A. D. 1778. 627 



The fituation of it between the French iflands of Guadaloupe and 

 Martinique, both in fight, renders it a pofl of |great importance in time 

 of war ; and accordingly no pains nor expenfe were fpared in fortifying 

 it. But fortifications and guns are of no avail without men. The 

 whole military force fl:ationed in the illand confided oi Jix officers and 

 ninety-four privates, when it was attacked by the marquis de Bouille, 

 the governor-general of Martinique, (7''' September) with a large fleet 

 of frigates and privateers, carrying above 2,000 regular troops befides 

 a crowd of vohmteers. After a gallant defence by the few foldiers and 

 the Britifh part of the militia (for the French inhabitants difappeared 

 during the attack) the ifland fubmitted to the marquis, who granted 

 very liberal terms of capitulation, whereby the inhabitants were allow- 

 ed to retain their religion and civil government, and all their property 

 on the ifland of every kind, which privilege was alio extended to the 

 abfent proprietors. 



The neighbouring iflands muft^ have immediately followed the fortune 

 of Dominica, had not the opportune arrival of Admiral Barrington pro- 

 teded them, and checked the career of the French for the prelent. 



September, Odober — The acquifition of Dominica by tlie French 

 was fully balanced by the heavy lofles fuftained in their floating com- 

 merce in confequence of their fleets relinquifliing the protedion of it. 

 Among the prizes taken from them about this time, the mofl; import- 

 ant were the Modefte from China, loaded chiefly with tea, and valued 

 at ^^00,000, taken by the Porcupine floop of war ; the Gafton, alio an 

 Indiaman, taken by two privateers of Liverpool, and eftimated at 

 ;,(^50o,ooo, the moft valuable part of the cargo of another India-man, 

 which was wrecked, being onboard her in addition to her own ; be- 

 fides about tony fail of Weft-India fliips with valuable cargoes, eftimat- 

 ed on an average worth ;(^ 15,000 each *. 



In the Weft-Indies the lofs of Dominica might have been fully compenf- 

 ated by the acquifition of S'. I.ucia. Since the peace of 1763, where- 

 by the pofl^eflion of that ifland was confirmed to France, it had been 

 cultivated with confiderable fuccefs. It contained fifty-tlu-ee fugar 

 plmtations, befides a very great number of fettlcments in coffee, cacao, 

 and cotton: and its population confifted of 2,300 white people, 1,050 

 free people of colour, and 16,000 negro flavcs. Of the produce export- 

 ed, amounting to 3,000,000 livres (/^i 33,333 : 6 : 8 fterling) in value, 

 about two thirds went into the hands of the Americans, Uritifli, and 

 Dutch, in payment of their commodities and manufactures, and the 

 remainder was fcnt to Martinique, whence it was fliipped tor France. 

 But it was fuppofed capable of raifing produce to the amount of nine 

 or ten millions of livres .annually, if fully cultivated. Such was the Ifland 

 of S'. Lucia, according to the Abbe Raynal, [T. vli, />. 50J whole 



• So covered was llic fca at thii lime by Biilii'.i cruUkii, t)'« * L;lJoii packet was bujrJcdl.r 

 abo»e forty of tlicm in tlic coiiirc ol'lirr fhort ^.^nige. 



» 4 K 2 



