The rainy season occasioned great mortality among the troops. The woods were so thick, that the Caribs killed the soldiers with the greatest security to themselves, and without their being able even to see the enemy which destroyed them. By the middle of November, the troops had not been able to penetrate above four miles into the country.

At daylight upon the 31st of August, a heavy gale of wind from the N. E., at St. Christopher's, blew down several sugarworks, and destroyed most of the plantations. At noon the gale abated, and the inhabitants thought the storm was over; but the wind shifted suddenly to the S. W. by S., and came on with increased violence. Almost every house, sugar-mill, tree, and plant at Basse Terre, Sandy Point, and Old Road was blown down or very much damaged several persons were killed, and a great number dangerously wounded. The damage was estimated at 500,000 sterling.

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At St. Eustatia, 400 houses, on the higher grounds, were destroyed or rendered untenantable; all the plantation houses, except two, were blown down; and the Dutch church was blown into the sea.

At Saba, 180 houses were blown down.

At St. Martin's, very few houses were left standing, and all the plantations were destroyed.

At Antigua, all the men of war, except one, were driven on shore, and several ships foundered at their anchors in St. John's roads.

At Dominica, eighteen vessels were driven on shore and lost. Montserrat and Nevis had scarcely a house left standing.

At Santa Cruz, the sea rose seventy feet above its usual height, and carried away every thing before it. Large stones were washed down from the mountains; meteors, like balls of fire, made visible the horrors of the night; 460 houses were thrown down at Christianstadt. All the houses in Frederickstadt, but three, were destroyed; and all the magazines and stores quite ruined. Every ship at the island was driven on shore, some of them 100 yards on the land. The damage was estimated at 5,000,000 of dollars.

At St. Thomas, the damage was estimated at 200,000 dollars. The Dispatch sloop of war was sent home express with an account of the hurricane, and foundered upon the passage. The crew were saved by his Majesty's ship Panther.

Lieutenant-General James Adolphus Oughton was appointed, the 18th of December, lieutenant-governor of Antigua, in the room of Francis Lord Hawley, deceased.

1773.

After a long investigation in the House of Commons, by the opponents of Lord North's administration, it was finally resolved, that the conduct pursued towards the Caribs in St. Vincent's "was founded in injustice, and reflected dishonour on the national character; as being apparently a violation of the natural rights of mankind, and totally subversive of that liberty it gloried to defend." This conclusion was productive of immediate orders to the commanders of the expedition, to suspend hostilities against the Caribs, and to negociate a treaty with them upon reasonable terms. The orders arrived opportunely for the Caribs, who must have surrendered at discretion in a very few days. Surrounded by sea and land, their circle of action became every day more contracted, their bodies, worn down by continual watching and fatigue, demonstrated that they were reduced to the last extremity. In obedience to his instructions, General Dalrymple made overtures of peace, and concluded the following treaty with them:

Upon the 17th of February, a treaty of peace was signed by General Dalrymple, on the part of His Britannic Majesty, and the chiefs of Grand Sable, Masiraca, Rabacca, Macaricaw, Byera, Coubamaron, Jambon, Colourie, Camacarabou, Ourawarou, and Point Espaniol, for themselves and the rest of the Caribs of St. Vincent's.

"Art. 1. All hostile proceedings are to cease.

"2. The Caribs shall acknowledge his Majesty to be the rightful sovereign of St. Vincent, take an oath of fidelity to him as their King, and lay down their arms.

"3. They shall submit themselves to the laws, and the governor shall have power to enact further regulations."

This article only respects their transactions with his Majesty's subjects, not being Indians — their intercourse and customs with each other in the quarters allotted them, not being affected by it.

"All new regulations to receive the governor's approbation.

"4. A portion of lands, from the River Byera to Point Espaniol on the one side, and from the River Anilibou to Point Espaniol on the other, according to lines to be drawn from the sources of the rivers to the tops of the mountains, shall be allotted for the residence of the Caribs. The rest of

Coke's West Indies, vol. ii. p. 187.

Edwards, vol. i. pp. 424. 448, 449.

the lands formerly inhabited by them, for the future to belong entirely to his Majesty.

5. Those lands shall not be alienated, but to persons properly authorized by his Majesty to receive them.

6. Roads, batteries, &c. shall be made as his Majesty pleases. 7. No undue intercourse to be allowed with the French islands.

8. Runaway slaves to be given up, under a penalty of forfeiture of lands. Carrying them off the island, to be a capital crime.

9. Persons guilty of capital crimes against the English to be given up.

10. The Caribs to assist his Majesty's subjects against their enemies.

"11. The three chains to remain to his Majesty.

"12. All plots to be made known to the government.

"13. Leave is given to the Caribs to depart the island with their families.

"14. Free access to the Carib quarters to be given to persons properly empowered to take runaway slaves.

15. Deserters and runaway slaves to be given up.

"16. The chiefs of the different quarters to render an account of the names and number of the inhabitants.

"17. The Caribs to attend the governor whenever required. "18. All possible facility to be afforded the Caribs in their trade.

"19. Entire liberty of fishing, as well on the coast of St. Vincent's as at the neighbouring quays, to be allowed them. "20. Whenever the Caribs consider themselves injured, and are desirous of having reference to the laws, they may employ an agent themselves, or, if more agreeable, at his Majesty's cost.

"21. No strangers or white persons to be allowed to settle among the Caribs, without leave.

"22. These articles subscribed to and observed, the Caribs are to be pardoned, secured, and fixed in their property.

"23. After the signing of this treaty, should any of the Caribs refuse to observe the condition of it, they are to be treated as enemies by both parties.

24. The Caribs shall take the following oath :- We, A. B. do swear, in the name of the immortal God and Christ Jesus, that we will bear true allegiance to his Majesty George the Third, &c. &c. &c. and that we will pay due obedience to the laws of Great Britain and the island of St. Vincent, and will well and truly observe every article of the treaty concluded between

his said Majesty and the Caribs: and we do acknowledge that his said Majesty is rightful lord and sovereign of all the island of St. Vincent, and that the lands held by us the Caribs are granted through his Majesty's clemency."

Signed by twenty-eight Caribs and General Dalrymple.

The English lost upon this expedition 150 in killed and wounded, 110 by the climate, and there were 428 upon the sick list when the treaty was signed.

A botanic garden was established at Jamaica, under the sanction of the Assembly.

The Dutch finished their defences against the Maroons, by surrounding the colonies of Surinam and Berbice with a cordon and forts at small intervals. The peace establishment of troops was 150 regulars in Surinam and 250 in Berbice, all in the Company's service, with one battalion provided by the states general. All the Whites able to bear arms were members of the militia, and amounted to 2000 men.

The exports from Demerary and Essequibo employed twelve ships, and consisted of 3775hhds. of sugar, 1001 tierces and 8613 bags of coffee, and 181 bales of cotton.

The population of the Bahama Islands was estimated at 2052 Whites, and 2241 Blacks.

America supplied the British West India islands with 132,440 barrels of flour.

Mr. Long says, "The inhabitants of the Grand Cayman, which is the only one of the group constantly inhabited, were estimated at 160 white men, women and children. They are descendants of the buccaneers, and their principal occupation is the turtle fishery. They have a chief of their own choosing, and regulations of their own framing; and some justices of the peace appointed by commission from the governor of Jamaica. Their governor and magistrates decide all controversies without appeal. Their single men and women who wish to marry go to Jamaica for that purpose. The island contains about 1000 acres, has several sorts of timber, and some springs of tolerable water."

The population of Barbadoes was returned at 18,532 Whites, and 68,548 slaves.

"These accounts, which were furnished by Mr. Agent Brathwaite, are from lists given in upon oath, and are therefore

Annual Register, 1773, p. 92.

Edwards, vol. i. p. 259.

Brougham's Colonial Policy, book i. sect. 3. p. 364.

Bolinbroke's Voyage to Demerary, Appendix.

Coke's West Indies, vol. iii. p. 198. Sir W. Young's Common place Book, p. 93.

Long's Jamaica, vol. i. p. 310.

Report of the Lords of the Committee, 1789, Supplement to No. 15.

nearer the truth than the lists, which, being sent into the secretary's office by the churchwardens, are from thence transmitted by the governor."

The population of Dominica was returned at 3350 Whites, 750 free Negroes, and 18,753 slaves. Lieutenant-Governor Stuart stated, that 6000 Negroes were annually necessary, which would cost £30 per head.

The governor of the Bahamas reported the population of those islands at 2052 Whites, and 2241 slaves.

Mr. Long says, " In the French islands, the rapidity of their settlement, their astonishing increase, and the good order by which they are sustained and conducted the whole is the work of a wise policy, and a right turn their government has taken.

"In the English colonies, where no systematic order prevails -where almost every thing, in respect to their policy, their taxation, the administration of government and justice, their population, and their trade, is wrong, or left to chance- for whom the mother state contrives no plans, executes no regulations, except to draw a present tribute from them, we do not observe the like flourishing progression, and they would very soon decline into their original wilderness, if it were not for that persevering spirit of industry so peculiar to the English, and which is the result of their liberty."

The reader will perhaps see, that from Mr. Long's premises quite a contrary conclusion must be drawn-and that their boasted Assemblies are answerable for the difference, and not the British government.

The following description of the militia in Jamaica, being drawn by a favourable hand, cannot be suspected of any injurious bias: In general the horse make the best appearance; but so little regard is paid to the training of their horses, that very few are broke to stand fire: so that, when a public review is exhibited, it is not unusual to see a whole squadron, at the very first volley, thrown into disorder, the ranks broken, some galloping off the field, others laid prostrate, and hats, perriwigs, and arms scattered through the air. But even this spectacle is not so laughable as the appearance of the foot in some parts of the island. They are seen accoutred with fire-arms of unequal size, some being of four and others two feet length in the barrel, muskets, musketoons, and fowling-pieces, many of which are half-eaten with rust; the men unequally matched and ranged, men of four feet height and of six being jumbled together, clad in different-coloured cloathes, some in jackets and trowsers, some

Report of the Lords of the Committee, 1789, Supplement to No. 15.