former possessions, upon leases for years, and under certain stipulation. A great number, however, of the French, not choosing to live under our government, abandoned their estates, which, together with the new lands, were generally purchased by adventurers from these countries; by which means the English settlers in the island of St. Vincent, soon became considerable both as to number and property.

Though no stipulation had been made in favour of the Caribbs by the late treaty of peace, our court gave early instructions, in the year 1764, that they should not be disturbed in the possesion of their land; and the commissioners for sales were directed not to attempt any survey of them, without particular orders for that purpose.

The new settlers having time to look about them, soon observed, with regret, that the plain and fertile part of the island was in the hands of the Caribbs, to whom its valuable properties rendered it of little more advantage, than any equal extent of the rudest country would have been; their cottages being scattered at a great distance in the woods, and only small spots of ground near them cleared or cultivated. In short, fear and avarice operated strongly to make them wish the removal of the black inhabitants.

Representations were according ly made to government, as well by the principal of the new settlers, as by the commissioners of sales, to deprive the Caribbs of their possessions, and to grant them such an équivalent, whether in the island, or elsewhere, as should be thought necessary. These representations were supported by many plausible

reasons, among which the immediate profits to the crown from the sale of the lands, was strongly urged; the dangers arising to those who had already made purchases under the faith and protection of government, as well as to the island in general, from the neighbourhood of a lawless banditti, who were strongly attached to the French, with whom they held a constant correspondence in the neighbouring islands; and who, from their religion and manners, were violently averse to our people and government, were also described in the highest degree of colour'ing.

In consequence of these rèpresentations, instructions were issued by the lords of the treasury, in the beginning of the year 1768, for the survey and disposal of the lands possessed by the Caribbs; for the parts of which that were cleared and cultivated, they were to be paid a certain price per acre, in money, and were to have other lands allotted in return, sufficient for their support, in a different part of the island. The new lands were to be granted and secured in perpetuity, to them and their posterity; were to be free from all quit-rents, charges, and conditions, except peaceable behaviour, and obedience to government; were to descend among them, according to their own customs and usages of inheritance; and were to be for ever unalienable to any white per

from our first possession of the island, extremely suspicious of our designs and proceedings; and this dislike and fear operated so strongly upon them, that, some years before, they had applied to the French governor of St. Lucia, for leave to settle on that island. For which reason, the arrangement proposed by the English government excited the most general alarm amongst them.

They now concluded, that this measure was only the prelude to a design formed, either for their utter extermination, or for reducing them to a state of slavery; and a report was spread and believed amongst them, that the ancient claim of property, which the English had pretended in the persons of their ancestors, was now to be revived against themselves. In this situation, they applied to the governor of Martinique for advice and protection; the latter of which he absolutely refused, and as to the former, is said to have recommended them to a submission to government. This advice, however, had no effect upon their conduct. In answer to the applications of the commissioners, they said, that the whole island was originally their property; that however, as they had permitted the French to settle upon a part of it, their king might dispose of that part as he pleased; but that as they were not his subjects, he had no authority over them, and consequently could not grant or dispose of the part of their country, which they had reserved to themselves. They concluded, by absolutely refusing to part with their lands, or to admit of any exchange.

The commissioners notwithstand

ing, proceeded in making the survey, and advanced a road into their country. Though the Caribbs expressed great dissatisfaction and resentment at this measure, they seemed very unwilling to proceed to actual violence. Their behaviour and countenance became, however, at length so alarming, that it was thought necessary, in the beginning of May 1769, to send an officer with forty men to protect the surveyors and their people. This small detachment, having taken post in the heart of the Caribbee country, where some temporary huts had been erected for their reception, found themselves immediately so effectually surrounded, by a strong body of well-armed Caribbs, that all communication with their own people, and all means of subsistence, were entirely cut off, so that they were little less than prisoners. The prudence and temper of the officer, who considered the inequality of his force, and the extreme unwillingness which the Caribbs had hitherto shewn, of bringing matters to the last extremity, not only preserved the detachment from being cut off, but prevented the smallest violence from being offered on either side. In the mean time the surveyors and their people were so terrified, that they abandoned their work, and were permitted to retire in safety; but their huts were demolished, and the new roads broke up, so far as time would admit.

The situation and uncertain fate of the detachment caused an universal alarm, and the English settlens having taken up arms, and joined the few regular troops that were in the island, marched immediately to its relief. However, as

they

they found the detachment safe, it was not thought consistent with prudence, nor authorized by instructions from home, to proceed to violence against the Caribbs. It was agreed that nothing further should be done, until the present transactions were laid before the King and council, and their final resolutions known. The Caribbs immediately agreed to these propositions, and a stop was for that time put to the survey.

Though the planters had not a force in any degree equal to the reduction of the Caribbs, the number of the rivers in the country, and the richness of the soil through which they had now marched, operated so powerfully upon their passion, that they could not avoid expressing the regret which they felt, at being prevented from bringing matters to an immediate extremity, in terms which gave no favourable idea of their equity or humanity.

False reports were industriously raised and circulated, which kept the island in a continual alarm: the most passionate complaints were sent home: the Caribbs represented as most daring and incorrigible rebels and their own danger exaggerated in the highest degree. Nothing, less than their total extermination could now afford safety; and it was proposed to transport them to the coast of Africa, or to some desart island in that quarter. In the mean time, the lieutenantgovernor of the new islands arrived at St. Vincent's, and issued a proclamation to quiet the minds of the Caribbs, and to remove their fears and suspicions: nor do we hear of any further violence they committed than the destruction of the new roads, and the burning of

a house belonging to a person who was particularly obnoxious to them; and they quietly submitted to the imprisonment of one of their chiefs, who was suspected of the latter fact; nor does it appear that there was a single shot fired, nor a drop of blood split, in all this commotion.

Notwithstanding the warm and continual remonstrances that were made at home, government seemed still very unwilling to proceed to violence with these people. Accordingly the commissioners, in the beginning of the year 1771, held another meeting with several of their chiefs, and proposed a new partition, and exchange of lands, upon a narrower scale, and terms more favourable to them than the arrangement which had been already agitated; but every proposal for parting with their lands was rejected by the Caribbs with the greatest firmness; and on the question being demanded, whether they acknowledged themselves subjects to the King of Great-Britain, and would take the oath of allegiance, they boldly replied in the negative; said they were independent, and were not subject either to the King of Great-Britain or of France. As the continuance of our tranquillity with the courts of France and Spain seemed at that time very precarious, there is little room to doubt but that the Caribbs were spirited to this conduct by the governors of the neighbouring French islands.

April 18th.

In consequence of this contuma cy, orders were issued from home that two 1772. regiments should be sent from North America to join about an equal number that were either already at St. Vincent's, or [F] 4

that

that could be spared from the neighbouring islands for that service, which, with the assistance of his Majesty's ships upon that station, were to reduce the Caribbs to a due submission to government; or, if their obstinacy rendered that impracticable, that they might be removed from the island, to such place as should be thought most proper for their reception; the strictest orders being given at the same time that they should be furnished with proper vessels for their transportation, plentifully provided with provisions and necessaries, and treated with all imaginable humanity in their passage. It was farther directed, that, when they arrived at the place of their destination, they should be liberally supplied both with every thing necessary for their present subsistence, and for their establishment as a new colony. But it does not appear that the place to which they were to be removed was properly adapted to their reception and accommodation, or so much as clearly ascertained.

Dec. 9th.

The event of this expedition was not known, when the affair of St. Vincent's became agitated in parliament. Soon after the opening of the ses sion, upon the presenting of an estimate from the War-Office in the committee of supply, of the land service for the ensuing year, the number of troops that were stated to be in the West-India islands gave an opportunity to the gentlemen in opposition to animadvert upon this expedition, and to give notice that they would on a future day propose an enquiry into its nature, justice, and propriety, together with the motives that led to

This

so extraordinary a measure. enquiry being agreed to by administration, the matter was afterwards frequently brought up; but still deferred, in hopes of obtaining new information, and to give an opportunity of procuring and considering the necessary papers.

It was accordingly a considerable time after the Christmas recess before this affair was taken finally into consideration; when at length two general officers were examined, as to the latest accounts they had received of the state of their regiments, which were then employed on the service against the Caribbs. One of these gentlemen read part of a letter which he had received upon the subject from St. Vincent's, in which the expedition was greatly complained of, not only in respect of its having been undertaken in the rainy season, which had occasioned a great mortality among the troops; but also with regard to its injustice and cruelty, with both of which it was strongly charged by the writer, who emphatically complained, that the poor Caribbs had been very ill used; and wished, with the energy characteristic of an officer, that the contrivers and promoters of the expedition might be brought to a speedy and severe account. By the same authority it was represented, that the woods were so thick, that the Caribbs killed our men, with the greatest security to themselves, and without their being able even to see the enemy that destroyed them; and that, at the time of writing the letter, which was on the 14th of November, the troops had not been able to penetrate above four miles into their coun try.

.

. It

It was then enquired of administration, whether they had received any late accounts from that island; when, to the surprise of every body, it appeared that their latest intelligence from thence was above a month prior in date to the letter which had been read by the general. A gentleman who had been lieutenant-governor of the New Islands, was examined as to the temper, behaviour, and disposition of the Caribbs, of all which he gave a very favourable account, and represented them as a quiet inoffensive people; he was farther asked, if he had heard that the planters were envious of them for their lands, to which he answered in the affirmative; and being pressed as to particular names, mentioned one, of considerable rank and consequence in the island, and who had a principal share in all the measures that had been pursued for stripping them of their possessions.

Some officers were examined, who had served or borne command at different times in St. Vincent's; these gentlemen, in general, gave favourable accounts of the Caribbs, and attributed, entirely, their late turbulent and suspicious temper, to the attempts that had been made to deprive them of their lands: they all concurred in their accounts of the unhealthiness of the island, and particularly in the rainy season, when they declared it must prove fatal to any troops that were under a necessity of acting in it, and that the constitutions of such as escaped with life, would be totally ruined.

On the other side, one of the principal planters in the island, and of considerable rank by his

office, with some others, were examined. They, in general, described the Caribbs as a faithless, cruel, and treacherous race, who were abandoned to all manner of excesses, particularly with respect to liquor, in which state they were capable of the capable of the most barbarous actions. That, while they continued on the island, there could be no security for the persons or property of the inhabitants; they were charged with murders, robberies, with enticing the negro slaves from their masters, and destroying others whom they caught in the fields; no particular proofs were, however, brought in support of these charges. The connexions and intelligence which the Caribbs held with the French, and their application to the Governor of Martinique, for protection and as sistance, were shewn in a very dangerous light; and no care was neglected to describe the fatal consequences that must attend the island, whenever a war broke out with France, with such a deadly enemy lying in its bosom. Their mortal enmity to our government and people was also much insisted on; and it was concluded, upon the whole, that there was no other alternative, but that either his Ma jesty's natural subjects, or the Caribbs, must quit the island, if the latter are permitted to continue in their present state of independence.