A. D. 1722. 125 



mander, that the French forces {hould, in like manner, leave St. Lucia 

 in its former neutral flate, till there {liould be a final decifion made be- 

 tween the two crowns. Upon which one obvious remark is fufficient, 

 viz. that either certain previous ftipulations fhould have been made 

 between the two crowns for the duke's people to be permitted to fettle 

 on thofe ifles, or elfe a much greater force fliould have been fent to 

 proted: them. St. Lucia being fo near to Martinico, the French would 

 probably hazard even a war with Britain, rather than let us pofiefs and 

 improve it, fince thereby we fhould have been enabled farther to fecure 

 our Leeward illands ; feeing no confiderable armament could be made 

 at Martinico but what would be prefently known at St, Lucia. 



This unfortunate expedition is faid to have cofl the duke no lefs a 

 fum than L4o,ooo, the greateft and mofl expcnfive undertaking at- 

 tempted by any one fubjed: in Chriftendom, on his own fingle bottom ; 

 the tradefmen being allowed from L25 to L30, and the officers from 

 L50 to L400 per annum, for a year and a half, befides the fliipping, 

 provifions, ammunition, artillery, military and naval flores, 8cc. all at 

 the duke's expenfe. It is certain that the iflands of St. Lucia, St. Vin- 

 cent, and Dominica, are, and always have been, included in the gover- 

 nor of Barbados's commillion ; the title whereof runs thus, viz. ' Cap- 

 ' tain-general and governor of Barbados, and the reft of the Caribbee 



* ifles to the windward of Guadaloupe.' 



In November 1730, according to a work intitled, the Britifh empire 

 in America, we find the following inftrucftions from King George II to 

 Mr. Worfley, governor of Barbados, relating to St. Lucia, viz. 



' Whereas the French for fome years have claimed a right to the 



* ifland of St. Lucia, and do infift that the right to the iflands of St. 



* Vincent and Dominica, under your government, is in the "Carrib- 



* beans now inhabiting the fame, although we have an undoubted right 

 ' to all the faid iflands, yet we have thought fit to agree with the French 

 ' court, that, until our right fliall be determined, the faid iflands fliall 

 ' be entirely evacuated by both nations. You are accordingly to figni- 



* fy the fame to ilich of our fubjecls as fliall be found inhabiting any of 



* our faid iflands, that they do forthwiih quit the fame, until the right 



* fliall be determined as aforefaid. And you are to ufe your bcft en- 

 ' deavour, that no (hips of our fubjecls, nor of any other nation, do fre- 



* quent the laid iflands during the time aforefaid, excepting only for 

 ' wood and water.' 



In the very next month, viz. in December the fame year, 1730, (that 

 we may take in all at once what relates to this fubjedl) the French king's 

 inflruclions to Mr. de Champigny, his governor of Martinico, are in 

 lubltance, ' that the Engliih have for fome years pafl made pretenfions 

 ' to the ifland of St. Lucia, which belongs to me, and to which I have 

 ' an inconteftable right : the fame pretenfions they have laid 10 the 



