A View of the Past and 



probable Ibat not one of tlie part)- would 

 have escnped. 



The next signal defeat of the wliites 

 was tliat of a dclachnient of the 83d 

 regiment and a party of the Aceoni- 

 pong-town Maroons, commanded by 

 Colonel Fiteii, wherein that officer, 

 eight soldiers of (he 83d, Captain Bris- 

 set of Fort Charlotte, and two of the 

 friendly Maroons, were killed, and 

 fourteen of the party wounded. It is 

 here to be remarked, that the Aerom- 

 pong-town Maroons, not being impli- 

 cated in the quarrel of the insurgent 

 tribe, joined the whiles, in virtue of 

 the treaty made with their forel'athers 

 by Governor Trelawny. But they were 

 at best a doubtful and unwilling ally, 

 and after this defeat, they retired to 

 their town, and refused to fig'it any 

 more, — a resolution which the whites 

 were not in a condition to oppose ; 

 glad, indeed, in the then poslicre of 

 their affairs, to sccin-e their neulralify. 



The insurgent Maroons now formed 

 themselves into different parties, each 

 commanded by some daring and skilful 

 captain, and attacked the whites at 

 different points. Their policy was, not 

 openly to face the parties of their ad- 

 versaries, but to cut them off in detail. 

 By means of their scouts and spies, tlioy 

 learnt the route of small dctac'uucnis 

 and escorts, which they ambushed and 

 destroyed. On one occasion they killed 

 every man of a detachment of regulars, 

 convoying provisions to one of the 

 posts. Their parties spread among the 

 remoter settlements, where there were 

 no troops stationed, reducing the build- 

 ings to ashes, and massacreing the in- 

 bal>iiants, — too often under circumstan- 

 ces of the most savage barbarity. 

 'J'error and dismay now began to spread 

 among the whites; great numhers of 

 them had perished, while it was not 

 distinctly ascertained that a single 

 Maroon had fallen in action ; such 

 negroes as had been killed, in sur- 

 prising their encampments, being fugi- 

 tiTc slaves' who had joined them, or 

 been forced into their si;rvict\and made 

 scouts and scntincds of. It was, iu 

 short, found that the whole military 

 strength of the island was not a match 

 for this handiul of Maroons : and fear- 

 ful auguries began to he entertained aa 

 to lb'! issue of the contest. 



In this state of affairs. Lord Ralcarras, 

 with the advice of his council, and the 

 earnest recommendation of the prin- 

 cipal inhabitants, resolved to send to 

 thu island uf Cuba fur bluud-huunds, 



Present Slate of Jamaica, 5Q0 



for the purpose of employing them 

 against the rebellious Maroons — a new 

 and terrible expedient, which nothing 

 but dire necessity could have induced 

 his lordship to have recourse to. His 

 object was to terrify the Maroons into 

 submission, by the introduction of 

 these animals, and thus save the 

 country, and put a stop to the horrible 

 brirbarilies of those savages. H« 

 judged right as to the eflVct these 

 canine allies woi:ld produce. The 

 exaggerated accounts which some run- 

 away slaves conveyed to the Maroons 

 of the strength and ferocity of the 

 dogs struck them with terror: in a 

 short time after their intro<!uction, a 

 |)arly of forty IMaroons came in and 

 surrendered themselves ; and in two 

 nionllis alter, (March Ibtii, 179G,) the 

 whole surrendered, by caiiitnlalion, t» 

 General Walpole. 'i'lie terms were, 

 that their lives should be spared, and 

 that they should be suffered to remain in 

 the country, under the wliites, as before. 

 This last article the governor and assem- 

 biy conceived to be higlily impolitic, 

 and they therefore refused to ratify it. 

 It was justly considered, that, thougli 

 these people would remain for a time, 

 from com])ulsion, aj)parently submissive 

 and peaceable, they would yet brood 

 over their hatred to the whites, and 

 .secretly meditate a future and signal 

 vengeance, when some fit opportunity 

 offered. I'hey were, therefore, trans- 

 ported, at the expence of the island, to 

 Nova Scotia, and subsequently, as the 

 climate of that region was too cold for 

 them, to Sierra licone, in Africa. 



CONSTITUTION. 



The constitution of Jamaica confinned 

 in a very unsettled state until 1728, 

 when it was permanently settled by an 

 agreement with the crown. During the 

 first five years that the island was in 

 possession of the English, an absolute 

 military government existed. In \C>GO 

 the governor (Colonel D'Oyly) admi- 

 nistered the government in conjunction 

 with a council of twelve, chosen by the 

 inhabitants. 'J'his was the first advance 

 towards a representative system. 



In 1603, the first general assembly 

 was summoned by Sir Charles Little- 

 tun, then governor; and, on the 20th of 

 January, IfiGl, they met. They exer- 

 cised the right of adjourning themselves. 

 Soon after the restoration, an arbitrary 

 constitution was formed for the islan<l, 

 as a |)unishment for refusing a revenue 

 to the crown of foin° and a half |)er cent, 

 uu the gross produce uf the i.sland ; but 



it 



