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some of the indications which would lead us to conjecture 

 that this island was at one period intended for a grand 

 depot. 



" From the longr and rigorous blockade which the island 

 had sustained, and its supposed incompetency to supply the 

 demands of its population, it was expected that the inhabitants 

 must be reduced to the utmost distress. We were encouraged 

 even to believe that famine would shortly urge them to make 

 a voluntary surrender of the island; and our blockading 

 squadron are accused, I am sorry to say, of having used to 

 that effect certain accelerative measures hardly to be recon- 

 ciled with the rules of honourable warfare : firing at canoes 

 fishing within the reefs ; at the slaves engaged in the cultiva- 

 tion of the soil; and at the herds of cattle pasturing along 

 the shore. Such acts, of which I entertain, however, the 

 strongest doubts, savour too much of wantonness and revenge. 

 To the enemy they could be productive of no material injury, 

 and would serve only to foster in their breasts a sentiment of 

 inveterate hostility to the British nation. 



" Tiiough by our attack on the island, its voluntary sur- 

 render, if such a measure was ever in contemplation, was 

 anticipated; yet in faithful reliance on the reports of our 

 naval commanders, we expected to meet on our landing with 

 a set of half-starved, extenuated wretches, crawling about in 

 the last stage of existence. Guess therefore our astonishment 

 on finding ourselves surrounded with a stout, healthy, athletic 

 race, firm on their limbs, and so far from displaying any of 

 the usual symptoms of famine, that we could remark among 

 them divers individuals whose rotundity of carcase would do 

 honour to a corporation of aldermen. We found beef and 

 mutton {alias goat) rather dear, but by no means scarce; and 

 all other articles in profusion : the shops full of English 

 merchandise, selling at nearly the London prices. 



" The Isle of France was discovered by Portuguese 

 navigators in the year 1505. They found it without in- 

 habitants,* and covered with an impenetrable forest. Such 



" • I do not recollect, in the history of naval discoveries, another instance of 



