196 HISTORY OF THE [BOOK ir. 



mediately charged the enemy with such vigour, as 

 entirely to change the fortune of the day. The French 

 retreated to their ships, and Du Casse soon after- 

 wards returned to Hispaniola with his ill-gotten 

 booty. 



In 1712, on the 28th of August, and again on the 

 same day of the same month in the year 1722, la- 



j j j \j 



maica was shaken to its foundations by a dreadful hur- 

 ricane. This day, therefore, as well as the seventh 

 of June, the colonial legislature has, by an act of 

 assembly, piously set apart for fasting and humilia- 

 tion, and I wish I could add, that its commemora- 

 tion annually, is as exemplary among all ranks of peo- 

 ple as the occasion was signal. 



The next important occurrence in the history of this 

 island, was the pacification concluded in 1738, with 

 the hostile negroes called Maroons ; but the respite 

 which this treaty afforded the inhabitants from intes- 

 tine commotion was of short duration. In 1760, the 

 very existence of the colony was endangered by a re- 

 volt of the enslaved negroes. As, however, some 

 particulars of this affair will be given in a subsequent 

 part of my w r ork, when J come to treat generally of 

 negro slavery, and of the condition and character of 

 the newly imported Africans, it is unnecessary for 

 me, in this place, to enlarge upon the subject. 



The co-operation of the people whom I have just 

 mentioned, the Maroons, in suppressing the revolt of 



