateft care, and carried to the com- 
 pany's magazines, till fuch time as they are 
 cither fold, or embi'.rked for Batavia, Every 
 
 method 
 
[ HI ] 
 
 method polTihle is devifed and praflifed, to 
 prevent private or fraudulent trade, for which 
 their profecutions are as ftri(fl, as their penalties 
 are fevere -, and yet there are cafes in which both 
 prove ineffeflual. The natives fooietimes find 
 ways and means to convey them into the neigh- 
 bouring iflands, where though with great fecrecy, 
 they are fold to other European traders. Nei- 
 ther is it without example, that fome of the 
 company's fervants have adventured, dangerous 
 as it is, upon this illicit traffic, the amount of 
 which after all, is not very confiderable. 
 
 The harveft is annual, notwithflanding that 
 fome writers tell us, it happens but once in eight 
 years. They are fometimes very plentiful, and 
 at others very fparing, according as the mon- 
 foon fets in wet or dry. In the bed years, they 
 may produce about two thoufand bahars, which 
 is about five hundred ^u^ fifty ton. In a very 
 bad year, not half fo much, but as the maga- 
 zines are always kept well fupplied, there comes 
 ufually the fame quantity to the Europe mar- 
 ket, where at the Dutch fales, and indeed over 
 all India^ the price of fpice very rarely alters. 
 The clove retains its vigour, longer than either 
 the cinnamon or the 72utmeg^ for it continues to 
 bear plentifully, in a good feafon, for fifty or 
 fixty years, and in the Moluccas they did not 
 reckon a tree old, in lefs than a hundred. The 
 number of bearing trees, in all the clofes, are 
 computed at two hundred and fifty tkcufund^ ex- 
 clusive of the young plants, that are intended 
 
 ♦ to 
 
[ H2 ] 
 
 to replace th€ old trees when they arc become 
 paft bearing. 
 
 This point has been dwelt upon, becaufe of 
 its extraordinary importance, though it is not 
 entirely new, for the thought of raifing the 
 fpices of the Eaft in ihtlVeJi- Indies^ occurred 
 as has been already hinted to us and to the French 
 long ago, though it never was attempted, or 
 indeed could be attempted with fo fair a pro- 
 fpe<5l of fuccefs, as in this ifland. But it muft 
 not be dififembled, that fair and flattering as the 
 appearance may be, the projeft lies open to 
 fome plaufible objections -, the moft material of 
 which, we will ftate fairly, and then endeavour 
 to anfwer them fully and freely. This we ra- 
 ther incline to do, that it may appear this pro- 
 pofal has been duly weighed and maturely exa- 
 mined, before it was offered to the infpedion 
 of the public, and this purely for its own ad^ 
 vantage ; and that the profits of our new acqui- 
 fitions, may be rendered not only advantageous, 
 but as fpeedily advantageous, and advantageous 
 in as many different methods, as it is poJible. 
 For we cannot contrive too many, or too fud- 
 dei means of rcimburfing, more efpecially by 
 the help of our new plantations, that large ex- 
 pence of treafure, which the nation has been at 
 in fupport of the old, for this is the beft way 
 of juftifying that meafure, as well as of prevent- 
 ing the neceflity of our being put to the like ex- 
 pences again. 
 
 The 
 
[ H3l 
 
 The firfl: obje6lion is, that though Tabago lie 
 farther fouth^ or rather nearer to the Line than any 
 of our (/lands, yet it does not lie fo far fouth, or 
 fo near the I^ine, as any of the countries that pro^ 
 duce any of thefe fpices. At firft fight this mud 
 be allowed to carry a great flitv/ of reafon, but 
 when ft|j(5lly and candidly examined, it will noc 
 appear very formidable. In the firfl place, this 
 aifertion takes for granted more than we know, 
 or at lead more than we know with any cer- 
 tainty •, for though the objeclion be truly dated, 
 with refpetfl to the places from whence mofbof 
 the fpices are known to come, yet, who will 
 venture to affirm, that they do not grow in any 
 part of the Eafly above ten degrees from the 
 Line ? But even fuppofing this true, with re- 
 fpedt to the Eafi Indies^ it is contrary to fad, 
 with regard to the TVefl^ fince cinnamon and 
 nutmegs have been found in Tabago \ and, ac- 
 cording to the French tradition in Guadaloupe. 
 If this weaken the objedion, it will be ftill 
 much more weakened, if we confider what has 
 been already proved from the evidence of fads, 
 that the principal qualities of fpices, are not fo 
 much owing to climate and foil, as they are to 
 care and cultivation. We have two of the three 
 fpices adually in Tabago, fo that if the expref- 
 fion may be allowed, nature has done her part, 
 jfhe has done all that fhe ever does, fhe has 
 brought forth the children, and now calls upoa 
 art and indujiry to afford them, if we may fo 
 fpeak, a proper edtication, Jn order to encou- 
 
[ 144 ] 
 
 rage us to undertake it •, let us confidcr, that 
 gingery ftigoTy indigo^ and many other things 
 might be mentioned, which are now common 
 to htb of the IfidleSy chiefly thro' the care and 
 pains that have been beflowed upon them ; and, 
 therefore, if the fame means are employed, 
 why may not the fame effecfls follow, with re- 
 Ipedt to fpiee J F If this objeflion had any real 
 weight, it had flopped oar attempts long ago, 
 but if experience in fome cafes fhews us, that 
 k has really no weight at all, why fhould we 
 conclude in its favour againft others ? If inter- 
 cft: was ftrong enough to get the better of in- 
 dolence and prejudice in refpecSl to thofe com- 
 modities, why fhould not a fuperior interefl 
 induce us to make flill greater efforts, in refpedt 
 to commodities of flill greater'value ? 
 
 The fecond great objedlion is, that ibis pr&' 
 fefition grafps too much ; that nature, or rather 
 providence has diffufed its blefTings through dif- 
 ferent climates and countries ; that particularly in 
 regard /.? fpices, cikn amoi^ Jlourijhes in Ceylon, 
 CLOVES in the Moluccas, nutmegs in the Iflss 
 cj Band a ; and that poffibly experience may teach 
 uSi that it is beyond the power, and confequently 
 not to he reached by the contrivance of men to 
 alter her laws, and to monopolize her benefits. 
 This like the former, afTumes what fhould have 
 been firfl inconteftibly proved ; and takes for 
 its foundation, a fuppofnion inflead of a fadt. 
 For though it be true, that cinnamon, nutmegs, 
 and cloves, are, and always have been, brought 
 
 to 
 
[ H5 J 
 
 to US from different places, yet there is no 
 ground to conclude from thence, that this pro- 
 ceeds from a law of nature ; or that providence 
 never defigned they fhould be produced any 
 where elie. If we may give credit to authors 
 of great authority, and even to fome who have 
 beerveye-witnefles ; all thefe three kinds of fpices, 
 are actually to be found growing in the iQand of 
 Borneo. Two of them, are fa'id to be produced 
 in the higheft perfedlion, in the iOand of Min- 
 danaoy which is one of the P/3/7///)/^;e'j-. Bcfides, 
 though cloves grow naturally in the Moluca 
 Mands^ and were firft brought from thence into 
 Europe by the Portuguefe^ which produced the 
 difcoveryof the new courle to the Eaft-IndieSy 
 by the (Ireights of Magellan^ from \\\t defire 
 which the Spaniards had, to fhare in that ricli 
 trade ; yet, fince the Dutch have difpoiTefTed 
 both thofe nations, they have found it for their 
 intereft, without refpedting this fuppofed law 
 of nature, not only to remove them, but to 
 extirpate them from thofe iflands, and have 
 planted them in Amhoyna^ where they grow per- 
 fectly well, and where probably they never had 
 grown, if not carried thither in this manner. 
 Upon the fame principle, they refirained the nut- 
 megs which grew in all the fix rflands of Banda^ 
 to three ; and which is ftill more to the purpofe, 
 they began more than forty years ago, and per- 
 haps have by this time compleated, the remov- 
 ing the nutmegs into Araboyna. It is indeed 
 true, that they did not fucceed at firft in this 
 L attempt. 
 
[ H6 3 
 
 attempt j upon which it was furmizcd, that the 
 fame foil might not be proper for both kinds of 
 fpices. However, KhtButcb fpirit of perfeverance 
 was not to be moved by this fuggeftion. They 
 judged there might be other caufes for this 
 mifcarriage -, which having traced out and re- 
 moved, nutmegs and cloves have been ever 
 fmce cultivated with the like eafe, and with the 
 like fuccefs in Amboyna, As they were, and 
 flill are, entirely m afters of the cinnamon trade 
 in Ceylon^ and could have no rational profpedt 
 of being as much mafters of it, if they had at- 
 tempted the cultivation of that fpice any where 
 elfe, they have very prudently kft it where 
 it was. Thus by a brief difcufTion of this ob- 
 ie6tion, the reader has before him, new, ftronger, 
 and more conclufive reafons than were offered 
 before, in favour of our attempting to melio- 
 rate the two kinds of fpices that are there al- 
 ready, and to introduce the third into our ifland 
 of ^ ah ago. 
 
 A third objedion is, thai even fiippofivg this 
 fchems practicable, it feems to be too extenfive for 
 the fmall ijland of Tabago •, and therefore more 
 perhafs might pcffihly ke obtained^ by aiming at 
 lefs. In anfwer to this^ we muft obferve, that 
 if the firft and general pofition be right, that the 
 excellence of all kinds of fpices depends chiefly 
 upon cultivation, in a proper foil and climate ; 
 it v/ill then follow, that fmall as the ifland of 
 T.'^jba'^c is, there v;ill be found in it much more 
 land, than is -fuffi-cient to. anfwer all the pur- 
 
 pofeSj 
 
f H7 1 
 
 pofcs that we have mentioned. It is indeed 
 true, that the ifland of Amboyna is larger than 
 that o^Tabago^ but then it is a very frnail part 
 only of that ifland, which is occupied by the 
 parks for cloves and nutmegs ; and befides the 
 Dutch inhabitants, there are fifty or fixty thou- 
 fand of the natives, who are fuhjcd: indeed to 
 them, but who draw their fubfiftence from other 
 produclions of the earth and fea, and not from 
 the fpices. This in a fmaller degree rr.ight be 
 the cafe in 1^ahago\ for though, without doubr, 
 there might be confiderable tracts therein, which 
 in point of foil and expofition, may be fit for 
 cinnamon and cloves, yet there may be other, 
 and thofe too much larger trads, unfit for that 
 purpofe •, and which confequently may be ap- 
 plied to cotton, cacao, fugar, or other commo- 
 dities, which we are equally certain may be 
 raifed therein, and which may turn to a very 
 confiderable, though pofilbly the quantity of 
 ground and number of hands confidered, not to 
 fo large an amount. In refpecfl to cloves, if 
 the ifland of hittle T^ahago^ either derives from 
 nature, or can by induftry and art be furniflied 
 with a foil, fit to produce them ; there is much 
 more room even in that fmall place, than the 
 Dutch employ for that purpofe, including the 
 habitations of the flaves, that are deftined to 
 their cultivation j the number of which by the 
 way, is under three thoufand, and it muft be a 
 long time with all our care, before we ftiall 
 have need of fo many. But the principal rea- 
 L. 2 fon 
 
[ 148 ] 
 
 fon of propounding fo exrenfive a fcheme rs^ 
 that the lime, the pains, and the expence, that 
 would be required to make the experiment with 
 regard to any one fpice, will be very little in- 
 Greafed, by attempting them all •, and then, if 
 the former objection fliould be really found to 
 have any weight, we fhali be able to difcover 
 which of thefe fpices may be cultivated to a 
 high degree of perfection there,, and perhaps 
 this can be difcovered no other way. Add to 
 this, that Tabago is as large as any of the iflands 
 till now in our pofiefTion, Jamacia only except- 
 ed ; and yet in every one of thefe iflands, wc 
 raife feveral differeat produclions, without any 
 inconvenience, and thofe who are the bed judges, 
 have thought, that even in them, there is ftill 
 room for introducing more. 
 
 In this, if in any of our iflands, a free port 
 may be opened,, with as many apparent advan- 
 tages, and perhaps with fewer inconveniences 
 than any where elfe. For here there is great 
 choice of ports on both fides the ifland, fome, 
 that are by nature very fccure, and others that 
 may be made fo> at a very fmall expence. The 
 fertility of the ifland alfo is fuch, as that with 
 benefit inftead of prejudice to themfelves, the 
 inhabitants will always have it in their power,, 
 to relieve the wants of thofe on board fhips, 
 reforting thither for a fupply of frcfh pro- 
 vifions. Here, in one or more Settlements, 
 fpacious magazines might be erefled, for the 
 reception of Eajl-India^ European y and North- 
 America 
 
[ H9 ] 
 j^merica commodiiks ', all of which would not 
 fail of finding a vent, and thereby producing 
 an advantageous circulation of commerce and 
 of money. The fituation of this iiland is ano- 
 ther great advantage, whether we confider its 
 nearnefs to the Spaniflj main, or its convenient 
 didance from fome other iQands, both of which 
 ought to be regarded, in the choice of a free 
 port. It might be aUb peculiarly advantageous* 
 upon the firtt fettling of the ifland, as by the 
 hopes of immediate profit, it migiit attrad peo- 
 ple, create an inftantaneous intercourfe, and 
 thereby a lucrative commerce with different 
 parts of the world, which mud otherwife prove 
 a work of tim.e. It might alfo open to us a 
 correfpondence v^ith the free Indians^ who live 
 upon the continent, wlio would be glad of hav- 
 ing accefs to a country fo near them, to which 
 they might go, and from which they might re- 
 turn at pleafure, without danger to their liber- 
 ty. On the other hand our people would be 
 attentive enough to their own interefl ; and tho* 
 at firft they might find it expedient to make 
 them prefcnts of fuch things as they favv moft 
 pleafing to them, yet in a little time they would 
 make them fenfible, that in order to obtain a 
 continuance of fuch fupplies they mufl be con- 
 tent to render themfelves ufeful in return, either 
 by finding*goods to barter, or by undertaking 
 themfelves fome eafy kind of labour, which 
 proportions, if made with addrefs, and profe- 
 puted with humanity and juftice, v/ouJd not 
 L 3 fail 
 
r 150 ] 
 
 fail of m:^king an impreffion upon them in 
 time •, and thereby open the means of having 
 at lead feme kind of cukivation carried on 
 there by freemen, which would be an acquifi* 
 lion of people, as well as of country. An ac- 
 quifition not at ail the more impradlicable. be- 
 caufe that hitherto it has never been made. 
 Our planters when they firfl: went to the JVeJl- 
 Indies^ had as little idea of Negro fiaves, as they 
 hcive now of Indians, In time they may profit 
 as much by the one as by the other. 
 
 This point has been very cautioufly fpoken 
 to, bt caufe Tome not without reafon have doubt- 
 ed, whether it might be expedient for us to 
 follow the example of our neighbours in the 
 opening as they have done free ports in Ame- 
 rica, It is indeed certain, that the Butch are 
 very great gainers by thofe of Euftatia and 
 C-.racao. Bur there is undoubtedly a very great 
 difftunce between the maxims of their policy 
 and ours ; and therefore there is no drawing 
 any conlequcnce from the fuccefs they have 
 met with, to juftify our taking the fame mea- 
 fure. The Dutch are gainers by their com- 
 merce, we by our plantations. They thrive by 
 the labour of other nations, we are become 
 rich and potent, by the indudry of our own. 
 In a word, the commerce of their iflands has 
 promoted their colonies, whereas the produce 
 of our colonies, has been the great fupport of 
 their commerce. But pofTibly it we fliould fuc- 
 ceed in raif^ng fpices, and make other improve- 
 ments 
 
[ 15' ] . 
 
 ments in this idand, hrtherto unintroduced into 
 any other -, the trade of a free port therein may 
 become very beneficial to its Inhabirar.ts, with- 
 out any detriment to the mother country. On 
 the contrary great cargoes exported from hence, 
 may be difpofed of there, and produce fui table 
 returns. At all events, a free port in this idand 
 might be eafiiy put, and as eafily kept, under 
 proper regulations, by which the experiment, 
 which is of very great importance, might be 
 effe(5lually made. If when it is made, the in- 
 conveniences fhould be found to out- weigh the 
 advantages, or any unforefeen mifchief iliould 
 from thence arife, either to the trade of the 
 other colonies, or that of Great Britain -, fuch 
 a port might be with facility fuppreded. 
 
 We are nov/ come to the two laft iflands, the 
 value and importance of which we undertook to 
 difcufs, viz. St. Lucia and Gramida with its 
 dependancies *, the former of thefe being left to 
 France by the late definitive treaty, by which 
 alfo the latter is ceded to us. The firft of thefe 
 is called by th^ Spaniards^ whodifcovered it and 
 impofed this name, ScVJta Luzia -, by the French 
 ufually ftiled Aloufie \ and by us <S/. Lucia, It 
 is fituated, twenty-four leagues weft north weft 
 from Barbadoes -, eight leagues fouih from Mar- 
 tinico *, fomething more then feven leagues, 
 north by eaft from St. Vincent \ twenty-fevea 
 leagues, fouth from Dominica ; feventy leagues, 
 fouth eaft from St. Cbrijlopbsrs •, forty-five, 
 north weft from Tabago^ and about thirty -five, 
 L 4 north 
 
[ I50 
 
 north eafl: from Granada, 7 he reader fees thus, 
 in one view, how it is difpofed, as well with 
 refpedl to our own as to the French iQands, up- 
 on which its importance is jufily fuppofed to 
 depend. 
 
 According to the befb accounts we have, and 
 particularly that of Captain Wrings who was very 
 attentive in iiis examination of this country, it 
 is twenty-two Englijh miles in length, eleven in 
 breadtl), and fomewhat more than twenty 
 leagues in circumference. It appears, there- 
 fore, to be in point of fize, fomewhat larger 
 than our ifiand of Sl Vincent \ but is inferior 
 in that refpedl to Dominica and to Granada, In 
 regard to climate, there is fome variation, in 
 the fentiments of thofe authors who have men- 
 tioned it. There are French writers, who fayj 
 that the heat being tem.pered by the breeze 
 from the Tea, renders it equally whoJefome and 
 pleafant •, but there are others, who aflert that 
 it is lultry and moid, which renders it far from 
 being healthy. Captain Urmg^ who landed 4 
 confiderable number of men here, agrees with 
 the former^ and commends it highly \ but then 
 even he alfoacknowledges^ that in a fortnight's 
 time, his people grew fo weak and fickly, as 
 to put it abfolutcly out of his power to defend 
 himfelf againlt tht French,, even if they had not 
 invaded x\\c ifiand, as they did, with great fu- 
 periority of numbers, it is alfo owned by him, 
 as well as by all the French \yriters, that it is as 
 mucb^ or more infeftcd with venomous ferpents 
 
[ '53 1 
 
 than Martinlco^ and it may not be improper 
 to remark, that except in thefe two iflands, and 
 in that of Bekia^ which now belongs to us, there 
 are none of thefe dangerous reptiles, for the 
 fnakes, though long and large in feveral of the 
 other iflands, are by no means dangerous. 
 
 The appearance ^of this iOand is rugged and 
 mountainous, towards the fouth-vveft extremity, 
 there are two high fugar-loaf hills, called by the 
 French^ Les Pitons de Aloiifie^ by which the 
 ifland is eafily known. They are very fteep, 
 and the air on their fummits is faid to be very 
 cold. There runs alfo a long range of moun- 
 tains, fome of which are of a great height, 
 along the windward fide of the iQand ; but at 
 the bottom of thefe, there is a fine plain, near 
 fifteen miles long, and between two and three 
 broad •, the foil of which is very rich and fruits 
 ful. There are befides thofc already mentioned, 
 feveral other mountains, with pleafant vallies 
 between them. The foil in general, is much 
 of the fame nature, and held to be very little, 
 if at all, inferior to that oiMartinko ; fo that 
 there is no doubt if it was equally cultivated, 
 it would yield extraordinary profit, more efpe- 
 cially, when the country is effedually cleared, 
 which, a few fpots excepted near the fea coalV, 
 is at prefent over- grown with wood. The 
 French have a tradition, which however is ge- 
 nerally believed, that there is a very rich filvcr 
 mine upon this ifland, which fome even of the 
 iphabitants of our ifles think has a foundation 
 
 ia 
 
[ 154 ] 
 
 in truth, and ethers apprehend to have been 
 thrown out on political motives. 
 
 There are very few idancis in America^ bet- 
 ter watered in all refpeds than this. Many 
 rivulets run from the mountains into the fca on 
 both fides, and in all of them, there is plenty 
 of different kinds of nfh. It is true, that fome 
 of thefe rivulets, and the fame might be aliedg^ 
 ed of thofe in other iflands, may be rather ftiled 
 torrents *, becaule, though at fome feafons, they 
 are rapid and full of water; yet in the heat of 
 fummcr they are frequently dried up, which is 
 however fas we have obferved) an inconve- 
 nience not at all p; culiar to 6"/. Lucia. There 
 are others that take a ferpentine courfe through 
 the meadows, and render them very luxurious. 
 S|. rings oi trt ("h water are common almoft every 
 where, and towards the north-weft end of the 
 ifland, there is a large pond or fmali lake. In fome 
 of the vallics, the country is marfliy •, bur, if 
 once tuUy inhabited, thefe might be eafily drain- 
 ed, which would add to the falubrity of the air^ 
 
 The produce of this ifland in its prefent con- 
 dition, is chiefly tmiber oi all forib, in vaft plen- 
 ty, and in great perfection. There are fikewife 
 all kinds of ground provifions, raifed wherever 
 there are people. The country likewife abounds 
 with wild hogs, with fowl of all kinds, tame as 
 well as wild \ a vaft variety of different forts of 
 fifli, and of thefe alfo there are furprizing quanti- 
 ties taken upon the coaft". The French many years 
 ago reforted thither chieily on that account \ they 
 
 then 
 
[ 155 3 
 
 then fell to cutting of timber, for the ufe of 
 the inhabitants of Martinico\ after this they 
 began to build boats, barks, and at length fhips, 
 inviting and encouraging Englijh and Dutch car- 
 penters to come thither for that purpofe ; for 
 in thofe times there were no regular fcttkrs, but 
 the French from Martinico^ fent hither occa- 
 fionally fuch fort of people as were troublefome 
 in that colony, and unwilling to bear the re- 
 llraint of laws. Thefe when they had finiflied 
 the work for which they came, returned again, 
 and only a few Indians and free Negroes^ with 
 fuch criminals and bankrupts as were defirous 
 of keeping out of the reach of juftice, continu- 
 ed thereon. But by degrees a better fort of peo- 
 ple chofe to try their fortunes there, began to 
 clear confiderable fpots of ground, on which they 
 gradually raifed very profitable plantations. The 
 chief commodities they raifed, were cacao, cot- 
 ton, and indigo, in which they were very fuc- 
 cefsful. This naturally increafed their numbers, 
 and the trade between St. Lucia and Martinicoy 
 has been for many years, though now and then 
 interrupted, of very great value, though they 
 fludied to conceal it as much as poffible, for 
 realons that will hereafter appear. 
 
 We come nov/ to treat of the hiftory of this 
 ifland, as we have done of the reft, and to fay 
 the truth, it is more intercfting than any of them. 
 It was difcovered by the Admiral Columbus^ on 
 the 13th o{ December^ which is the feaft-day of 
 this Saint in the Roman Calendar, from whom 
 
 on 
 
[156] 
 
 on that account it received her name, but it 
 does not appear that the Spaniards ever thought 
 it farther worth their notice ; but on the con- 
 trary left it as they found it, in the hands of the 
 Indians, It was vifited by the Earl of Cumber- 
 landy m 1593 ; and when this nation was very 
 intent in fettling colonies in Guiana^ a (hip dif- 
 patched thither, by Sir Olyff Leigh ^ debarked 
 through want of provifions. Captain Nicholas 
 Sl Jobn^ and fixty-fix other perfons upon this 
 iOandj where they happened to touch, with a view 
 to their fettlement upon it. They were at firft 
 well received and kindly treated by the natives, 
 who were then very numerous •, and on the other 
 hand, they v/ere very defirous of conciliating 
 their friendfliip, as they found them pofreifed 
 of great quantities of valuable goods, v/hich 
 they had taken out of a Spanijh wreck, and 
 which they bought of them, for knives, hat- 
 chets, and other things of fmall value. It was 
 not long, however, before the Indians trea-- 
 cheroufly endeavoured to furprize them, and 
 by their great fuperioriry in numbers, deilroyed 
 the greateft part of them, and the reft efcaped 
 with great djfHcuky, and even of thefe feme 
 few only returned to England. This gave a 
 fufEcient knowledge of the iQand, and very 
 prubdbly induced a defire of fettling it, as we 
 had undoubtedly a right to chaflize thofe In- 
 dians, who uninjured and unprovoked had 
 treated oiir countrymen with fo much injuftice 
 and barbarity. 
 
 This 
 
[ 157 1 
 
 This inclination clearly appears, by Sir 
 Thomas fVanier^s fending hither, fo early as the 
 year 1626, a Imall number of people, under 
 the direflion of one Mr. Judge^ who was the 
 firO: Englijb governor in St, Lucia, Upon his 
 takins; Dofleillon of ir, we find this ifle was in- 
 
 Ox ' 
 
 ferted, among the other iCands, in the Eari of 
 Carlifie^s patent, under whofe authority, various 
 grants were made, and feveral fupplies of peo- 
 ple were fent, not only from the idand of Bar* 
 hadoes^ but alfo from the Bermudas Jjlands. 
 There is however no need of infifting paiticu*- 
 iarly on thefe points, fince the French wTiters 
 themfclvcs admit, that we were fully and folely 
 mailers therein, in the year 16^9, At this 
 time, an unhappy quarrel arofe with ihtlndicins, 
 v/ho were then very numerous in BomiJiica^ and 
 who it feems were cunning as well as ftrong 
 enough to furprize the Engliflj inhabitants in St, 
 Lucia, and to maffacre tihem as they did with- 
 out mercy. There was, however, a fufpicion 
 in our people, that the Indians were incited to, 
 if not alTifted in this acl, by Mr. Parquet the 
 French governor of Mariimque^ from which 
 imputation however he jullified himfei^, not by 
 a bare denial of the fad, but by a pofitive af- 
 fertion, that he gave them timely notice of it, 
 and advifcd them to be upon their guard. 
 However this matter might be, the French found 
 their title, upon our abandoning the ifland at 
 this time, and on this pretence, tor it certainly 
 merits no better name, Mr, Parquet lent over 
 
 a fmall 
 
[ 158 1 
 
 a fmall detachment of men to take pofTefTion of 
 it, as they atlually did, and built a ftrong 
 houfe or fort for their own fecurity ; and at the 
 fame time by the advice of Mr. Parquet y who 
 acquired this ifle from the French company, as 
 his property, and for its fecurity, entered into 
 very clofe engagements with the Indians^ to 
 whom he plainly flood indebted for the oppor- 
 tunity of coming into pofTefilon of this ifland. 
 
 The name ot this French governor, thus fent 
 by Mr. Parquet^ was the Sieur de Roujfelan \ and 
 the reafon which determined that fhrewd man to 
 make choice of him, was that he had married 
 an Indian woman, which made him very accep- 
 table to the favages, with whom he lived with 
 great familiarity, but however from his perfed: 
 knowledge of them with due caution. In 1 643, 
 our people made a defcent upon the ifland, in 
 order to recover their right, but unfortunately 
 without tffect. The two next French governors, 
 by trufting them too much, were deflroy- 
 ed by the Savages •, againfl: the fourth the colony 
 rebelled, and in the time of Mr. de Aigremont^ 
 in the year 1657, we made another attempt, 
 in which we had again the misfortune to mif- 
 carry. Father Lahat taking no notice of the 
 former, triumphs upon this, and tells us that 
 ive were a little of the latefl, in letting flip al- 
 mofl: twenty years before we renewed our claim; 
 and adds, that during that fpace, we had taken 
 no precaution to juftify our right in £«r^/>^; 
 without ever reflecting, that during this period, 
 
 there 
 
[ 159 1 
 
 there was no fettled or legal government in 
 England, which was the true fonrce of this, as 
 well as it alfo was of many other misfortunes. 
 
 King Charles 11. after the reftoration, having 
 appointed Francis^ Lord Willoughby of Parbam^ 
 governor of Barbadoes and the Leeward IJlands^ 
 with inilrudlions to vindicate the rights of the 
 crown of G'reat Britain in refpefbto its poiTef- 
 fions in thofe parts ; that noble Peer in i66^, 
 wifely came to an agreement with the hdians, 
 and procured from them an authentic ceSlon of 
 their rights to this iOand ; upon which he fent 
 over the next year, colonei Carew with a coni^ 
 pleat regiment, accompanied by a body of In- 
 dians^ who gave him upon the fpot, and in the 
 fight of the French^ pofTelTion of ^t, Lutia^ 
 which he occupied and governed by a comniif- 
 fion from Lord Willoughby^ afcer fending the 
 greateft part of the French home to Martivico, 
 The next year, there was a farther reinforce- 
 ment fent, and one Mr. Cook was appointed 
 lieutenant governor, who expelled the remain- 
 der of the French and demoiilhed their forr. 
 The French writers obferve truly, that this 
 was done in a time ot full peace •, and, there- 
 fore, if it had not been the retaking pofiefTion 
 of a country, to which we had an ancient and a 
 juil claim, this muft have been, and no doubt 
 would have been confidered, as an a(fl of holli- 
 lity, by Le'bvis XIV. and that it was not fo con- 
 fidered, is as clear a negative proof as can be 
 brought of the validity of our ciile. There is 
 
 no 
 
[ i6o ] 
 
 no mention made of this illand, in the treaty 
 o{ Breda^ becaufe then it was in our poiTeflion ; 
 though the colony might be weak and infigni- 
 ficant, but, if at this time the French had any 
 notions of their having a jufl: right, there is no 
 doubt, they would have afferted it, more efpe- 
 daily after what had happened. 
 
 It was henceforward always included in the 
 governor of Barbadoes* commiffion, and he was 
 inftrucled to maintain our right, to hinder the 
 French from fettling or trading thither, from 
 cutting wood, or from doing any other a6l, 
 that might impeach our fovereignty, which our 
 governors performed, fome with more, fome 
 with lefs punduality. Sir Edwyn Stede^ then 
 colonel Stede^ and lieutenant general of Barba- 
 does^ in the reign of King James II. fent captain 
 Temple thither, who removed all the French 
 that could be found, fent them to Mar t ink o^ 
 and fignified his proceedings to the count de 
 Blenac^ general of the French iOands, requiring 
 him not to fuffer any within his government, to 
 plant, fifh, hunt, or cut wood on that iQand, 
 without licence firft obtained from the governor 
 of Barbddoes, It is indeed true, that the French 
 ambaffador complained of this by a memorial, 
 which did not hinder captain Temple from being 
 fent thither again for the like purpofes, and an 
 EnghJIo frigare with a fleet from Barbadoes^ was 
 adually riding in one of the harbours of St, 
 Luaa^ when the treaty of neutrality was figned 
 at London \ of which treaty, as foon as colonel 
 
 Stcde 
 
I i6i J 
 
 SieJe had notice, he caufed it to be folemnly 
 proclaimed by his authority in Sl Lucia^ as iri 
 an ifland dependant upon his government. Af- 
 ter the revolution, and after the treaty o'i Ryfwic, 
 in June 1699, Colonel Gray, governor of Bar- 
 hadoes, aflcrted the right of the crown of Great 
 Britain, by fending away fome French who had 
 brought Negroes y and were actually beginning 
 to plant there. Things remained in this fitua- 
 tion, down to the treaty oiUtrecht, in which it 
 was certainly a great omiflion, that our right 
 to this, and the reft of the iflands was not fully 
 and clearly eftablifhed, as it eafily might have 
 been, but notwithflanding this negledt, that 
 right was noway injured, by the abfolute filence 
 of that treaty upon this fubjedt. 
 
 However the French becoming more and 
 more defirous, in confequence of their increafing 
 abilities^ to fettle this ifland, the Regent Duke 
 of O'rleans was prevailed upon in the month 
 of Auguji 1718, to make an abfolute grant of 
 this ifland to the Marlhal d'EJirees, I'eferving 
 only faith and homage to the crown of France ; 
 and which may, perhaps, give fome light into 
 at lead one principal motive of obtaining this 
 grant, the tenth of the clear profits of ainy mine 
 or mines, which fhould be wrought by th^ mar- 
 fhal or his aflignees. This awakened our court, 
 who thereupon expoftulated with that of Ver- 
 failles, in fuch terms, as induced the regent to 
 confenr, to the immediate evacuation of the 
 ifland j for which purpofe an order was fent to 
 M the 
 
C 162 ] 
 
 the Governor-General of the French idands, to 
 fee this evai:ualion punctually executed, and the 
 Marlhal i'EJlrks likewife furrendered his grant. 
 His late Majefty King George I. in 1722, made 
 a grant of this and the ifland of »S/. Fincenfy to 
 His late Grace of iWow/^^??, who, like a generous 
 and public fpiriced nobleman, made a large and 
 very expenfive armament in order to take poflef- 
 fion of thole iflands, and fent Captain Uring as 
 'his governor to St. Lucia. We have already 
 mentioned, that the French in the beginning of 
 the fucceeding year, obliged that gentleman by 
 a very fuperior force, to abandon that defign ; 
 and, if our defifling upon this occafion, from a 
 title which to be fure was well confidered before 
 that grant was made, was to fhew that we v/ere 
 as capable of condefcenfion as the French court 
 had been in the' cafe of Marfhal ^'Z/?r/^j ; it 
 rnuH: be allowed one of the befl: excufes that 
 could be made for fuch a proceeding, though 
 in reality it fliould feem that, when the thing 
 came to the point, it was not thought expedient 
 by either court, to hazard a war for the chance 
 of obtaining this iQand. 
 
 Things reftcd again in this indeterminate ftate, 
 for near feven years, when under colour of wood- 
 ing and watering, which was permitted on both 
 fides, the fubjedls of the two crowns, began 
 to fix themfelves in that ifland, without any of 
 their former animofity, and gradually entered 
 into an amicable correfpondence, which produ- 
 sed a fort of commerce, that gave umbrage to 
 
 the 
 
[ ^63 ] 
 
 the government in the French iilands, and upoa 
 compiaints made from thence to the court of 
 Verfailles^ reprcfentations in regard to that ilHcic 
 commerce, were made here. Thefe produced, 
 in 1730, an agreement between both courts, 
 to caufe that ifland to be cfftdlually evacuated 
 and abandoned both by the Englijh and the 
 French^ and this was faid to be carried into exe- 
 cution in 1733. Yet, if any credit be due to 
 the mod folemn affertions of the inhabitants of 
 our Leeward JJlands^ this evacuation, tho' real on 
 the part of the Engiijh^ was illufory only on the 
 fide of the French^ who fhut up their houfes in- 
 deed, and carried away their Negroes in obedience 
 to the French King's proclamation, but return- 
 ed to them again in the fpace of a few days, 
 and not only continued to occupy, but to ex - 
 tend them. This was not the cafe of our fub- 
 je6ls^ who had made fmall fettlements therej 
 for they fairly abandoned v^hat little fpots they 
 had fettled i and brought away their Negroes 
 and ftock. But in procefs of time, both they 
 and other planters revived their trade with the 
 French^ which induced the court of Verfailles 
 to follicit another- evacuation in 1740, when 
 Capt. Hawke (now Sir Edward) was fent by Mr. 
 Byng^ at that time his Majefty's govern'jr of 
 BarbadoeSy to fee it effectually performed on 
 both fides •, previous to this however, that pru- 
 dent as well as gallant officer, thought proper 
 to ereifl a poll:, and upon it to difplay the Bri- 
 tijh flag, that this might not be conftrued into 
 M 2 relinquifk* 
 
i i64 ] 
 
 rclinquiftiing our right to that iQand ; upoA 
 which the Sieur de Viellecourt, a French officer, 
 fet np a white flag with the Hke intention. The 
 war breaking out foon after, things remained 
 in this flate, till the conclufion of the peace o\ 
 ^iX'la-Chapelle, in O^oher 1748 ; in confe- 
 qnence of which, it was again ftipulated, that 
 both parties fhould evacuate ; which, however, 
 Was not better obferved by the French than be- 
 fore. In purfuance alfo of that treaty, the dif- 
 cuffing the rights of both crowns was com- 
 mitted to commiflaries, and the papers drawn 
 up by them are in the hands of the public. 
 By the late definitive treaty, our right is con- 
 fefled by the French^ fince they would not have 
 accepted from us, what they thought we had 
 no title to give 5 and thus after a conteft of 
 more tlian a century, the French are at laft by the 
 ceffion of our right left in pojfeffwn of this ifland. 
 It muft be allowed, that the Brit if j nation 
 had long entertained an earnefl defire of adding 
 St, Lucia to the reft of her polTeffions in the 
 TVefi-Indies^ for which feme juft, and many 
 plaufible reafons were given ; at the time more 
 efpecially, when the late Duke of Montagu ob- 
 tained his grant. It was then alledged, that 
 the iQand was wonderfully fertile, that it abound- 
 ed in timber, which was much v^anted in our 
 illands •, that it was excellently watered, had 
 many convenient bays, and at Icaft one very 
 fine port. The object then principally in view, 
 was the planting of cacao \ and it was aiTerted 
 
 that 
 
[ '65 3 
 
 that this iQand would produce enough of th^t 
 commodity to furnifli all Europe. But fincc 
 that period, when fugar bore but a low price ; 
 our planters were defirous of having it, in order 
 to introduce canes. All thefe confiderations 
 refpedted its value; but there were befides thefe 
 fome other, from which it was held to be of 
 dill greater importance. It was judged an ad- 
 vantageous thing, to interpofe one of our own, 
 between Barbadoes and the French iflands ; it 
 was thought from the known advantages of its 
 bays and ports to be very commodious for our 
 fquadrons, and it was believed that it might in 
 many refpeds, prove a great check upon the 
 French. It lay to the windward of Martinico^ 
 and fo near it, that nothing could be done there, 
 without our having immediate intelligence. De- 
 fcents upon that, and upon the reft of the French 
 iflands might have been faciliated thereby, and 
 all their naval operations muft have been embar- 
 rafifed at leaft, if not totally fruftrated, if we were 
 once mafters of that ifie. All thefe ideas, being 
 placed in the ftrongeft point of light, heightened 
 by the moft advantageous reprefentations, and 
 no-body undertaking, what indeed would have 
 been thought an invidious tafk, to call them to a 
 critical examination, a general opinion from 
 thence prevailed, that among xh^ Neutral iflands, 
 there was not one comparable to St. Lucia, 
 
 Some objedlions, however, have been fincc 
 
 darted, and thofe too of a nature, that may pof* 
 
 fibly render them worthy of our notice. We 
 
 M 3 now 
 
f 166 ] 
 
 now know from experience, .that the country 18 
 very far from being healthy. It is fo full of 
 venomous creatures of different fizes, that the 
 French fettled there, were never able to flir 
 abroad but in bjcots. It is not only very moun- 
 tainous, but evfn the flat country is full of mar- 
 fhes. It lies fo immediately within the view, 
 and under the power of the well-fettled colony 
 of MarUnico^ that without being at a great ex- 
 pence in fortifications, and keeping a conflant 
 military force there for its defence, we could 
 fcarce hope, that it would ever have been 
 thoroughly \tx.\Xtd., If even with the afT] (lance 
 of fortifications and a regular force, it had been 
 iettled, it might have been found impradicable 
 to fecure it, as there are fo many landing places 
 jn different parts of the ifland \ and as in cafe 
 of a war, this fmall fettlement would have been 
 immediately expofcd to the whole ftrength of 
 the French iflands, fo that the inhabitants might 
 have been ruined, before any afTiflance could 
 have been fent them ; and this, if the country 
 had been recovered, or even quitted by the ene- 
 my, would certainly havedifcouraged our peo- 
 ple from fettling it again. As the cafe now 
 ftands, the French are liable to all thefe incon- 
 veniences •, and whoever confiders the fituation 
 of this ifland, and of thofe belonging to its in 
 its neighbourhood, and refledls at the fame 
 time, on the fuperiority of our maritime force, 
 will fee, that in time of war, it muft be a very 
 precarious pofTefTion \ more efpecially, if fo 
 
 thoroughly 
 
[ 16; ] 
 
 •thoroughly fettled, as to make the conquefl of 
 it a matter of much confequence to us. 
 
 The French have had their prejudices and 
 prepoITeiTions alfo in favour of this ifland, and 
 that in a degree, perhaps fuperior to our own. 
 In the proportions for a peace, made by the 
 court o^ France, July 15, 1761, they propofed 
 that ail i\\tJoiir iflands Ihould flill remain neu- 
 ter, or that Dominica and Sl Vincent being left 
 to the Indians, Tab ago fliould be left in fove- 
 reignty to us, and St. Lucia to them ; referving 
 the right any other power might have. This 
 in effeci: was giving us nothing. They would 
 have kept St. Lucia abfolutely, have poifcfTed 
 themfelves gradually, as has been already ex- 
 plained of Dominica and St. Vincenty and have 
 fet up at a proper time, the claim of the crown 
 of Spain t;o the ifland of Jabago, In the defini- 
 tive propofitions made by Mr. Stanley^ an offer 
 was made, notwichftanding our being at that 
 time in poifefTion of the ifland of Domini ca^ to 
 divide the neutral iflands, and this was renewed 
 in the Ultimatum of the firft: of September , and 
 in the lafl memoir of the French^ dated on the 
 ninth of the the fame month ; this partition was 
 accepted, provided that the ifland of St, Lucia 
 was in that divifion', left to France^ and in this 
 flate things ftood, when the rupture happened 
 of that negotiation. The reafon the French 
 gave for infifting fo peremptorily upon having 
 this ifland, was that if they had it not, Martinico 
 could not be fecure. The French have a fea 
 M 4 phrafe. 
 
[ i68 ] 
 
 phrafe, Mettre fous boucle^ ou a la houck. By 
 this they mean, to put a perfon or a place into 
 fafe cuftody, or as they explain it in their own 
 language, Mettre^ ou^ Unir fous clef -^ ou^ en 
 frifon ; that is, to hold under lock and key, or 
 in prifon \ and in this fenfe they faid that St, 
 Lucia^ or as they call it, Alcufte was the houcle 
 of Martinique^ that is, the latter was Ihut in 
 and covered by the former. But very proba- 
 bly, they might have other reafons. They 
 certainly know the value of that ifland better 
 than we. They draw from it timber and pro- 
 vifions, for their other iflands; they have a 
 ftrong perfuafion that there is a rich filver mine 
 in it \ and it is not impofiible, that a great fa- 
 mily in France^ may at a proper time refume 
 their pretenfions V and in confequence of them, 
 may flatter themfelves with the hopes of draw- 
 ing a confiderable revenue, for concefiions or 
 grants of land, from thofe, who fhall fettle arid 
 cultivate that ifiand. 
 
 But fure they were ftrangely occupied with 
 the notion of St, Lucia^ not to difcern that we 
 poflefs in Dominica, much more than we could 
 poflibly have had, if we h; i kept St. Lucia, 
 For Dominica lies in the very middle of the 
 channel, between Martinico and Guadaloupe j to 
 windward of the laft of thefe iflands, and not 
 fo much to leeward of the former, but that 
 vefTels can eafily fetch the road of St. Petefy 
 which is its principal town and port from Demi- 
 pica. We have in that ifland alfo, to leeward 
 
 Prince 
 
{ i69 1 
 
 Prince Rupert^s bay, and to windward, the 
 Greai bay •, fo that having Barbadoes to the 
 windward of all, and Antigua to leeward of 
 Gnadaloupe^ it is impoffible in time of war, 
 that either trade or fupplies fhould get into 
 thofe French iflands, A great deal more might 
 be, with equal truth, faid upon this fubjed, but 
 what has been already faid is furely fufficient 
 to fhew, that to ufe the French phrafe, Dominica 
 is the boude^ not of Martinico only, but alfo of 
 Guadaloupe. We have before remarked, that 
 Dominica is an ifland of large extent, very fertile, 
 and of great natural llrengih ; and being once 
 efFedually fettled, which ought to be, and no 
 doubt will be our firft: care, may be defended 
 againfl any force whatever. Whereas St. Lucia 
 is fo accelTibie on every fide, that it muft of ne- 
 ceflity fall to a fuperior maritime force. It was 
 in this fenfe that we fuggefted, that the want of 
 ports, witli which Dominica is reproached, is, its 
 fituation in the mid ft of all the French illands 
 confidered, fo far from being a defect, that it 
 is in reality a convenience ; ior two ports may 
 be eafily fortified and defended ; whereas it 
 would be endlefs, to attempt the fecuring twen- 
 ty. It may however be furmized, that in the 
 prefent circumftances of things, we may have 
 a partiality in favour of an ifland, that is now 
 become ours. But this objedion we will re- 
 move, by producing an authority fuperior ta 
 Jufpicion or contradidipn. 
 
 Ic 
 
[ 170 ] 
 
 It is that of father Lahat^ who was not only a 
 very intelligent perfon, an inquifitive and (Iridt 
 obferver, and an eye-witnefs of all he wrote, 
 but alfo an engineer, and in that capacity relied 
 on, for fortifying feveral places in the French 
 iflands, in the firft year of the current century. 
 
 Thib ingenious perfon, after giving us an ac- 
 count of Z)(?;w>//V/J, which he very carefully exa- 
 mined j and according to the laudable cufhoni 
 of the French^ in refpedt to all places not in 
 their polTefTion, having done his utnioft to put 
 it in as low and depreciating a light as poITible ; 
 proceeds thus, *' Though after all, this is an, 
 *' ifle of very little importance •, the Englijbs 
 *' have notwithftanding made many attempts ta 
 *' eftablifli themfelves therein, founded upon 
 " certain pretenfions which the French have 
 *' always oppofed, not only becaufe they were 
 *' in themfelves void of any reafonable foun» 
 " dation, but the rather, becaufe if this ifland 
 *' fnould be once in their hands, it would fcrve 
 *' to cut off the communication between Marti- 
 *' nico and Guadalcupe^ in a time of war, and 
 *' reduce the inhabitants of both illes to the latl: 
 *' extremity." 
 
 In our laft negotiation with the French^ they 
 found themfcivts obliged to give up ail preten- 
 fions to the Fleutral iQands *, but retaining flill 
 an obftinate fondnefs for St. Lucia^ they had no 
 other way of obtaining it, but by giving us aa 
 equivalent. In doing this, both they and w^ 
 Gonfidered it might be rendered a fugar ifland, 
 
 that 
 
[ 171 ] 
 
 that it abounded with valuable timber, and 
 that it had good ports. To balance thefe ad- 
 vantages, they offered us the iflandof Granada^ 
 and all the iflands dependant upon it, v/hich 
 was accepted. The determining whether this 
 was in every one of thefe refpeds a full equi- 
 valent, for our ceding St, Lucia to them, is the 
 point that is to finiili our enquiry. 
 
 The large and noble ifland of Granada^ lies 
 fouth-wefl: from St, Vincent^ feventeen or eigh- 
 teen leagues •, fouth-weft from St. Lucia^ thirty 
 or thirty-five leagues j we(l-fouth weft from 
 Parbadoes^ fifty leagues ; fouth- fouth-weft from 
 Martinico^ fifty leagues •, fouth-fouth- weft from 
 Dommca, fomewhat more than fixty leagues ; 
 weft-north-weft from Tabago^ thirty-five, or ac- 
 cording to fome charts, forty leagues*, fouth 
 from St. Cbrtficpber^s, one hundred leagues; 
 and north from the Spamjb main, about thirty 
 leagues. 
 
 It lies in the latitude of eleven degrees 
 thirty minutes north, the fartheft to the 
 fouth of any of the Antilles, We are not able 
 to give its dimenfions with any degree of ex- 
 adnefs, as not only authors but maps difi^er 
 very much in regard thereto. We may how- 
 ever, without fear of erring much, afferc that it 
 is Upwards of thirty Englijh miles in length. 
 Be Lijleh map makes it near forty ; and fifteen 
 or fixteen in breadth, in. fome places, though 
 in others much lefs, and about twenty-five 
 leagues in circumference. It appears frona 
 ^ hence 
 
hence to be twice as big as Barbadoes^ larger 
 thditi St. Lucia ^ St, Vincent^ or ^abago\ and, 
 if we may take the words of fome French me- 
 jnoir writers, contains of cukivatable land, near 
 one third, of what is to be found in Marti- 
 nico, Thefe are circumftances of very great 
 confequence, and though we cannot at prefcnt 
 fpeak of them with precifion, yet it cannot be 
 long before we are properly and thoroughly in- 
 flrucfted upon this fubjedl, by thofe who have 
 it in their power to treat it in the mod authen- 
 tic manner. 
 
 The fituation of this ifland leaves us no room 
 to doubt, that the climate is very warm, which, 
 however, the French writers affure us, is very 
 much moderated by the regular returns of the 
 fea breeze, by which the air is rendered cool 
 and pleafant. We may from the fame autho- 
 rity aflert, that it is wholfome-, for though 
 ftrangers efpecially are ftill hable to what is 
 called the Granada fever, yet this is at prefent 
 far from being fo terrible as it formerly was •, 
 proves very rarely mortal, and as it chiefly pro- 
 ceeds from the humidity of the air, occafioned 
 by the thicknefs of the woods, it will very pro- 
 bably be entirely removed, whenever the coun- 
 try is brought into a thorough ftate of cultiva- 
 tion, and this we may with the more boldnefs 
 predict, as the fame thing has conftantly hap- 
 pened, in our own and in the French iflands. 
 Befides, the climate has fome, and thofe too 
 ▼ery peculiar advantages. The feafons as they 
 
 are 
 
[ 173 ] 
 
 are (tiled in the JVeJl-Indies^ are remarkably re- 
 gular, the Blaft is not hitherto known in this 
 ifland ; the inhabitants are not liable to many 
 difeafes, that are epidemic in Martinico and 
 Guadalotipe ; and, which is the happieft circum- 
 fiance of all, it Wts out of the track of the hur- 
 ricanes, which with refped to the fafety of the 
 fettlements on Ihore, and the fecurity of navi- 
 gation, is almoft an ineftimable benefit. 
 
 There are in Granada fome very high moun- 
 tains, but the number is fmall, and the emi- 
 nencies fcattered through it are in general ra- 
 ther hills, or as the French writers ftile them 
 morfjes, gentle in their afcenr, of no great height, 
 fertile, and very capable of cultivation. But ex- 
 clufive of thefe, there are on both fides the 
 ifland, large tracts of level ground, very fit for 
 improvement, the foil being almoft every 
 where, deep, rich, mellow, and fertile in the high- 
 eft degree, fo as to be equal in all refpeds, if 
 not fuperior to that of any of the iflands in the 
 IVeft- Indies^ if the concurrent teftimonies both 
 of French and Britijh planters may be relied up- 
 on. The former indeed have conftantly in their 
 applications to the French miniftry infifted, that 
 this m.ight be very eafily made one of the moft 
 valuable, though hitherto it has continued, for 
 reafons which in part at leaft will hereafter ap- 
 pear, the v/eakeft and the v/orft fettled of all 
 their colonies. This we find afiferted at the 
 very opening of the current century, in the me- 
 morials addrcfTed to the council of ftate, con- 
 firmed 
 
E 174] 
 
 firmed fome years afterwards by father Labati 
 and infilled upon with great vehemency, in re- 
 prefentations which perhaps never reached the 
 court, drawn up by very capable judges, the 
 very laft year that it continued to be a French 
 ifland. 
 
 It is perfedlly well watered by many ftreams 
 of different fizes, and running in different direc- 
 tions, flowing, as fome writers affirm, from a 
 large lake on the fummit of a high mountain, 
 fituated very near the center of the ifle. There 
 are alfo fmaller brooks, running from mod of 
 the hills, and very fine fprings almofl: every 
 where, at a fmall diftance from the fhore. All 
 thefe rivers abound with a great variety of ex^ 
 eel lent fifli, and are reforted to by multitudes of 
 water fowl. There are likewife in Gra?iada 
 feveral falt-ponds, which have alfo their ufes 
 and their value. But except that which has 
 been before-mentioned, and another of which 
 we (hall hereafter fpeak, there are no lakes or 
 (landing waters of any confiderable magnitude. 
 
 The great produce of this country, in its pre- 
 fent condition, is a prodigious variety of all the 
 different forts of timber that are to be met with 
 in any of the IVeJl- India iflands, and all thefe 
 excellent in their refpec^ive kinds •, fo that when- 
 ever this idand comiCs to be tolerably cleared, 
 vaft profits will arife from the timber that may 
 be cut down, and for which markets will not be 
 Wanting. There are likewife many rich fruits, 
 valuable gums, dying woods, and feveral ve- 
 
 getable 
 
[ ^7S] 
 
 getable prodiivfls, fuch as oils refins, balfoms, 
 ^^. which have always borne a very high price 
 here, though we feldom had them fo genuine, 
 as we now may from hence. All the dif'^ 
 terent kinds of ground provifions, which 
 are ib requiQce to the fubnftance of Wefi^ 
 India plantations, are here in great quanti- 
 ties, and Ibme kinds of grain ripen very kind- 
 ]y in this, which are either not raifed at all, 
 or are raifed with difficulty in other iQands. 
 River and fea fiHi in great abundance, and in 
 refpedt to the latter, turtle of thelargeft (ize and 
 lamentins, which drew vefTcls from the other 
 French iflands for the fake of fifhing. They 
 have great plenty of all forts of fowl, and pro- 
 digious quantities of game, ortolans, and a kind 
 of red partridges efpecially. Befides thefe, the 
 woods, are well furnifhed with many wild ani- 
 mals, that afford excellent food, and are very 
 rarely met with in the other iflands. They have 
 iikewife much cattle, and as their hills yield ex- 
 cellent pafture, if the country was better peo- 
 pled, might have many more ; fo that we need 
 not wonder, the French officers, who during 
 the war, remained feme time in this ifland, have 
 reprefented it in [o advantageous a light, and 
 com.mended the great plenty in which they lived 
 fo highly, more efpecially in comparifon of 
 fome other places. 
 
 But the diftinguifliing excellency of Granada 
 does not lie fimply in its great fertility, or in its 
 fi[nefs for a vail variety of valuable commodities ; 
 
 bur 
 
[ ^76 3 
 
 but in the peculiar quality of its foil, which gi^ei 
 a furprizlng and inconteftible perkdion to all its 
 feveral produdions. The fugar of Granada is 
 of a fine grain, and of ccurfe more valuable 
 than that either of Martinique or Guadalcupe, 
 The indigo, is the fineft in all the Weji- Indies. 
 While tobacco remained the flaple commodity,, 
 as once it was of thefe idands, one pound of 
 Granada tobacco was worth two or three that 
 grew in any of the refl:. The cacao and cotton 
 have an equal degree of preheminence j nor is 
 this founded fimply in the opinion of the French^ 
 but is equal iy known and allowed by the Eng- 
 lijh and Dutch •, and in regard to the lafl: mer> 
 tioned commodity, we may appeal to fome of 
 the merchants of this city, who are well ac- 
 quainted therewith, and upon whofe authority 
 therefore we may the more fafely rely. 
 
 It is a point of juftice to obferve, that if cre- 
 dit be due to the memorials oi French officers^ 
 who have vificed Granada^ true cinnamcn and 
 fome mtmcg-trees are found there, which, if 
 experience fhould verify, all that we have ad- 
 vanced in refpea to Tabago, may be as juflly 
 applied to Granada-, and the only reafon for in- 
 filling upon the fubjed there, was becaufe we 
 thought the fad better eftablifl-ied, from the 
 authority, of the Dutch, who of all nations are 
 the bed acquainted with fpices. In refpedl to 
 fituation, and thofe expofitions that are eflenti- 
 ally requifite to the proper culture of thefe va- 
 luable produds, the iQands are every way equal, 
 
 or. 
 

f ^17 ] 
 
 Or^ if upon making the experiment, Granada 
 jfhould be found preferable to Tabago^ which, 
 for a reafon that will be hereafter afLgned, may 
 very probably prove the cafe, it ought no doubt 
 to be preferred. 
 
 All the French writers agree, and thofe of 
 our nation that have vifited this iQand agree with 
 them, that there is in general good anchoring 
 ground, on all the coafts, and many commo- 
 dious creeks and bays, both on the eaft and weft 
 fide, which would be infinitely advantageous to 
 commerce^ if this country was fully peopled 
 and compleatly cultivated ; to which, they may 
 be confidered as a very powerful irxitement, as 
 iflands might be mentioned, where the want of 
 thefe conveniences, is no fmall drav.'back on the 
 induftry of the inhabitants. But befides thefe 
 fmall, there are alio two large ports of incom- 
 parable excellence, and which therefore deferve 
 particular notice. 
 
 The firft of thefe is the harbour of Calivemey 
 at the fouth-eaft extremity of the ifland, and is 
 fingularly fafe and fpacious. It connfts of an 
 outward, and an inward port. The former is 
 three-quarters of a mile broad at its entrance, 
 but widens as you advance, and becomes above 
 a mile in extent within. As to the entrance of 
 the interior port •, it is about a quarter of a mile 
 broad, but prefently expands itfelf on both 
 fides, fo as to be very capacious, and has about 
 feven fathom of water, with a foft muddy bot- 
 tom, from whence feamen will eafily judge of 
 N its 
 
E i/S ] 
 
 its utility. Ships lying here in the utmod fafe- 
 ty, may from ware-houfes on fhore take in 
 their lading very conveniently, and may then 
 with great eafe be hauled into the outer port, 
 which has this pecuUar advantage, that fhips 
 may either come into or go out of it with the 
 ordinary trade wind. This port, fuppofing 
 there was no other, in an ifland thus fituated, 
 and fo very capable of being improved, would, 
 to a trading nation like ours, render it a very 
 valuable acquifition. 
 
 But the worth of Granada mud be very high- 
 ly enhanced, when we confider the other harbour 
 which lies at the north-weft end of the idand, 
 and is called the CarenagCy the harbour of Port 
 Royal^ or the Old Port •, which has been always 
 efteemed one of the beft harbours in the Weft- 
 Indies, as pofie fling aim oft every advantage 
 that can be defired. It is a full quarter of a 
 mile broad at its entrance, and when once en- 
 tered> it is fo capacious, as to hold with eafe a 
 iquadron of twenty-five (hips of the line, where 
 they may ride in perfedl fafety, in refpe(n: either 
 to wind or weather. Befides, there lies, at a 
 very fmall diftance from this port, a lake of a 
 confiderable fize, very deep, the water brackifh, 
 and which by cutting through a fand-bank 
 might be very eafily joined to the port, and 
 would be then one of the fineft bafons in the 
 world, and afford all the conveniences, that 
 rould poITibly be wifhed, for careening the lar- 
 gcft fquadrons of the largeft ftiips that we ever 
 
 employ 
 
PZAX of FOUT HOYAL in tl..- Iflan.l o^ GBANAVA^\i\^ *<■ Harbour &-E 
 
 A . Fort Royal . 
 
 B . Kattcry upon Goat Point . 
 
 C The Town . 
 
 D. The Church 
 
 K Hofpital Hill Ic Enlrenchment 
 
 F. Redoubts. 
 
 G. MorneL, 
 H. Morne Mohere 
 I. Morne.S'Edoy, 
 K.. Entrenchments 
 
[ i75> ] 
 
 Employ in this part of the world. The mouth 
 of this port is fecurcd by a tolerable fortrefs^ 
 called Fort Royal^ where the governor refides, 
 but the fituation of it has been cenfured j and 
 indeed there is no doubt, that by the help of 
 two good fortifications, ereded on the promon- 
 tories which make the entrance of the harbour^ 
 it miffht be rendered inaccefTible, fince in cafe 
 of an attack (hips mud warp in, under the fire 
 of both fortrefTes, which would hardly be at* 
 tempted. The benefits that may be juftly ex- 
 pedted from fuch a port as this, in an ifiand fo 
 happily fituated as this is, and producing fuch ^ 
 variety of valuable commodities, are fo obvious, 
 that there is no need of entering into a detail of 
 them. In time of war it would give us inex- 
 preffible advantages, againft: the Spaniards a9 
 well as the French ; and, if it fhould ever hap- 
 pen, that by a multiplicity of fervices, our na«* 
 val forces fhould be fo divided, as to leave us 
 only an inferior fquadron in thefe parts, the 
 Carenage would afford us a fafe retreat, with- 
 out obliging our fhips to quit that ftarion. A 
 circumftance certainly very worthy of being re- 
 garded i and of which, the French availed thsm^ 
 jelves often, fo long as this ifiand remained in 
 their poffefTion. 
 This idand was difcovered bv^ and received 
 its name from the famous Admiral Ckrifropher 
 Columbus y in his third voyage, in the year 1498. 
 It was never occupied however by the Spam- 
 (irds^ chiefly for three reafoi^s. Firfiy Becaufe 
 N 2 the 
 
the people in it were numerous and warlikct' 
 fo that it might have proved no eaiy purchafe. 
 In the next place, they had continual wars with 
 the Indians upon the continent ; and it was an 
 efcabhfhed maxim of the Spanijh policy, never 
 to hinder theie nations from weakning one ano- 
 ther. And lafily^ Their pofiefllons were fo nu- 
 merous, that they had no need of it. 
 
 The favages reforted in great numbers to this 
 ifland, and were exceedingly attached tliereto, 
 as it furnifned them plenty of fubfiftence in their 
 way of hunting and fifhing, was very happily 
 fituated, and afforded them the means of mak- 
 ing feveral ftrong pods in the mountains; by 
 which they were in hopes of maintaining it 
 againft any invaders^ They lived in a conftanfe 
 correfpondcnce with their countrymen in Domh- 
 nica and St, Vincents, held in procefs of time a 
 friendly correfpondcnce with ih^ Spaniards, and 
 made frequent trips to the main, fometijnes in a 
 hoftiie manner, and at others, for the fake of ac- 
 quiring certain fruits and dying woods, which 
 they exchanged with the Spaniards. In this fi- 
 tuation they were, when the French fettled in 
 America^ who foon vifi ted their ifland, and en- 
 couraged them to come to Guadaloupe, 
 
 This led the Baron de Poincy^ who then com- 
 manded there, to think of eftabhfhing himfclf 
 upon this ifle fa early as the year 163^. But 
 the India?7s however took their meafures fo well, 
 that he was thoroughly convinced, it was an 
 cntcrprize fuperior to his force, and therefore 
 
 very 
 
[ '8' ] 
 
 very prudently declined it. In 16^0 Mr, du 
 Parquet^ governor and proprietor of Marii/iique^ 
 formed the like defign, but prtvioufly made a 
 purchafe of it, or at lead of a right to eftablifh 
 there, from the Indicjis. Accordingly he fent 
 oyer a fmall colony, confiding of two hundred 
 flout men, who fortified themfelves as well as 
 they could in the neighbourhood of the Cannage^ 
 and things went on for fome time amicably 
 enough, between them and the natives. It 
 was not long however before the latter repented 
 of their bargain, and without notice or cere- 
 mony madacred all the French^ that were abroad 
 felling timber or planting tgbacco. There re- 
 mained however a (Irength fufficient in the fet- 
 tlement to revenge this infult j and they took 
 their meafures with fo much precaution, that 
 they furprized, and almoft utterly deflroyed tlie 
 Savages on ihdii ^\dQ the i Hand. As for thofc 
 who were on the other fide, they difiembled 
 their fenfe of this carnage, the rather becaufe 
 Mr. du Parquet fent a reinforement thither, of 
 three hundred men. However, they only watch- 
 ed a favourable opportunity, which having 
 found, they fuddenly entered through the paf- 
 fes between the mountains, known only to them- 
 felves, and fell upon the French with fuch fury, 
 that they loft more in this than in the former in- 
 furredlion. After this, they lived extremely 
 upon their guard, till by repeated fupplies they 
 thought themfelv^s in a condition to revenge 
 -this affront, and to rid themfclves effedualiy of 
 N 3 thefc 
 
[ l82 1 
 
 th^^c dangerous neighbours. This defign they 
 conduced with fo much lecrecy and prudence, 
 that they furprized all their canoes, and thole 
 that were left to take care of them, before they 
 endeavoured to dorm the faftnefles of their ene- 
 mies in the mountains-, which they likewife perr 
 formed with fuch fuccefs, that they drove them 
 from all their pofts, and gradually extirpated 
 the whole race of hdians that were upon the 
 afland, not however v/ithout a confiderable loli 
 to themfelves, and which was mod to be regret- 
 ted the death of the Sieur/^ Comip^ coufin to Mr. 
 du Parqiict^ whom he had appointed their go- 
 vernor, by whole .fagacity this expedition had 
 been planned, and who had (hewn great fpirit 
 and refolution in carrying it into execution. 
 
 As foon as Mr. du Parciuet was informed of 
 this event, he lent over the Sieur de Valmenkrs 
 ■with the title of governor, and a fmall reinr 
 •forcemeat. The ofiicers in the colony headed 
 by their major, whpfe name was h port^ abfo- 
 lutely refufed to receive him, and this, as they 
 had a party amongft the inhabitants, produced 
 a civil war -, v/hich, however, ended in favour 
 . of the governor, who reduced the male-con- 
 tents, and made fon:ie of their chiefs prifoners. 
 This infurredion once over, and the chiefs (the 
 major excepted, who poi Toned himfelf) banifh- 
 ed, but without conElcatiGn of their effcds, or 
 injury to their perfons ; the Sieur de Valmeniere 
 applied himfelf with fuch vigour and, vigilance, 
 ^nd at the fam.e time with fp puch prqd^ence and 
 
 indulgence. 
 
indulgence, to repairing the mifchicfs which, 
 in the courfe of thcfe troubles had befallen the 
 colony, that in a very fhort fpace of time, the 
 whole face of affairs was entirely changed. The 
 old fettlement was not only reftored, but feveral 
 new plantations were made, and exclufive of 
 great quantities of tobacco, they began to raife 
 both very fine indigo and excellent cotton. 
 
 In confequence of the encouragcnnents he 
 gave, and his mild and moderate manner of 
 proceeding, his colony not only flourifhed, but 
 the number of its inhabitants increafcd ^ many 
 reforting thither, who had been lefs fortunate in 
 their other iflands, bringing with them Qaves, 
 and for thofe times, a perfetfl knowledge of the 
 art of planting, they quickly repaired all their 
 pafl lofTcs, and grew imperceptibly into cafy 
 circumftances. The report of this was ex« 
 tremely welcome to the proprietor Mr. ^a Par- 
 quet^ whofe fortune by his many purchafes, and 
 bearing the charge of feveral expenfive expedi- 
 tions, was both impaired and embarrafled. He 
 took care therefore, to have a very clear repre- 
 fentation drawn up, of the feveral commodities 
 here produced, the number of new fettlers, and 
 other circumftances of advantage, by which it 
 appeared the mod thriving and the mod promi- 
 fing of all their Wefl- India ides. This account 
 therefore being tranfmitted to Paris^ produced 
 that favourable effedt which he defired, info- 
 much that large offers were made for his pro- 
 perty \ and at length clofing with the propofah 
 N 4 made 
 
[ ^H\ 
 
 made by the Count de Ccrillac and his fon, Gra* 
 nada and all its dependancies were fold to them 
 in 1657, for ninety thoufand livres. 
 
 Thefe gentlemen might certainly have been 
 very great gainers by this purchafe, if they 
 had, which had been the fu reft way, either con- 
 tinued the old governor, or inftrudted the per- 
 fon they feat over, (lri(5lly to follow his plan. 
 But their new governor was the very reverie of 
 the Sieur de Valmeniere^ and either through the 
 haughtinefs and feverity of his own temper, or 
 in compliance with the inftrudions received 
 from the new proprietors •, he a6led in fo arbi- 
 trary a manner, that ail the people of fubftance 
 fpeedily quitted the ifland, and the rabble who 
 were left behind by their not haying it in their 
 power to quit it, took a (hort refolution, to be 
 quit ot him. A general revolt enfued. The 
 governor was fciztrd and imprifoned, brought 
 to a trial before judges who were none of them 
 able to write, and condemned to fuffer death. 
 He infift.-d, as a gentleman, upon being be- 
 headed ; but as no-body could be found to per- 
 form the execution in that manner, they direded 
 him to be fhot. As fpon as the news of this 
 arrived in France^ a (hip of force was fent with 
 a coirimiiTary on board, who had exprefs or- 
 ders to make an exat5i inquiry into the whole 
 ^ffair^ and do ftii(5l jjftice upon the offenders. 
 On his arrival however the commifiary found 
 this abfolutely impracticable, there were but ^ 
 few people left^ and they.v/ere all alil^e g'-uky ; 
 
 in 
 
in confequence of which, they all efcaped pu- 
 nifhment. This impunity, though necelTary, 
 was very far from having a good efFedl ; the de- 
 fertion continued, and the iQand would have 
 been totally abandoned, if the Count de Cerillac 
 and his fon had not been obliged to part with 
 their property, to the company erected in 1664. 
 The diredors of this fociety faved Granada^ for 
 they very fpeedlly fent proper people thither, 
 refettled the old plantations, and very probably 
 would have carried things much farther than 
 they had hitherto been ever carried, if they had 
 not been fupprefTed by Lewis XIV. in 1674, 
 This gave a new check to the colony, and re- 
 vived the former difturbances, which though 
 they were very foon quelled, yet were followed 
 from an ill imprelTion of the new adminiftra- 
 tion, by the defertion of fome of the more opu- 
 lent planters. 
 
 Thus in the (hort fpace of twenty -four years, 
 ^he inhabitants of Granada^ were expofed to two 
 maflacres by the Indians^ three infurredtions of 
 the planters themfelves, and five changes ia 
 their government.^ The ifland henceforward 
 belonged to the King, who fent a governor thi- 
 ther, and after the public tranquility was re- 
 ftored, the people began again to thrive, but 
 more Qowly, from the memory of pad misfor- 
 tunes, and their not being totally free from ap- 
 prehenfions of the like happening again. They 
 went on however with their plantations, and, 
 which muft appear very fingular, they fuffered 
 
 fome 
 
r 186 ] 
 
 fome Indian families, to fettle again amongfl 
 them. Thefe were chiefly from Dominica^ and 
 their principal motive for receiving them was, 
 the erftertaining by their alTiftance fome kind 
 of commerce with the natives upon the main; 
 by which they obtained occafionally, confiderable 
 quantities of cochineal, balfam of Toiu^ and Ca- 
 facbu oil, commodities which they found means 
 CO vend with no fmall advantage. At the fame 
 time we mufl: obferve, that with a greater de- 
 gree of induftry and attention, they might have 
 had all thefe, and many other articles of ftill fu- 
 periour value at home. But with all this, and 
 though their affairs certainly grew better, yet 
 they were very far from anfwering the expecfla- 
 tions that had been formed, which arofc from a 
 variety of caufes. They were not conftantly fup- 
 plied from, and never had a regular correfpon^ 
 dence with their mother country. The prac- 
 tices of the farmers- general ruined their ftaple 
 comimodity of tobacco y and the African com- 
 pany fold them flaves at a very high rate. Thefe 
 inconveniences obliged them to have recourfe 
 to an expedient, very much facilitated by their 
 ficuation, which was entering into a clofe cor- 
 refpondence with their neighbours the Butch^ 
 who firft put them upon raifing fugar, furnifo- 
 ed them with the means, and took that and the 
 reft of the commodities of the country in pay- 
 ment, which of courfe lefkned their returns 
 to Trance, Yet all this time, the French court 
 were very far from being unapprized of the im- 
 portance 
 
I 
 
 [ ,87 ] 
 
 portance of this IQand, and the improvements 
 rhat might be made in it •, of which many of 
 their commercial writers boafted, v/hile their 
 political fyftem at home hindered them from 
 ever taking any efFedlual (leps towards the pro- 
 moting the interefts of a colony, that would 
 have amply repaid any cods that might have 
 been bellowed upon it. Thefe are circum- 
 flances, which though not either ufelefs or unen- 
 tertaining, are acknowledged to be lefs impor- 
 tant in the light of hiftorical fads, than in thap 
 of political cautions. 
 
 The ingenious father Labat w^as here in 1705, 
 and, though he did not remain long, yet he 
 made fome curious and pertinent remarks. He 
 fpeaks of the planters as eafy in their circum- 
 ftances, though not very polifhed in their man- 
 ners. He clearly difcerned, that great improve- 
 ments might be made in fo pleafant and fertile 
 a country, and regretted that the Fr^;;Y/^ refugees 
 from their ruined colony of St. Chriftophers were 
 not fent hither, where they would quickly have 
 repaired their own lolTes, and have rendered 
 this colony at the fame time much more ufeful 
 to France. He made fome other reflections, 
 which the reader will read with equal pleafure 
 and furprize. '^ If, fays he, Barbadoes had a 
 '' port, as fafe, as capacious, as commodious, 
 " and as eafy to be fortified, it would be in- 
 ^' deed an incomparable ifland •, the Englijh 
 ^* know much better than we, how to turn 
 ^* every natural advantage in their iflafids to 
 
 *' the 
 
[ i88] 
 
 ^* the utmod ; and, if Granada had belonged 
 ** to them, it had before now changed its ap- 
 *' pearance, it had been long ago a rich 
 ** and powerful colony, inftead of which, we 
 " have hitherto reaped little, from thofe bene- 
 ** ficia] circumftances from which vaft profits 
 " might have arifen, fince after fo many years 
 *' pofiefTion, the country is yet in a manner de- 
 " fert, thinly peopled, without commodities, 
 ** having little commerce, their habitations or 
 *' rather cabins mean, ill built, worfe iirnilh- 
 ** ed y and, to fay ail in a word, in a very little 
 *V better ftate, than when Mr, du Parquei 
 *' bought it from the Savages.'^ 
 
 We muft however admit, that within the 
 half century that has fince pad, fomewhat more 
 atttntion has been paid to this ifland, and its 
 produclions have turned within this period 
 n"iuch more to the account of Frafr^e. They 
 had fent for fome years before it came into our 
 hanas tivirher, twelve thoufand hoefheads of 
 fugar annually, befidts coffee, cacao, and a large 
 quantity of excellent cotton. Yet it is gene- 
 rally allowed, that never one half of the coun- 
 try was properly fettled, nor half the profits 
 drawn iicm what wab fettled, that might have 
 been obtained, if the inhabitants had been bet- 
 ter planters, and had been alfo better fupplied 
 with flaves. The reprefentations made to the 
 French court treat all the improvements made 
 there as very imperfect, as demonflrative ra- 
 ther of the fertility of the foil, and the excelr 
 
 lencQ 
 
[i89l 
 
 lerice of the climate, than of the induftry of 
 th€ inhabitants. Thefe papers likewife fugg^ft, 
 that many other improvements might have been 
 introduced, and that feme lucrative br.indies of 
 commerce might have been eafiJy opened from 
 thence. It has been faid the late Marfbal Saxe 
 bad a grant of this ifland ; which, if true, might 
 have been given him as an equivalent for 7abag9^ 
 as he looked upon himfelf to have a kind of 
 title to the Duchy of Courland. According to 
 the accounts of our own people, who have re- 
 fided there, and the Captains of men of war 
 who have vifited it ; the Fremh have not been 
 extravagant in their accounts, or vifionary m 
 their fpeculations. An Enghjb gentleman who 
 has had great opportunities of knowing, thinks 
 as much fugar is raifed here as in Barbadoes y 
 which is not at all impofiible, though it did not 
 find a regular palTage to Frame. In a (hort 
 time, all thefe difiicukics will be cleared up, and 
 we (ball knov/ its produce with much greater 
 certainty, than perhaps it was ever known to its 
 former mafbers. 
 
 But, exclufive of thefe produdions, it was of 
 great utility to the French^ during the courfe of 
 the lad war, wht^n the fingle Ihips of force they 
 fent to the Weft-Indies^ with the tranfports un- 
 der their care, came regularly hither, with lit- 
 tle danger of falling into the hands of our crui^ 
 fers. Here they remained in fafety, and from 
 hence they fent fupplies of men, ammuni- 
 tion, and provifions, in fmall velTels, whicb 
 
 creeping 
 
 X 
 
[ 190 1 
 
 creeping along the Grenadilias, St. Vincent^ and 
 St, Lucia^ arrived, generally fpeaking, fafely in 
 the harbour of St, Peter^s in Martinique, In 
 this reipedl, as well as in many others, the French 
 will very fenfibly feel the lofs of this ifland, as 
 we fliall the advantage arifing from the poffef- 
 fion of it. A Britijh fquadron ftationed here 
 will be, as has been already hinted, a fevere and 
 continual check upon the Spaniards as well as 
 the French ; fo that undoubtedly, when they 
 gave this ifle and all its dependencies for St, 
 Lucia^ they had no very clear conceptions of 
 the confequences that might refult from fuch an 
 exchange, either to themfelves or their allies ;- 
 confequences however, that we may truly af- 
 firm areobvious and indifputable, which therefore 
 cannot fail of being juftified in the event. Ic 
 would be very eafy to expatiate upon this fub- 
 ject, in a manner that might be very pleafing 
 to a Britiflj reader, as it would inconteftably 
 prove that the French are not always too hard 
 for us in negotiation. But at this jundlure, 
 fuch a difcuffion would for many reafons be 
 very imprudent, and fhall be therefore omitted. 
 The prefent point is to know the value of whaE 
 we have got, and by what means thefe new 
 poiTefilons are to be beft kept and improved ; 
 tor, if we attend fteadily and properly to thefe, 
 their importance will certainly appear in a much 
 ftronger light, than either ourfclves or our 
 neighbours conceive pofifible. Things will then 
 fceak, and fpeak loudly for themfelves, and 
 
 till 
 
[ 191 ] 
 
 till then it is beft to be modeft and filent about 
 them. 
 
 There runs from the fouthern extremity of 
 the iQe of Granada, in the diredlion of north 
 by eaft^ a long range of little ijlets^ extending, 
 about twenty leagues. Thefe are of different 
 fizes, but all of them, except the Round ifland, 
 very fmall. They have narrow channels be- 
 tween them, only palTabie by boats, and very 
 dangerous even in thefe, to thofe who are noE 
 perfedlly acquainted with their nature. We are 
 informed by John de Laet, that the natives call- 
 this firing of iflands Begos ; the Spaniards im- 
 pofed upon them the name of Gremdiilas-, the 
 French ftile them Grenadilles or Grenadines ; our 
 countrymen in the Weft- Indies ufually call them 
 the Grenades ; and as their coafts are rocky, 
 and the accefs dangerous, they generally keep 
 to the windward of them, in order to avoid ac- 
 Gidents; which however when the weather is 
 thick and ha2.y, but too frequently happens. 
 
 The number of thefe iQands is very incertain, 
 but according to the bed information, there 
 may be about three-and-twenty of them, capa- 
 ble of cultivation. The foil being remarkably 
 rich, the climate pleafant, and all the necefla- 
 ries of life, whenever they (hall be fettled, will 
 be eafily obtained. According to the fentU 
 ments of the beft judges, large quantities of in- 
 digo, coffee, and cotton, may be raifed upon 
 them, nor are they at all unfit for fugar. It is 
 however thought improper to attempt tlie 
 
 planting 
 
1 192 ] 
 
 planting of canes, from an apprehenfion that 
 in time of war they might be liable to the in- 
 fults of privateers, as their fize would hardly 
 admit of a fufficient number of inhabitants to 
 defend them. In their prefent fituation, they 
 abound in excellent timber, of which xht French 
 made little ufe, as they met with an eafier and 
 better fupply from Si, Lucia, In former times, they 
 were very ferviceable to our planters xnBarbadoes^ 
 who cut great quantities of mill-timber, which 
 was a very great conveniency. But for many 
 years paft the French have not only prevented 
 this, as injurious to their property, but by fta- 
 tioning guard-fhips upon the coafl, made prize, 
 in time of full peace, of all Englijh veflels they 
 found at anchor there, and even of fuch as ap- 
 peared in fight of them ; which was a very great 
 detriment to our navigation. For, if veflels 
 bound to Barhadoes^ either througk thick wea- 
 ther or being difabled, miflfed that ifland, and 
 ran down the fouth fide of it, which was the 
 common route, they came of courfe upon 
 thefe iflands, and fell into the hands of 
 thefe guard-fhips \ the apprehenfion of which, 
 made them fo cautious, as to render their voy- 
 ages to that ifland longer and more tedious 
 than in former times. But as all thefe difficul- 
 ties will be removed for the future, and as the 
 clearing of thefe ifles in order to their cultiva- 
 tion, will be an immediate and conflderable ad- 
 vantage to the inhabitants of BarhadoeSt thefe 
 
 circumflances 
 
[ ^93 1 
 
 Circumftances evidently enhance the value of 
 this acquifition. 
 
 There are befidcs thefe, five larger iflands, 
 which not only in point of fize, but in many 
 other refpedls are more confiderable, and there- 
 fore deferve particular notice. The firft of 
 thefe, that is, the neareft to the line of iflets be- 
 fore-mentioned, retains the Indian name of Ca- 
 riouacoUy it is of a circular figure, about fix or 
 feven leagues in compafs, lies five leagues eaft 
 from Granada ; fourteen fouth-weft from St, 
 Vincent ; and about forty leagues weft-fouth-weft 
 from Barhadoes, This little ifle, is reprefented 
 by the French who have vifited it, as one of the 
 fined and moft fruitful fpots in America ; the 
 foil remarkably fertile, and from its being per- 
 vaded by the fea breeze, the climate equally 
 wholfome and pleafant. It is covered with va- 
 luable timber, interfpered with rich fruit-trees, 
 and when fettled and cultiv^ated, is capable of ail 
 kinds of improvement. But the circumftance 
 by which it is moft diftinguiflied, is its having 
 as deep, capacious, and commodious an har- 
 bour, as any in the IVefi-Indies^ and on this ac- 
 count, has more than once been recommended 
 to the French government, as a place capable 
 of being made of much fuperior utility, to 
 ifiands of far greater extent, and even allowing 
 thefe to have equal merit, in regard to the value 
 and the variety of their produ6tions. 
 
 About a league north-eaft. from Cariouacou, 
 
 lies what the French call, rjjle de rUnion^ tho* 
 
 Q ' ~ io 
 
[ 194 ] 
 
 in truth there are two, the larger three leagues, 
 and the lefler, two in length. At the diftance 
 of two leagues from thefe, lies Cannouan or 
 Caouanne^ fo called from the great refort thither 
 of the kind of tortoifes or fea -turtle, to which 
 the Indians^ and after them the French^ give 
 this name. This ifland is three leagues in length, 
 and one and a half broad, and has a fmall iflet 
 to the weft of it. At the diftance of two leagues 
 from this, lies the JJle de Mouftiques^ or Mcjkito 
 IJland ; three leagues in breadth, and one in 
 length. All thefe iflands, are allowed to be 
 pleafant, wholfome, and exceedingly fruitful. 
 They are at prefent over-grown with different 
 kinds of timber ; fome of which are become ex- 
 ceedingly fcarce in the other ifles, and fome al- 
 fo, which bear^ at prefent a very high price in 
 Europe. 
 
 At the diftance of a league from Mrjkito 
 JJland, lies Becovya^ Bequia^ or Bekia, which is 
 but two leagues fouth-weft from Sl Vincent. 
 This is the largeft of all the ifles dependant 
 upon Granada^ being about twelve leagues in 
 circumference, and confequently fomewhat larger 
 than Montferrat. The foil is equal if not fu- 
 perior to any of the reft, it has likcwife a very 
 fafe and convenient port. But with ail thefe 
 advantages, it has fome very fignal defeds. It 
 has no confiderable eminencics, little, (at leaft 
 it is fo faid) if any frefh water, and is full of ve- 
 nomous reptiles ; for which reafon the French 
 call it Liule Martinique \ and therefore very 
 
 rarely 
 
f 195 ] 
 
 rarely frequent it, except fifningnpon itscoafls, 
 which brought them to be fo well acquainted 
 with its harbour, reprefenred by them as land- 
 locked on every fide, eafy in its entrance, and 
 very deep and capacious, and in which their 
 fmall armaments frequently took flielter, du- 
 ring the laft war, in proceeding as we h.ave be- 
 fore-mentioned, from Granada ro Port St, Pe- 
 ter^ in the iQand of Mar tint co^ and this circum- 
 flance hereafter may poITibly merit for it more 
 attention. 
 
 But though, except in the cafes before-men- 
 tioned, fo little regarded by the French, it is 
 however freqently vifited by the Savages from 
 Dominica and St, Vincents^ for the fake of the 
 little gardens, they have there, which are very 
 neatly kept, and in which they have a great vari- 
 ety of very fine fruits -, particulary the ananas or 
 fine apple, remarkably large and very high fla- 
 voured. The GrenadillaSy as the Spaniards name 
 it; the Rhang-apple, as it is ftiled by the Butch ; 
 or as we call it the paffion- flower, which pro- 
 duces alfo an excellent fruit, full of a fine red 
 juice, extremely cooling and refrefhing in fevers, 
 and water-melons of the largeft fize, the moll 
 delicate in tafte of any in the IVeft- Indies. In 
 this ifle alfo, there are a great variety of thofe 
 climbing plants or creepers, which the French 
 call liannes ; and among thefe, there are two that 
 have very remarkable properties. The one is 
 ftiled lianne a fang, or the bloody creeper^ becaufe 
 when it is cut, there i flues from it a crim.fon 
 O 2 liquor. 
 
[ 196 ] 
 
 liquor, that tinges linnen of a bright fcarlet. 
 The other, they call lianne jaune, becaufe the 
 juice of that dyes in the like manner a deep yel- 
 low. There is likewife in this ifle a very fm- 
 gular kind of fnail, called Burgans de teinture ; 
 they are of the bignefs of the top of the finger, 
 refembling in mod repeds a common fnail, 
 which have an upper and an under fhell ; the 
 former of a dufky blue, and the latter of a 
 bright filver colour, fpotted here and there with 
 abundance of black fpecks. The flefh of thi$ 
 fnail is very white, but the inteftines (probably 
 from the fruit on which it feeds) are of fo deep 
 a red, as to be feen through its body. When a 
 few of thefe fnails are put into a deep plate, and 
 fhaken together, they ejefl: a quantity of (limy 
 tnatter of a purple colour ; in which, if linnen 
 be dipped, it takes firft a violet, then a fcarlet^ 
 and when dry becomes of a bright purple. This 
 like the colours from the liannes before-men- 
 tioned, are apt to run in wafhing, and to wear 
 out by degrees. Yet the French aiTert, that by 
 difTolving a fmall quantity of alum in lemon 
 juice, fteepipg linnen or calicoe in it, and then 
 drying it carefully in the fhade, before it is dip- 
 ped in any of thefe juices, and when thoroughly 
 impregnated with them, again carefully dried, 
 the colours remain well fixed, and lofe little or 
 nothing of their beauty. They have alfo in this 
 ifle the tunal^ which feems to be a fpecics of the 
 opuntia or nopal, Vvhlch in our iQes is commonly 
 Hiled (though the fruit is really a kind of fig) 
 
 the 
 
{ 197 ] 
 
 the prickle-pear^ and when the fruit is fuH ripe, 
 is covered with a multitude of Uttle worms, 
 which being carefully gathered and dried, yeild a 
 colour of the fame kind, and very httle if ac 
 all inferior to the cochineal. 
 
 Thefe are mentioned only as flight, indeed 
 very flight fpecimens of the valuable things, 
 which thisifland, fo confiderable in point of fize, 
 though hitherto difregarded, may in procefs of 
 time afford. They are not hov/ever fo much 
 mentioned as matter of information, as in the 
 light of hints for enquiry. This difpofltion of 
 exploring accurately the commercial articles 
 which human flcill derives from the feveral pro- 
 du6lions of nature, is of Angular utility, where- 
 ever it is prudently and fl:eadily employed, but 
 in new acquifltions more efpccially, becaufe in 
 them new objeds continually occur. It fre- 
 quently leads to frefli materials for induftry, 
 frefn improvements in arts, and frefli fubjeds 
 for commerce. Difcoveries no lefs important 
 in their nature and confequences, than the difco- 
 very of new countries, fince thefe are only valua- 
 ble as they contribute to thofe ends. Such en- 
 quiries by giving a right turn to curioflty, ren- 
 der that quality of the mind, which improper- 
 ly exerted is always ufelefs, often injurious, 
 highly ferviceable and wonderfully beneficial. 
 By this means, the talents of all who go to the 
 plantations, with whatever view and in what- 
 ever capacity, become equally ufeful to the 
 plantations. For the obfervations of a fuper- 
 O 3 cargo. 
 
[ 198 1 
 
 cargo, of an engineer, of a land as well as of a 
 fea Oflicer, of an intelligent failor, a fenfible me- 
 chanic, or an attentive domeftic, in the fpace 
 of a very Ihort refidence, may contribute as 
 much or perhaps more, to the profperity of a 
 fetclcment, and by that means to the welfare of 
 the moth-r country, than if he had fpent his 
 whole life-time there, in the hardeft labour. A 
 circumftance, that if it was not fo very obvious 
 and incontelldble in the eye of reafon, might be 
 very eafily and beyond ail contradiction proved, 
 from the evidence of fads and the lights of ex- 
 perience. 
 
 After fo copious a defcription of thefe iflands, 
 and particularly of the lafl:, it is prefumed that 
 the removing hither, if that fliould be found 
 either neceflary or expedient, the nation of free 
 Indians from St, Vincents^ will appear a thing 
 very practicable. It is no conclufive argument 
 even againft Be^uia^ that it has been reputed 
 uninhabitable for want of water, becaufe the 
 fame thing was long faid with regard to AntegOy 
 which is neverthelcfs a well inhabited and well 
 cultivated iOand at this day. When this coun- 
 try comes to be more ftridliy examined than hi- 
 therto it has ever been, it will very probably be 
 found, that though deficit nt in rivulets, it may 
 not be ablbluteiy without water ; but that 
 fprings and w^elis, may fupply the ufes of Indi- 
 ans^ though they might not be fufHcient fcr the 
 fervice of a colony, which mull: be fupported, 
 by the induftry of its inhabitants in their plan- 
 tations. 
 
[ ^99 ] 
 
 tations. It would not probably be very difH- 
 cult to perfuade the Indians to leave St, Vincent^ 
 for an idand at lead equal in extent to all that 
 they can poflcfs there, with which they are per- 
 fedly v;ell acquainted, and where they might 
 live in fafety, after their own manner and un- 
 difturbed by ilrangers. It may appear from, 
 and it was the principal intention of pro- 
 ducing, rhofe fpecimcns, that without departing 
 much from their ufual employments, thefe peo- 
 ple might be there of great ufe to themfelves 
 and to their Britijh neighbours. We know 
 that they have raifed proviiions plentifully for 
 the French \ and they might colleft things very 
 valuable to us v/ith as little labour, and procure 
 as great or greater benefits in exchange for them- 
 felves, than ever they did from that nation. 
 This would occafion a refort to the port, and 
 a conftant intercourfe with them, which would 
 be attended with many obvious advantages, 
 and in procefs of time, may very probably pro- 
 duce many more than can be forefeen at pre- 
 fenc. Juftice, humanity, and good ufage, 
 would certainly work upon the minds of thefe 
 people, and there is no doubt to be made, that 
 the profits which might be drawn from the 
 fpontaneous fer vices of a free people, would be 
 an acquifition equal in point of value, to the 
 tracl of country whatever it may be, that for 
 this purpofe we fhould be induced to fpare 
 them. It is a truth, and a truth of fuch im- 
 portance, that it can never be too often or too 
 O 4 ferioufly 
 
[ 200 J 
 
 ferioufly inculcated, that the attaching thefe 
 people to us, in preference to all the other Euro- 
 pean nations, who pofTefs dominions in the 
 V/efi^hdies^ would be attended with the mod 
 falutary as well as the mod beneficial confe- 
 quences. Naked, barbarous, defpicable, as they 
 are, they are ftill human creatures, and that in 
 the faculties of their minds, as well as in the 
 form of their bodies ; fo that if we could hap- 
 pily fall upon a method of binding them to our 
 interefts, by making them fenQble of their own, 
 we (hould gradually lead them to the fupport, 
 from their partioi pacing in the advantages, of 
 fociety. The French have on the continent,. 
 had a very vifible fuperiority over us in this 
 refpecft, by means of their mijfionaries ; but they 
 do not fo n'uch as pretend to have fuccceded in 
 any degree, in the converfion of thefe people, 
 with refpecl to whom probably we may more 
 cafily prevail, by cherifhing their love of li- 
 berty •, and at the fame time conducing them 
 gently and almoft infenfibly, to the true prin; 
 ciples of humanity, which when taught rather 
 by example than precept, and managed with 
 difcretion and indulgence, they will by degrees 
 become men, which is naturally, indeed necef- 
 farily, the firft ftep to their becoming chriftians. 
 It was the confideration of thefe iflands de- 
 pendant upon that of Grenada^ which led to 
 the queftion whether they might not be, all cir- 
 cumftances confidered, more proper for the 
 introducftion of fpices, than even the ifiand of 
 Tabago? The five iflands of the Moluccas^ 
 
 which 
 
[ 201 3 
 
 which are ^ernate^ Tydor^ Metier^ Maqukff^ 
 and Bachaniy were fo many feparate kingdoms, 
 rich and full of inhabitants, before they were 
 known to the Europeans^ lie all in a line like 
 thefe, and are none of them larger than Carioua- 
 cou. They have fmall ftraits of the fea be- 
 tween them like the Grenades^ bear the fame 
 trees, herbs, and roots, are fome of them di- 
 ficient in frefh water, and produced originally, 
 cinnamon and mUmegs as well as cloves^ the ufes 
 as well as the method of cultivating and curing 
 of which were taught them by the Cbinefe, as Dr, 
 Argenfola^ who wrote an excellent hiftory of the 
 Molucca iflands, informs us. Banda^ where the 
 nutmegs originally grew, is not above half the 
 fize of Beguia \ and Amloyna^ to which the Dutch 
 feem at prefent inclined to confine both nutmegs 
 and cloves^ is rather inferior in point of extent 
 to the ifland of Grenada. It is indeed true, that 
 lahago lies more remote ; and of confequence 
 the fpice trade, if it could be fettled there, 
 might be better preferved and more effedlually 
 confined. But however, thefe points of fadt, 
 while the matter ftill remains in fpeculationonly, 
 deferve to be thoroughly known, that they 
 may be maturely weighed, before weadlually at- 
 tempt to carry a fcheme of this fort into execu- 
 tion ; the fuccefs of which will, in a great mea- 
 fure depend, on precautions taken at the begin- 
 ning. 
 
 The reader will decide for himfelf, as to the 
 nature and jufiice of the equivalent given us in 
 Grenada and its dependant iilands, for that of St, 
 
 Lucia^ 
 
f 202 ] 
 
 Luday when in his own mind he Ihall have run 
 a parallel between the two iflands, which with 
 that intention have been exadlly and impartially 
 defcribed. In doing this, he will compare their 
 rtfpeclive extents, 'and the capacity of each of 
 them for improvement *, he will advert to their 
 refpedlive fituations, and call to mind the confe- 
 quences that naturally flow from them-, he will 
 iiiarurely weigh the flrength of each ifland, and 
 the means that from thence arife of defending 
 it ; he will confidcr their ports, the condition 
 in which they are at prefenr, and the facility 
 with which they may be put into a better •, he 
 will reflect upon their importance, in all the dif- 
 ferent lights of war, of peace, and of com- 
 merce ; he will remember that Grenada and its 
 dependances, are free from hurricanes ; to wliich 
 by the way our ifland of St. Vincent alfo is very 
 feldom expofed -, and he will diftinguilh between 
 the degrees of evidence, relative to the feveral 
 advantages and deftcls of both, as they arife 
 from certainty or fuppofition, from probabili- 
 ties and facfts, from what may be reafonably 
 conjedured, and from what is put beyond all 
 conjecture, by the lights of experience. But 
 above all, he will be pleafed to bear in mind, 
 that the honour of the crov;n of Great Britain^ 
 in refpedl to her tide to St. Lucia is fully fecured, 
 from the very nature of this exchange , that her 
 interejls in refped to her obtaining a fugar 
 iQand, a proper extent of territory, and in that, 
 the benefit of commodious ports, has been like- 
 wile 
 
[ 203 1 
 
 wife attended to •, and he will alfo take this ma- 
 terial circumllance into his thoughts, that if it 
 had been even beft, to have kept Si, Lucia^ 
 the pofleflion not only of that, but of ail the 
 other neutral, now become Britijh iflands, 
 would have been very much endangered, if the 
 French had retained the poilefTion of Grenada^ 
 with all thofe iflets and ifles that are dependant 
 upon it ; and by that means had been put under 
 an inevitable and prefling necelTity of confider- 
 ing and making the moft of the numerous ad- 
 vantages which they afford. Thefe hints of in- 
 quiry being purfued as well as premifed, there 
 can be no doubt, that he will form a proper de- 
 cifion upon this truly important point. 
 
 We are now to clofe this detail of fads, and 
 the various obfervations that have been raifed 
 upon them, with a few general remarks, rela- 
 tive to the whole ; and which are principally 
 calculated, to explain the true value, and to 
 afcertain the real importance of thofe iflands, 
 that are now become ours. This can be only 
 done, by contemplating them in different lights, 
 that is, in thofe feveral and feparate points of 
 view, from which they may every one of them 
 become more or lefs, immediately or remote- 
 ly, diredly or indirectly, afTifting to the inter- 
 ells, increafiag the power, augmenting the 
 commerce, extending the navigation, and there- 
 by promoting the welfare of Great Britain \ ox; 
 in other words, conducing to the induftry, the 
 independency, and the happinefs,^ of their fel- 
 low 
 
C 204 J 
 
 low citizens and fellow fubj€(5ls, who are the 
 inhabitants of this their mother country. 
 
 Theie are the great ends, thefe the ukinfiate 
 defign of COLONIES, thefe are the benefits, thefe 
 are the emoiuments, that are to be expedled 
 fronri them, in return for all that charge and 
 trouble, that is necelTary in fettling them ; that 
 pains and attention, which is ever requifite to 
 raiff, maintain, and fupport them j and that 
 imnnenfc expence of blood as well as treafure, 
 which h focnetimes necefiary, to protect and 
 defend them. In the lad age, as we have fully 
 feen, wife men forefaw the prodigious affiftance, 
 the innumerable advantages, that might be de- 
 rived to this nation, fiom diflant fettlements. 
 Events that cannot lie, and have therefore a juft 
 tide to be believed, have clearly, and in the 
 mod convincing manner demonflrated, that in 
 thinking thus they thought right. What was 
 fpeculation then, is experience now. The fingie 
 queftion therefore that remains to be difculTed 
 in relation to the JVeJi' Indies^ is how far our 
 new acquifitions will anfwer all thefe definable 
 purpofes, and therefore this is the lad that we 
 Ihall attempt to difcufs. 
 
 In the firft place let us confider, that general 
 arrangement of things, which has taken place 
 in this part of the world. There is not now an 
 ifland fmall or great, indeed fcarce a rock in 
 the Weft-Indies^ the right to as well as the pof- 
 feOion of which, is not clearly afcertained, and 
 this without' introducing any new powers into 
 that part of the world, which muft have been 
 
 exceedingly 
 
[ 205 ] 
 
 Exceedingly prejudicial to our interells. By 
 thus adjufting the fettlements of different pow- 
 ers, an end is put, at Jeaft as far as human fore- 
 fight reaches, to all their ambitious views, to 
 the fclf-interefled projeds of private peribns, 
 and to the fchemes of enterprizing governors, 
 which have been the principal fources of thofe 
 difputes, that have at different feafons been fo 
 deftrudlive to every different nation in its turn. 
 
 In virtue of this authentic and abfolute fettle- 
 ment, many of our old plantations will avail 
 themfelves of thofe fupplies of timber, from 
 which they have been for many years precluded. 
 The run-away Negroes will not be able to fKel- 
 ter themfelves any more in uninhabited idands, 
 and thofe impediments to and embarraffments 
 of our navigation, which have been fo feverely 
 felt, and in confequence of which fo many 
 loud complaints have been made to almoft every 
 government in our colonies, will be now effec- 
 tually removed, by the taking away of the caufes, 
 without which they muft probably have continu- 
 ed for ever. 
 
 By this means, illicit commerce will be lef- 
 fened at lead, if not entirely prevented. It 
 will be a great encouragement to induftry, by 
 the taking away thofe temptations to perfons 
 of unfettled tempers of roving into iQands un- 
 der no fettled government, where of courfe men 
 were at liberty to puifue their private advantage, 
 at the expence of the public intereft. From the 
 fame reafons, we may exped that firacy^ which 
 
 has 
 3 
 
[ 2o6 ] 
 
 has fo often and fo terribly affllfled the honed 
 planters and the fair traders in the IVeJi- Indies^ 
 will never more revive, as all the ports and 
 places to which thefe lawlefs people were wont 
 to refort, will no longer exifl:, at lead in the 
 manner they did 5 and this as it will be an ad- 
 vantage in common to the colonies of every na- 
 tion, fo to ours in particular, who fuffered moft 
 by thefe fort of depredations, from the value 
 and extent of our commerce, which rendered 
 us more frequently a prey to thefe enemies of 
 mankind. 
 
 We fhall have, in virtue of this regulation, a 
 new and a very confiderable province in the 
 TVeft'Indies^ compofed of iQands exceedingly well 
 fituated in all refpedls, as well for their corre- 
 fpondence with each other, as for their general 
 intercourfe with Great Britain, Thefe in their 
 infancy, will be fheltered by the force that there 
 is at prefent in Barhadoes^ and in proportion as 
 they become better fettled, they will in their 
 turns be enabled to fend affiflance to that idand, 
 or as that is the ufual rendezvous of our expedi- 
 tions, will be in a condition to furnifh their re- 
 fpedive quotas, when necefiary in fucceeding 
 times. To this we may add, that our old fet- 
 tlements, may now difburtken their fupernu- 
 merary inhabitants on territories belonging to 
 their miOther country, inftead of going as it is 
 notorious that great numbers have done, to Ba- 
 nijh and Butch fettlements ; by which means al- 
 fo, fome quantities of land in the ides we have 
 
 always 
 
 3 
 
[ ^^7 ] 
 
 always pofTcfled, may be converted to the feed- 
 ing of cattle and raifing provifions, for whicU 
 they are much wanted, and are aifo much fitter 
 than being under canes, where by producing 
 incercain crops, they ferve only to difcourage 
 induftry, by impoverifhing their owners. 
 
 By this new diftribution of property, we are 
 brought much nearer to thzSpani/h main ; and this 
 in time of peace, may enable us to furnifh them 
 with fupplies of Negroes and other neceflaries, 
 which hitherto they have received from the 
 French and Dutch, perhaps upon higher terms. 
 In time of war again, we have from thefe iQands, 
 fuch evident and fuch effectual means of keeping 
 their fleets in awe, interrupting all correfpori- 
 dence between their fettlements, and making de- 
 fcents upon their coafts, as with the experience 
 of their pad loiTes, will very probably difcou- 
 rage that Wciry nation from breaking haflily 
 again, with thofe who have them fo much more 
 in their power, and may very eafily cmbarrafs 
 and interrupt their commerce, with very little 
 hazard, and, comparatively fpeaking, with no 
 expence to themfelves. 
 
 In the next place, let us advert to the altera- 
 tions this new diftribution has made, in regard 
 to the French power in chefe parts. It has been 
 plainly made appear in the progrefs of this dif- 
 courfe, that they will iofe the conveniency of 
 raifing vaft quantities of freih provifions, as wdl 
 as confiderable fupplies of valuable commo- 
 ditieSj which they continually and conftantly 
 
 received 
 
1 208 ] 
 
 i-eceived from thofe that were then filled neutral^ 
 but fo far as this went, were really French 
 iflands. They will in like manner lofe the ad- 
 vantages of felling timber, and building'floops 
 and even larger velTels in Bominica and St. Vin- 
 cent^ as they were accuftomed to do. Befides, 
 they will be deprived of their communication 
 with the Indians in the one, and with the Indians 
 and free Negroes in the other of thefe iflands^ 
 from whence they derived, as our countrymen 
 in thofe parts well know, and they themfelves 
 confefs, fuch fervices as were produdive of 
 various advantages, exclufive of the check they 
 kept upon us. They will no longer enjoy the 
 turtle and lamentin fifliing rpund the coafts of 
 ^ahago^ which was their annual refort, but will 
 for the future be confined within the bounds, 
 and to the coafts of their own iflands. 
 
 Thefe circumftances, when taken together, 
 will bring very fenfible difficulties upon their 
 planters, by conftraining them to employ greater 
 pains, and a larger number of hands, for pro- 
 curing thofe neceflary fupplies, which they for- 
 merly received in great abundance, with little 
 trouble and very fmall expence. It will Hke- 
 wifs follov/, as all who are acquainted with thefe 
 countries muft know, that from being thus 
 Hreightned, they will be compelled to the em- 
 ploying more Negroes -y and yet even with this 
 increafe of (laves, lefs work will be done in 
 their fugar plantations than formerly, when al- 
 moft all their wants with, refpect to fubfiftance, 
 
 and 
 
f 209 ] 
 
 and even wlih regard to buildings, were (up^ 
 plied upon fuch eafy terms. In this fituation al- 
 fo as many veflels of different fizes were conti- 
 nually occupied in their intercourfe with thefe 
 ifles, with which they can now have no farther 
 conne6lion, their navigation muft be diminiiliedi 
 and will of courfe decline. A circumftance that 
 hereafter and in the progrefs of events, will be 
 found of much greater conlcquence than either 
 they apprehend, or ourfeives can conceive at 
 prefent. For in this as in many other refpefts^ 
 TIME, the belt commentator upon tranfac- 
 tions of this nature, will make numerous difco- 
 veries, that lie now beyond the difcernment even 
 of the mod penetrating politicians. 
 
 By parting vjithGratj^da and its dependancies, 
 they have not only loft the produce in fugar^ 
 coffee, cotton, (yc. of that ifland, which was 
 very confiderable •, with all title to thofe im- 
 provements, which as has been fhewn from their 
 own authors^ they were fully convinced might 
 be made therein j and the advantage of thofe 
 fafe and commodious ports, which have beea 
 already defcribed, but likewife the facility which 
 they derived from thence, of fuccouring all their 
 other iflands, even when we had fuperior fqua- 
 drons in thofe feas ; to which for the future, 
 they muft in cafe of a war be inevitably expofed. 
 By the fame ftep, they have deprived themfelves 
 on that fide at ieaft, of the intercourfe they had 
 with the Spaniards y and muft hereafter run much 
 greater hazards than formerly, in receiving. 
 
r 210 1 
 
 when their necefTitles require them, fupplies ot 
 provifions and military {lores from the Butch, 
 Thefe are points, upon v/hich we barely touch 3' 
 bur which if it was proper, we might expatiate 
 on, in terms that would fufnciently difcover, 
 that in this refped they made a much greater 
 fucrifice, than was perhaps evident to their mi- 
 ll liters in Europe, 
 
 The proportion between the property, and 
 confcquenuy between the power of the two na- 
 tions, in the Weji-Indies, is now extremely al- 
 tered. For nocto repeat what has been already 
 faid, of their being defpoiled of thofe planta- 
 tions they had furreptitioufly made^ on the iflands 
 of Bomlmca and Sl Vincent •," which might how- 
 ever with great juftice be taken into the account^ 
 we will confine ourfelves to the iflands in the ac- 
 tual pofTeffion of both crowns, before and fincc 
 the concludon of the peace. Our property in 
 the former period, compared to theirs, was no 
 more than as one 10 Jive \ whereas it is now al- 
 moft as ten x.o fifteen^ or nearly as /te^ to three. 
 If therefore, when we v/ere in fo much a wea- 
 ker (late, we were Hill able to protedl even the 
 imalleft of our iQands, during all the late wars 
 between the two crowns, from being fo much 
 as infuked, and in a condition in the very laft, 
 to conquer almofi: all theirs •, fhall we have any 
 reafon to fear what may hereafter happen, when 
 in confequence of fettling our new acquifitions, 
 we fhali have acquired, as we neceffarily muft. 
 
 fo- large an accciTion of force ? 
 
 But 
 
But this is not all. The fituatlon and difpo- 
 i:rion of our iflands give us, in refpedl to this 
 power, ftiil farther and greater advantages. Our 
 northern iflands will remain what they always 
 have been, a perpetual check to them on that 
 fide. Dominica lies, as we have fiiewn, in the 
 very center of their pofTeffions, To as to com- 
 mand and to diftrefs the navigation equally of 
 Martinico and Guadaloupe, At the fouthern ex- 
 tremity again, we have Granada and all the 
 iflands belonging to it, connected with St, Vin- 
 cent ^ from whence we have an ealy and conflant 
 correfpondence with Barhadoes^ and a number 
 of fafe and commodious ports, to v/hich our 
 fleets may at all times refort •, and thefe clrcum- 
 ilances taken together may certainly banifh the 
 apprehenfions of any danger to our old or new 
 colonies, in cafe of a future rupture \\'\xh France. 
 
 We ought next to lliev/, v/nat thofe benefits 
 are, that will probably refult from thefe new ac- 
 quifitions, to the prefent and to future ages. It 
 will hov/ever be previouily neceifary to obferve, 
 that upon the firft viev/ fume prejudices may 
 arife, from the fmallnefs of thefe iflands, which 
 are in truth very diminutive, if put into the hz- 
 lance with the French j and ftill more fo, if they 
 fhould be compared with thofe that the Spani- 
 ards pofTefs in the V/eft-Indies. It does not how- 
 ever follow from thence, that they are either 
 infignificant or inconfiderable. It may be, when 
 we come to examine this matter more attcn- 
 tivelvj we ihall find, that this very circumftance, 
 P 2 whiifh 
 
[2IZ] 
 
 tvhich ftrikes fuperficial obfervers in one lighf, 
 ^'ill appear to competent and candid judges, in 
 quite another ; fo that inflead of furnifhing nnat- 
 ter for a foHd objedtion, it nnay, when maturely 
 weighed, be found the ihongcft recommenda- 
 tion ; if it can be proved, that in regard to co- 
 lonies in this part of the world efpeciatly, fmall 
 iflands have the greateft advantages. 
 
 In the firft place then, they enjoy a purer 
 air, from the fea breeze pafling confiantly over 
 them, and when cleared of fuperfluous wood, 
 as they muft be in order to their cultivation, 
 continually pervading them. This we fee is a 
 natural efFedl, arifingfrom the very circumflance 
 of their f?ze, and muft of neceflity render the 
 climate at once more temperate and more whol- 
 fome. The foil too, in thefe fmall iflands, is 
 more fertile, more capable of being manured, 
 and in many refpedls more eafily cultivated, 
 than in larger iflands, and which is a point very 
 eflential to the matter under our confideration •, 
 they are from this circumftance alfo, capable of 
 being more eafily, more fpeedily, and more 
 compieatly fettled, than if their extent was lar- 
 ger : all of which are real and inconteflible ad- 
 
 vantages. 
 
 Befides, from the vicinity of the fea on every 
 fide, and the facility of fi filing round their 
 coafts, the inhabitants of fuch iflands derive 
 the means of conftantly fupplying themfelves, 
 with a very conflderable part of their fubfiftance, 
 with very little labpur and at an eafy expence, 
 
 with 
 
I 213 3 
 
 ,with this additional benefit, that the advantages 
 arifing from thence, which could not be the 
 cafe in a large country, are alike common to all 
 the inhabitants. This extent of coafl in propor- 
 tion to that of territory, as we have already 
 more than once remarked, is alfo very favour- 
 able to com.merce, as might be (hewn in a great 
 variety of inftances, if it was not too obvious 
 to (land in need of any explanation. It is no 
 lefs apparent, that fuch illands for the very fame 
 reafon, that makes them eafier fettled, are alfo 
 cafier defended, which is another point of very 
 high confequence to the colony and to the mo- 
 ther country. 
 
 The iflands of which we are fpeaking, have 
 over and above thefe general advantages, fome 
 that are peculiar to themfelves, and which are 
 likewife of no fmall importance. They are, as 
 appears from, the defcription of each of them, 
 exceedingly well watered, and this by running 
 ilreams, which will afford their inhabitants the 
 conveniency of erefling water-mills, machines 
 that are more ufeful and lefs expenftve, than ei- 
 ther wind^mills, or thofe in which cattle are em- 
 ployed. The ridges of hills from which thefe 
 rivulets run, render x\\t [ea[ons more regular in 
 thefe iflands, and, there is at leaft a ftrong pro- 
 bability, vriU exempt them, if not totally, yet 
 in a very great degree, from fhort crops, the 
 heavieO: of all misfortunes to a planter, and to 
 which the French as well as our own iflands 
 are very frequently fubjed. 
 
 P 3 A§ 
 
[ 214 1 
 
 As thcfe natural privileges cf ffnali idands 
 are thus capable of being demonflrated by rea- 
 fon, fo the effecls that might be expeded from 
 them, are juftified likewile from experience. 
 If we confider the larger iQands in the hands of 
 ih^ Frer^c/.^, we (hall find that their produce, how- 
 ever confiderable, is not in proportion to the 
 extent of country, as the French writers them- 
 felves very candidly acknowledge, and as cur 
 countrymen who have been upon thofe iflands, 
 and have carefully attended to this particular, 
 likewile admit. The fam.e thing is yet more 
 •vifible, in regard to the Spaniards^ who pofTefs 
 at once iOands the largefl and the leaft profitable 
 in the IVeJl-Lidies, The Dutchy on the other 
 hand, have found means to render the fmallefi-, 
 and in point of foil and climate, the word 
 iflands in the We^ Indies^ by dint of fkill and 
 of induilry v/onderfully fiourifhing, exceedingly 
 populous, and of courfe highly benencial. 
 
 Yet in this refpt6t, the experierice arifing 
 from the fkill and fuccefs of our own planters, 
 goes beyond that of all other nations ; and if 
 we confider their early improvements, and the 
 vafl extent to which they have been carried \ 
 and at the fame time refied, that thefe have 
 been owing to no one circumltance more than to 
 the fmallnefs of their iQands, which for the rea- 
 fons that have been already given, enabled them 
 to get the Hart and to keep it fo long from the 
 French^ will abundantly fatisfy every judicious 
 and impartial inquirer, that what we have been 
 
 laying 
 
'kying down, is not more confident In fpecula^ 
 tion, than evident from the light of fafls. Up- 
 on the whole therefore, we may look upon ic 
 as an abfolute certainty, that we (hall be gainers 
 rather than Jofers, from the fize of thefe iflands ; 
 and this difHcuIty removed, we may the more 
 eafily comprehend,what, upon probable grounds, 
 in reference to thefe new acquifitions v/e may 
 have jufi: reafon to expect. 
 
 The faireft and the mofc fatisfa6lory tnethod 
 that can be taken in refpecl to this, is to com- 
 pare them with our old poHefTions, the value of 
 which is fo well known, and has been by our 
 ableft v/riters fo often ftated. The new iflands 
 taken all together, contain upon the mofl: mode- 
 rate computation, twice the quantity of ground 
 capable of cultivation, or at leaft very near it, 
 that there is in Barhadoes and all the Lee-ward 
 JJlands, St. Vincent., is not much inferior in 
 fize to Barhadoes^ and the refl are all confidera* 
 bly larger. In refped to their foil and climate, 
 they are indifputably to the full as capable of 
 improvement, as any of thofe that have been 
 improved by our induftrious countrymen in fo 
 high a degree. Why therefore in a reafonable 
 fpace of time., may not we, or our pofterity at 
 leafb, expe<fl to derive twice as much from 
 them ? 
 
 Thefe nev/ colonies, like our old colonies in 
 
 that part of the world, muft depend entirely 
 
 upon us, and drav/ from hence every neceffary, 
 
 every conveniency that they want, either for 
 
 P 4 their 
 
[ 2I6 J 
 
 their own rubfiftance, or for the carrying on of 
 their plantations; and how extremely beneficial 
 this is, and with fo confiderable an increafe will 
 be, to the mother country, has been already fo 
 amply explained, that it would be tedious as 
 well as unneceflary to enter into any repetition 
 here. It is rcquifite only to remark, that we 
 fhall not be obliged to wait for ail, or even the 
 greateft part of the benefits of this commerce, 
 till fuch time as thefe ifiands are fully and com- 
 pleatly fettled, fo as to vie in their produdlions 
 with our old iOands ; but on the contrary, our 
 exports to them, and of confequence the profits 
 upon thofe exports, will very foon commence, 
 and of courfe we (hall immediately reap great 
 advantages from them. The reafon of this is 
 obvious, for tho' our old colonies require annu- 
 ally many things, our new on:s will require all ; 
 and it is eafy to diftinguilh the difirerence that 
 there muft be, in fupplying the vaft variety of 
 things rcquifite for fettling new colonies, and 
 the furnifhing the annual fubfiftence, together 
 with the wear and tear in the old ones. Nor is 
 there any room to fear, that thefe new fettlers 
 will not find wherewithal to make very confi- 
 derable returns, for though this cannot be ac 
 firft done in lugar, yet in mahogany, cotton, 
 and a great variety of other articles it may, 
 and the very balance remaining a debt, will be 
 a moil efi^edual fpur to induftry, and compel 
 the new planters, to work hard and to live fru- 
 gally, as the original fettlers in the other iflands 
 
 did, 
 
[ 217 ] 
 
 (JId, in order to procure new fupplies with that 
 yiew, and to maintain and extend their credit. 
 
 This intercourfe between the new colonies 
 and their mother country, as it mud from the 
 caufes before - mentioned begin early, To the 
 advantages arifing from it will diffufe themfelves 
 generally over the whole ifland of Great Britain \ 
 indeed thro' the whole fphere of the Britijh domi- 
 nions in Europe^ fince very large quantities of lin- 
 nen and fait provifions, will be exported for the 
 ufe of the new fettlers and their fervants, from 
 Ireland ; and in procefs of time, as they (hall 
 become more numerous, we may with great 
 probability hope, their increafed demands will, 
 in a very great meafure at lead, abforb thofe 
 fupplies with which the inhabitants of that ifland 
 have hitherto furnilhed the French and Spanip 
 fhips, and contributed, thereby to their naviga- 
 ting much cheaper than otherwife they could 
 have done j fo that confidered in this point of 
 light, the inhabitants of the new colonies, will 
 not only afford a frefh market to our fellow fub- 
 jeds in that ifland, but contribute at the fame 
 time to diftrefs our rivals in the trade of the 
 JVeJi-Indies. 
 
 But it is requifite farther to obfcrve, in or- 
 der to fet the importance of thefe iflands in a 
 full light, that, exclufive of the benefits flowing 
 from their dired: trade with us, they will bring 
 us likewife very conflderable advantages, by the 
 encouragement they will afford toother branches 
 of our commerce. The African trade, more 
 
 cfpecially 
 
[ 2l8 ] 
 
 -efpeciairy at the beginning, will receive a nevv 
 fpring frorf their demands, fince all that they 
 can do either at prefent or in future, muft arifs 
 from the labour of their Negroes, The fupplying 
 them with Haves therefore, will be both an inftan- 
 taneousand a continual fource of wealth, to fuch 
 ?.s are employed in that lucrative trade, more 
 cfpecially to thofe who have the largefl: fliare of 
 it, the merchants of London^ Brijlol^ and Liver- 
 pDcL 
 
 We have before fliewn, how this trade comes 
 to be of fuch importance to Great Britain^ as 
 it is carried on principally with our own manu- 
 fadures, and more efpecially with woollen goods 
 of different kinds, to a very large amount, and 
 that all the incidental profits, exclufive of what 
 is produced by flaves, which arife from our cor- 
 refpondence with Africa^ whether obtained by 
 the purchafe of elephants teeth and gold-dufl, 
 iipon the coafts of that country, or from the 
 fale of commodities to foreigners in the Weft- 
 Indies^ finds its way hither. On the winding 
 up of the account therefore, as the fale of the 
 Negroes centers in the Weft- Indies^ the profit 
 arifing upon them, and every other acctfTion 
 of gain, from whatever article produced, centers 
 ultimately here, and becomes the property of 
 the inhabitants of Britain, 
 
 This will appear with the greater degree of 
 evidence, when we reiie<5]:, that n^kore than the 
 moiety of that part of the cargo for the African 
 trade, which is not made up of our own goods, 
 
 confifls 
 
[219] 
 
 confiils of the manufadures of the Eqfl- Indies, 
 Ic has been before obferved, that befides the 
 quantity of India goods employed on the coaft 
 oi Africa \ there is likewife no fmall demand 
 for the fame commodities in our old fugar 
 colonies -, and of courfe there will be the like 
 demand in the new. We fee from hence, how 
 the comprehenfive chain of commerce is united, 
 and how the different produi^s of the moftdiftanc 
 parts of the world, are carried to and brought 
 from thefe diftant countries in Britijh fhipping ; 
 and that all the emoluments arifing from this 
 extenfive navigation, is in the tnd the reward of 
 the confummate flcill, the indefatigable indu- 
 ftry, and the perpetual application, of the tra- 
 ders in this happy iQe, and how it is to be aug- 
 mented and fupported by this new acceiTion 
 of territory. 
 
 The prodigious compafs of this commercial 
 circulation, would be after all very defedively 
 reprefented, if we fiiould omit the mentioning 
 the confrant correfpondence that fubufts be- 
 tween the fugar idands and the northern colonies. 
 A correfpondence equally neceffary, and reci- 
 procally advantageous to thofe of our country- 
 men who are fettled in both •, and a correfpon- 
 dence therefore, wiiich will be always maintain- 
 ed, and by which the numerous fubjeds of Bri^ 
 tain who are feared on the continent of America^ 
 ' and thofe fettled in the IFcfl-bidia iflands, in 
 purfuing their own immediate interefts contri- 
 bute, and contribuce elfedually to each others 
 
 fjpport. 
 
I 220 ] 
 l^upport. This is a circumftance, that niuft 
 fill the bread of every well-meaning man with 
 the highefi: and mod rational pleafure, and en- 
 gage him to contemplate this fubject, with a 
 iatisfadlion, words would but faintly exprefs, that 
 kind of fatisfadion, which warms the heart of a 
 parent, when he fees his children afiiduous in their 
 application to thofe methods of providing for 
 their welfare, which have a tendency to promo- 
 ting their common interefts, by which their 
 harmony doubles the effeds of their induflry. 
 
 The northern colonies fupply the y^^^r iflands, 
 chiefly with lumber and provifions. Thefe are 
 the fruits in a great meafure of their indefatiga- 
 ble labour, and of their perpetual application 
 to the rendering that labour fubfervient to their 
 profperity. By this mea^is, they difpofe of nu- 
 merous bulky commodities, derive immenfc 
 advantages from their fifheries, fupport an ex- 
 tenfive navigation, which is fo much the more 
 profitable to them, as it is entirely carried on 
 in Ihips of their own building -, circumftances 
 which, to the eye of a judicious reader, will place 
 this trade, and all the beneficial confequences 
 that attend it, in a very confpicuous point of 
 view, and convince him that nothing can be 
 either more convenient fo^ thefe people, or 
 more to their profit. 
 
 On the other hand, the benefits that refult to 
 the inhabitants of the fugar iflands, are not lefs 
 confiderable. They draw all thefe necelTary fup- 
 plies from the nearell, and confequently from 
 the cheapen markets, markets inexhauflible, 
 
 and 
 
[ 221 ] 
 
 and upon which they can always depend. Thc.% 
 are brought them by their countrymen to their 
 own doors, which is a circumftance exceeding- 
 ly fuitable to their fituation, as it fpares them 
 the pains and labour requifite to provide them, 
 which would be other wife a great drawback on 
 their induftry, in their own plantations. Thefe 
 fupplres they pay for in their own manufac- 
 tures, which is another great advantage : from 
 all which circumftances taken together, it clearly 
 appears, that the convenience of this correfpon- 
 dence, and the benefits refuking from it, are 
 equal on both fides, and exadly fuiced to the 
 genius, temper, and fituation of the people, 
 by whom it is thus carried on. 
 
 By confidering attentively this conjuncllon of 
 interefts, we cannot but plainly difcern, that by 
 thefe new acquifitions in the JVeft- Indies^ new 
 markets are opened, to which our new fubjecls 
 on the continent may relbrt. Thefe iflands 
 ^vill certainly in time more than replace to the 
 people of Ca??ada the trade they formerly car- 
 ried on to the French colonies, and will at the 
 fame time enable our other fettlements upon 
 the continent, to find new cuftomers for all their 
 commodities, without leaving them that colour 
 of necelTity, which was the only excufe they 
 had to plead, for fupplying our rivals with 
 the materials efifentially requifite to their manu- 
 fadlures, and of courfe detrimental in the fame 
 degree, to thofe of our fellow fubjeds. Be- 
 fides as the increafe of our fugar ifiands aflords 
 
 thr.ai 
 
r 222 ] 
 
 them tills increafe of commerce, fo from their 
 fituation they will be a great bar to that illicit 
 trade with the French^ which cannot for the fu- 
 ture be carried on with the fame facility as be- 
 fore. 
 
 • But the greateft advantage of all, and from 
 which we were induced to dwell fo long upon 
 this fubjed, is the confideration of its effedt* 
 As the inhabitants of the fugar colonies, are 
 continual purchafers from fuch as are fettled up- 
 on the continent of America^ the amount of 
 their purchales conilitutes a balance from them 
 in the favour of all thofe who difpofe of 
 them. But on the other hand, the inhabitants 
 of the northern colonies, drawing large and 
 conftant fupplies of commodities and m.anu- 
 failures from hence, we for the fame reafon 
 have a like balance in our favour againft 
 them. It is evident therefore from this deduc- 
 tion, that by their transferring the balance due 
 to them, in fatisfadion for that which is due 
 from them to us, the whole accumulated profits 
 of thefe tranfaclions ultimately center with the 
 inhabitants of Great Britain. Such are the cer- 
 tain, the perpetual, the prodigious benefits, 
 that accrue to us from our plantations. 
 
 There will be room in thefc new iQands, for 
 attempting many things, and improving more* 
 The planting cacao walks cannot be confidered 
 as impradlicable, fince we fee the French have 
 fucceeded in it, and fo no doubt might we, at 
 leaft in a degree fufficient to furnilh our own 
 
 confump- 
 
 2 
 
[ 223 I 
 
 6onfumption. We have coffee already in our 
 TQancis, but it would certainly turn to more ac- 
 count, if the culture of it was better under- 
 flood ; in order to which fome pains fliould be 
 taken, to be thoroughly informed of the man- 
 ner in which it is managed in Arabia^ fince it is 
 not at all imaprobable, that the flavour^ in whichi 
 only our coffee is deficient, depends upon the 
 culture, and the method of curing it. Tea, if 
 we may believe the French is a native of the 
 IVeft as well as of the Eaft-Indiesy in refpeci to 
 which it would be certainly right to make fomie 
 inquiries, and in confequence of them fome ex* 
 periments ; and if from thence it fhould appear 
 k is not already there, it might be eafily carried 
 thither, and a trial might be as eafil-y made whe- 
 ther it might not be cultivated to advantage. 
 
 It has been judged no difficult matter to in- 
 troduce black pepper. Rhubarb^ fmnay and fe- 
 "veral other drugs, are faid to have been raifed 
 by curious people in very great perfection. If 
 the culture of thefe and other medicinal plants, 
 was once well underuood, they might be ren- 
 dered profitable articles in commerce. The lau- 
 dable fociety for promoting arts and manufac- 
 tures, have given feveral premiums v/ith re- 
 fped to farfapartlla and other things j and it is 
 to be hoped, as well as wiQied, that thefe en- 
 deavours fo well intended may have good tS^cis. 
 The iacreafing the number of our commodi- 
 ties appears to be a thing of confequence, even 
 though they fliould not turn to immediate profir, 
 
 becaufe 
 
[ 224 ] 
 
 fcccaufe they might ferve as rtfources In fuc- 
 ceeding times, in cafe of fuch alterations hapen- 
 ing hereafter as have already happened, in re- 
 fpecl to what were long efteemed ilapk com- 
 modkie5. 
 
 Thefuccefs attending thefe, or any other ex-^ 
 periments of the like kind, might become the 
 means of improving many fpots of ground, that 
 would othervvife prove ufelefs, as it is well 
 known that either lands Vv^orn our, or which are 
 utterly unlit for either lugar or cotton, might 
 be employed for the making of cochineal. The 
 raifing a variety of commodities would prevent 
 the loffcs that enfue from fhort crops ; as fea- 
 fons unfavourable for feme things, might be 
 advantageous to others. Befides, in refpedl to 
 many things that have bten mentioned, the 
 cultivation of them might be carried on with 
 fewer Negroes, and yet afford a comfortable 
 fubfiftence to white families, the increafe of which 
 (a thing wifely and conftantly attended to by 
 the French) in our colonies, is an objefl of 
 great importance. Add to all this, that tho* 
 tea^ coffee^ and chocolate are at prefent not im- 
 properly confidcred as articles of luxury, they 
 would be much lefs fo, if they only, or even 
 if they principally cam.e from our own planta- 
 tions, and the^confumption of them, ihould it 
 become greater than it novy is, would likewife 
 promote and increafe the confumption of our 
 great ftaple commodity /a;^^r. In thefe, and 
 in various other lights, fuch improvements 
 
 would 
 
[ 225 ] 
 
 would be found of very great confcquencr, and 
 are therefore extremely well worthy of confide- 
 ration. 
 
 It will evidently appear from a due atten- 
 tion to thefe inconteftable fads, that our na- 
 tional incerefts were ftudiouQy confuked and 
 lleadilypurfuedjin thus vindicating our claim to, 
 and procuring the pofTcflion of the neutral iflands. 
 For by fettling thefe, we fhall at once obtain an 
 acceflion of power and of wealth, the former of 
 which would have been always precarious, if the 
 inhabitants of iflands belonging to us in this 
 part of the world, had not been the natural fub- 
 jeds of the crown of Great Brhmn, and the 
 Jatter would have been diminifhed, if in order 
 to remedy that evil, we had laid out immenfe 
 fums of ready money, in the purchafe of pri- 
 vate property. On the contrary this nation will 
 be immtdiately and continually gainers by all 
 thefe new fettle ments, from the very moment 
 that our people enter upon t,hem, because 
 from that very inftant they will fland in need of 
 iupplies from hence, more efpecially oiN^groes^ 
 upon which their cultivations of every kind 
 ■will necefTarily depend ; and in the very fame 
 proportion that thefe proceed and extend, the 
 fupplics from the mother country and the nor- 
 thern colonies will continually augment, and 
 their confequence will of courfc be more arid 
 more felt, and their importance from thence 
 be the better underilood. 
 
 Q. The 
 
r 226^ ] 
 
 ■ The fcttiement of thefe new iHands, will be 
 no detriment to our old colonies. It feems to 
 to have been the only point, in which contend- 
 ing writers agree, that there was a real want 
 of more fugar land in the Wefi- Indies -, and this 
 being admitted, it would be a glaring abfurdity 
 to fay, that Britain is not a great gainer by thcfe 
 acquifitions, which put fo large a quantity of 
 land fit for the cultivation of fugar into our pof- 
 feffion. In reality, this was not only an opi- 
 nion in refpetl to the truth of which the beft 
 judges agreed, but it was a point alfo decided 
 from matter of fa6l. Becaufe it is known that 
 numbers of Britifb fubjeds reforted to countries 
 in the pofTeffion of other powers. It cannot be 
 denied, that many EngliJJo are fettled in theZ)^- 
 tiijh iQand of 5/. Cru% •, that there are many 
 rtfident in Eufiatia \ and that miany more, are 
 interefred in the Dutch fettiemenrsupon the con- 
 tinent of yt/^i^nV^. It was therefore highly re- 
 quifite to remove this evil, by giving fuch adven- 
 turers an opportunity of exercifing their indu- 
 ftry, in countries belonging to their mother 
 country j and to thefe it is realbnable to prefume^ 
 this opportunity being given them, they will 
 return. Befides, as from thefe fa6ls it appears, 
 that our old colonies began to be over-ftocked, 
 fo as to afiord little encouragement to new plan- 
 ters, it was incumbent upon thofe who had the 
 care of national affairs, to have an eye to this cir- 
 cun:i(lance, in order to prevent fuch enterpri- 
 zing people, as at any rate were determined to 
 4 ^ f ' feek 
 
[ 227 ] 
 
 feek their fortunes in thefe parts, from being 
 driven into foreign fettlements, where their la- 
 bour and induftry, inftead of being bene6cial 
 to us, would have turned to the advantage of 
 our rivals, and foreign markets would have 
 been fupplied, for the profit of foreigners, by 
 commodities which were raifcd, by the fklU and 
 pains of Britijh fubjei^ls. 
 
 We may iikewile Ice from hence, that there 
 is no reafon to apprehend, that thefe new iflands 
 will be a great, much Icfs a dangerous, drain 
 from this country. We cannot but obferve 
 from what has already happened, that people 
 who are indigent here, wduld go in fearch of 
 fubfiftence el fe where •, and we muft be likewife 
 fenfible, that by providing countries for fuch 
 people to refort to, their induftry though not 
 their perfons will ftill be preferved to Britain. By 
 that increafe of trade which their labours abroad 
 will gradually produce at home, the number 
 of our neceflicous people here will be greatly 
 JefTened. There will be larger quantities of our 
 commodities and manufadures wanted, that 
 are requifite in our plantations, and to fupply 
 thefe, numbers muft be fet to work, who are 
 either now idle for v/ant of it, and are fubfifted 
 by the poor's rate j or take methods of fubfift- 
 ing themfeives, more injurious to the public, 
 and much Icfs to their own advantage, than if 
 they betook themfeives to honeft labour here, 
 or even went abroad to thefe new iflands. 
 
 As 
 
[228 1 
 
 As the natural body increafes in vigour^ by 
 alTimilating vvholefome food •, fo the ftrength of 
 the body poHtic, is fupported, by the proper 
 diredionof the labour and induftry of its mem- 
 bers ; for idle perfons are not only ufelefs, but 
 a burthen to the community. It has been fully 
 proved, from the ifrongeft and cleared reafons, 
 and from the concurrent experience of more than 
 a century, that the force of this nation has been 
 augmented, and her grandeur heightened, by 
 the advantages fhe has derived from her old co- 
 lonies. It has been likewife Ihewn, that the like 
 advantages may be certainly drawn from the 
 new, that thefe will be univerfally beneficial to 
 all parts of our European dominions; that they 
 will afford employment to multitudes, who have 
 it not at prefent ; that they will enlarge our A- 
 frican and Eajl- India as well as other foreign 
 trades *, that by increafing our navigation, they 
 will give fubfiflianc^fe to ourfeamen; and that 
 by an univerfal enlargement of our commercial 
 efforts, they will not only gradually but fpeedi- 
 ]y repair the waftes of war, promote the arts 
 and blefllngs of peace, and contribute to fix 
 the envied happinefs of this nation, with the 
 blefTing of Divine Providence, in a higher 
 degree of eminence, than was ever known be- 
 fore the reign of our prefent Sovereign, the 
 indulgent Father of a brave, adive, and loyal 
 . peopk.