XX. 1773. advantage without many humiliating conceffions and CHA P. mortifying infults; they were obliged to fubmit, without refiftance, to all the caprices of favage licentiouf nefs, to permit the feduction of their flaves, the plun. der and burning of their eftates, and to compromise with the black Carribs under terms of the most abje& and degrading fubmiffion. They hoped, by temporifing, to gain an entire afcendancy, and, for that reafon, endeavoured to live on amicable terms with the ferocious Carribs, to whom they imparted a small knowledge of the catholic religion, affecting toward them an extraordinary attachment. Arrange ments in the treaty of Aix la-Chapelle; WHILE Saint Vincent's, and other islands inhabited by the Carribs, were thus anxioufly coveted by the French, they were no lefs objects of defire to the English; but after a long and ineffectual contest, it was agreed by the treaty of Aix-la Chapelle, in 1748, that those islands fhould be confidered neutral, the property being vefted in the Carribs, but the European fubjects retaining their private poffeflions. Both nations were afterwards diffatisfied with this arrangement, in which, from mutual jealoufy, they had conceded their own rights into the hands of a race who were not parties to the contract... In the negotiation at the peace of 1762, they adopted a contrary fyftem, and with of 1762. out naming the Carribs, or adverting to their claims, real or imaginary, the islands of Dominica, St. Vincent's, and Tobago, were allotted to Great Britain, while France kept poffeffion of St. Lucia. The following inftance is given by the Abbé Raynal. "The black Carribs, conquerors and mafters of all the leeward coaft, required of the Europeans, that they thould again buy the lands they had already purchafed. A Frenchman attempted to fhew the deed of conveyance from a red Carrib; I know nɔt, fays a black Carrib, what thy paper fays; but read what is written on my arrow. There you may fee, in characters which do not lie, that if you do not give me what I demand, I will go and burn your house to-night.” In this account I have principally followed Edwards's hiftory of the Weft Indies, vol. i. b. iii. chap. 3, with occafional references to Raynal, Guthrie, and the papers produced to the houfe of commons. MANY СНАР. XX. 1773. government MANY of the French inhabitants, on the arrival of the English, left St. Vincent's, and the Carribs alfo folicited from the French governor of St. Lucia, Proceedings permiffion to fettle there, which was refused. A comof the British miffion was framed for furveying and difpofing of the with refpect lands; but although no ftipulation was made in the treaty of peace, the lords of the treafury forbad the commiffioners to fuffer any furvey of the territory inhabited or claimed by the Carribs, till the receipt of further inftructions, that their numbers, difpofitions, and fettlements might be more fully known. to the lands. 24th Mar. 1764. Conduct of AT firft, the Carribs, uncertain of their future the Carribs. destiny, fhewed the utmost humility, and in compliance with the propofitions of government, many of them took the oaths of allegiance, and were received as fubjects, fhowing a perfect understanding of the tranfaction, expreffing themselves much favoured and obliged by being placed on fuch a footing, and confenting to give up fuch lands as they could not culti vate. Afterward, however, when they understood the nature of the inftructions to the commiflioners, and had received advice from the French, they claimed more land, than could be useful, or than, under other circumftances, they would have prefumed to demand". 1767. memorial. 11th April AFTER three years, William Young, efq. firft com. Mr. Young's miffioner for the fale of lands, in a memorial to the treasury, ftated, that the total number of Carribs did not exceed two thoufand, including women and children the original Carribs being reduced to a very small number, living remote from the blacks, and under continual apprehenfions from their known ferocity. The black Carribs were fcattered over the most extensive and fineft part of the island, but they cultivated only a fmall portion of the land in detached See report of Mr. Maitland and other perfons concerned in the island of St. Vincent, to lord Hillsborongh; Debrett's Debates, vol. vi. p. 366. e See Memoir of Mr. William Young; Debrett's Debates, vol. vi. p. 339. pieces, XX. 1773. pieces, principally relying on hunting and fifhing for CHA P., fubfiftence. As it would be dangerous to the colonists that these lands fhould remain in the poffeffion of lawless favages, Mr. Young requested further instructions, intimating that it would be proper to protect the red Carribs; as permitting their extermination by the blacks, would be repugnant to humanity; and he confidered, as a fubject of curious fpeculation, the adoption of fuch meafures as would reconcile the happiness of both races of Carribs, with the fafety and welfare of the Britifh fubjects'. Survey IN pursuance of Mr. Young's recommendation, the Jan. 1768. lords of the treafury inftructed the commiffioners to ordered. furvey and difpofe of certain parts of the island claimed by the Carribs; but not to attempt removing them until notice of the whole arrangement and defign fhould be fully imparted to, and understood by their chiefs. Humanity, mildnefs, and attention: to the habits and convenience of the Carribs were expressly enjoined; the commiffioners were restricted from receiving fees, directed to avoid violence, and to observe the strictest good faith in their transactions. In the lands allotted in exchange no quit-rent was to be reserved, and the Carribs were to receive the fum of four johannes, or feven pounds four fhillings fterling, for every acre they had cleared . Proceedings ON receipt of thefe inftructions, the king's fur- May 1769. veyors began to examine the country, and make a of the comroad. The black Carribs, filled with alarm and in milioners. Hoftility of dignation, affembled two hundred men in arms, and, the black loudly declaring their refolution to maintain their free- Carribs. dom and preferve their lands, infulted and obftructed the furveyors, and furrounding a detachment of forty men, fent to guard them, cut off every fupply of water and provifion. Mr. Alexander, prefident of * See this memorial at length, Debrett's Debates, vol. vi. P. 336. Debrett's Debates, vol. vi. p. 342. the XX. 1773. Arrange ment. CHAP. the council, acting for the governor in his abfence, collected a hundred troops, but having pofitive inftructions to avoid hoftilities, propofed to fufpend making the road, and defift from all proceedings, till further orders from the king, of which he would. give due notice: the Carribs, fatisfied with this declaration, promifed to return quietly to their habitations; the forty men were liberated, and tranquillity reftored without bloodfhed". violences. Theirfurther AN appeal to force now feemed inevitable. The Carribs declared their refolution not to fuffer the proceeding of the furveyors: prevented the military from going to their new barracks at Mercérika; pulled down the houfe allotted for that purpose; denied fubjection to the king, and refolved to preferve their independence. After the arrangements with Mr.. Alexander, they broke up the road begun by the. troops and furveyors, burned the huts erected for. their use, and committed many ravages on the neighbouring plantations. The red Carribs did not inter-. fere in the conteft, and the lords of the treasury thewed humane attention toward them, by directing, that if the remains of this unfortunate people wished to be settled apart from the negroes, their inclination fhould be complied with. Artifices of NOR would the black Carribs probably have fhewn. the French. fo determined an oppofition, on a point of no importance to them, but for the artful inftigation of the French, who used all means to excite antipathy against the English; even the little information they imparted of the catholic religion was fubfervient to this purpose; and in execrating the British name, the Carribs did not forget to ftigmatize them as heretics. For fome time after the peace, however, no instance See lieutenant-governor Fitzmaurice's letter to lord Hillsborough; Mr. Wm. Young's letter to Harry Alexander; the letter of Mr. Alexander to lieutenantgovernor Fitzmaurice, and the memorials and fubfequent papers, paffim. Debrett's Debates, vol. v. p. 346, et seq. of XX. 1773. of difaffection had appeared, except that of maintain- CHAP ing a contraband intercourfe with the French inhabitants of St. Lucia and Martinique, and declining all commerce with the English in St. Vincent's. From the vicinity of St. Lucia, and the ancient habits of the Carribs, this preference might have been confidered of fmall importance, had not the malignant genius of the French foon rendered it extremely dangerous. The Carribs were inftigated to refift the claims of England by French emiffaries, whofe intrigues in the Weft Indies formed a part of the plan which prompted the attack on the British property at Falkland's Iflands. They taught the black Carribs to believe, that, as they were mostly defcended from a race of flaves, bound in an English fhip to Barbadoes, the heir of the owner had obtained an order to feli them as his property; and when animofity was thus fufficiently excited, the French 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 fignal for armed oppofition, and at that crifis they attacked the furveyors. Ru remonftran THE planters of St. Vincent's were in daily expec- Alarms and tation of a war with France; and faw that in the es of the defenceless ftate of the ifland, furrounded by a nu planters. merous and inveterate enemy, well armed, and difciplined by French fugitives, their property and lives were on a moft infecure and hazardous tenure. mours of projected maffacres and conflagrations were circulated. The planters defcribed their condition in terms denoting anxiety and folicitude, and all their dispatches to government, after the late commotion, earnestly requested an augmentation of the armed force. Avarice too had its fhare in these representations, as the letter of Mr. Alexander strongly expreffed his impatience at being restrained from extremi, 8 ties, |