368 HISTORY OF [BOOK IF, 



juncture, under orders to embark for St. Domingo; 

 they hoped, therefore, by the specious and delusive 

 appearance of desiring a conference, to quiet suspi- 

 cion, until the July fleet was sailed, and the regulars 

 fairly departed. In the meanwhile, they pleased 

 themselves with the hope of prevailing on the negro 

 slaves throughout the island to join them: and by 

 rising in a mass, to enable them to exterminate the 

 whites at a blow. 



The very day the conference was held, they began 

 tampering with the negroes on the numerous and ex- 

 tensive plantations in the neighbourhood of Monte- 

 go bay.* On some of these plantations their emis- 

 saries were cordially received and secreted: on others, 

 the slaves themselves voluntarily apprized their over- 

 seers, that the Maroons were endeavouring to seduce 

 them from their allegiance. Information of this na- 

 ture was transmitted from many respectable quarters; 

 but most of the gentlemen who had visited the Ma- 

 roons on the 20th, were so confident of their .fidelity 

 and affection, that the governor, disbelieving the 

 charges against them, was prevailed on to let the 

 troops embark as originally intended, and they actu- 

 ally sailed from Port Royal on the morning of the 

 29th, under convoy of the Success frigate. 



In the course of that, and the two succeeding days, 

 however, such intelligence was received at the go- 

 vernment house, as left no possible room to doubt the 



* Trelawney town is situated within twenty miles of the town and har- 

 bour of Montego bay. 



