XX. ficiently excited by thefe calumnies, the French CHAP. fupplied them with fire-arms, and encouraged hoftilities. THE removal of four companies of the regiment ftationed at St. Vincent's to Dominica, was the figual for armed oppofition, and at that crifis they attacked the furveyors. THE planters of St. Vincent's were in daily Alarms expectation of a war with France; and faw that andrein the defencelefs ftate of the itland, furrounded mon by a numerous and inveterate enemy, well of the armed, and difciplined by French fugitives, plantas. their property and lives were on a moli infecure and hazardous tenure. Rumours of projected maffacres and conflagrations were circulated. The planters reprefented their condition with anxiety and folicitude, and all their difpatches to government, after the late commotion, carneftly requefied an augmentation of the armed force. Avarice too had its fhare in thefe reprefentations; as the letter of Mr. Alexander expreffed in ftrong terms his impatience at being reftrained from extremities, his reluctance at leaving fo foon that fine cream part of the island, and his hopes that his abfence from it would be but fhort. not-go THE lieutenant-governor, however, endea- Eforts of voured to reftore tranquillity; he embodied the the hentemilitia, and iffued a mild and temperate pro- vernor, clamation to the Carribs. He forwarded to 10th June, government, by the hands of the fpeaker of the 1799. aflembly, a correct delineation of the fate of the colony, but forcibly reprefented the impoffibility of retaining an advantageous poletion while fo large a portion of the island was occupied by the negroes, without any mixture of i See the papers in Debrett's Debates, vol. vi. p. 346 to 355. XX. 66 CHAP. white inhabitants, as they must continue uncivilized, lawlefs, difaffected, ufelefs, and prone, in cafe of war, to join the enemy. He alfo obferved, that," as from the moft exact calcula"tions they could not exceed a thoufand fighting men, though headed by feveral intelligent and refolute chiefs; another regiment properly difpofed, affitted by his majefiy's thips, together with fome expence for prefents, and other incidental charges, would "infure their fubmiflion to government, with "little or no bloodthed; the white inhabitants "could then live peaceably among them, and "the expence would be greatly overpaid by the "fale of the lands."* Orders of government. 1769. THE British cabinet was not influenced by thefe reprefentations to adopt rath or violent meafures. The earl of Hillborough, in a pru4th Aug. dent and temperate letter to Fitzmaurice, approved his meafures of defence, authorifed him, in cafe of continued hoftility, to make applica tion to general Gage, at New York, for additional troops; but exprefsly ordered him, at the fame time, to tranfmit to the general a full and explicit reprefentation of the ftate of the island, a minute explanation of his reafons for making fuch requifition, and his motives for fixing on any precife number of men.' ribs. ELATED with their fuccefs in oppofing the Increafing infolence furveyors, the black Carribs increafed in infoof the Car-lence and ferocity. They fent an embafly to count d'Ennery, or d'Henri, governor of Martinico, offering, with a fmall afhitance, to cut off all the English, and deftroy their fettlements. * See Fitzmaurice's letter to lord Hillsborough, Debrett's Debates, vol. vi. p. 356, and his proclamation, p. 361. 1 See lord Hillsborough's letter to lieutenant-governor Fitzmau• rice, ibid. F.355. The XX. The humanity of the French governor pre- CHAP. vented his acceding to this horrible propofition, and as the militia was foon afterwards raifed, the Carribs for a fhort period affected an humble and fubmiffive tone. Yet they continued an illicit intercourfe with the French' iflands, and the fucceffor of count d'Ennery, as well as the governor of St. Lucia, appear to have encouraged them in acts of hoftility and infubordination. The Carribs ufed continual endeavours to feduce or even freal the flaves belonging to the planters; cruelly murdering thofe who would not work or confent to be fold to the French. Although the magiftrates received full information of the names and refidences of the perpetrators of thefe enormities, they durft not attempt punithing them: the Carribs, armed and infulting, traverfed every part of the British territory, while their jealoufy guarded every accefs to their own domain." They blocked up the high road, burned the houfes of obnoxious perfons, and threatened to deftroy the king's barracks at Prince's Bay, a fettled part of the country, far diftant from that which they inhabited or claimed. the plan THESE Violences, and the alarms they ex- Reprefencited, occafioned many applications to the king tations of and council, fupported by affidavits and docu- ters to the ments, to prove the dangerous connection be- king: tween the Carribs and the French. The pro- 22d June, prietors of lands, in their memorial, demon- 1770. ftrated, that the defence of the whole colony iu cafe of a war would be incumbent on them, while the Carribs not only forbad all approach See reports of Mr. Maitland and others, in Debrett's Debates, vol. vi. p. 366. Idein. p. 367. Report of the commiffioners, Debrett's Debates, vol. vi. p. 378. CHAP. to great part of the island, but were ready with XX. a fuperior force to aflift the enemy. The planters difclaimed every with to treat the favages with inhumanity, but merely required protection for their lives and properties, for the purpofe of enjoying, advantageously, the estates which they had purchafed under the exprefs 26th July, guaranty of the crown. The commiffioners for the fale of lands, in a report to the board of 1769. trade, certified many of the fame facts, and the 29th Mar. board, in their reprefentation to the king, concurred in the neceffity of increafing the infular military eftablishment. 1770. Deputa tion of the Carribs to STILL the miniftry was defirous to avoid extremities, and governor Melville, in confeGrenada. quence of the indulgent and favourable orders tranfmitted to him, received with kindnefs a deputation of about fifty Carribs, who attended him at Grenada, and endeavoured to exculpate themfelves from the charge of difaffection to the British government, and undue intercourfe with the French.° 25th Jan. 1771. between British commif the Car ribs. INFLUENCED by governor Melville's repreInterview fentations, the miniftry again fent inftructions to the commiffioners, who obtained an interview with the principal Carribs, at a place fioners and called Morne Garou, and made a very liberal proffer for the purchafe of about four thousand acres of practicable land, which they only claimed but did not inhabit, with an affurance, that the reft of their poffeffions fhould be inalienably fecured; but the Carribs pofitively and inflexibly refufed to permit a fettlement in any part of the country over which they extended a claim. Being afked, whether they would take the oath of allegiance as fubjects • His letter giving an account of the interview, is dated 5th July, 1770. Debates, vol. vi. p. 375. to XX. 1771. to the king of Great Britain, one, in the name CHAP. of the reft, anfwered, they were equally independent of the kings of Great Britain and France; but confefied a great partiality to the French, and faid, the governor of Martinico had promifed them protection, if they obeyed his orders in refufing to furrender any portion of land. This explicit avowal, combined with the general tenour of the conference, convinced the commiffioners, that the Carribs aced intirely under French influence. The chief did not appear difinclined to accede to the propofals, but the principal fpeaker, who feemed to poffefs the greatest thare of influence, had refided in Martinico from his infancy, and was but lately returned to St. Vincent's. IN reporting thefe tranfactions, the commif- 16th Oct. fioners reprefented the impoffibility of fo fmall 1771. Report of an ifland continuing long divided between a the comcivilized people, and favages bound by no ties mithioners of law or religion; exempt, by their fituation, from fear of punishment, and prompt at the earliest inftigation to ruin the colony. They obferved, that the fale of the land was no longer the most important object; but the honour of the crown became concerned for the protection of its fubjects against a lawlcfs race, who might commit any kind of violence without control; and they recommended the former plan of making a road and mixing white inhabitants among the natives.P French. TuE alarms of the people of St. Vincent's Trenchery received an additional impulfe, from the inter- of the ception of a letter from the governor of St. Lucia, in which the Carribs were treated as an independent people; the French complained of See Debates, vol. iv. p. 363. |