640 * A. D. 1779. 



mafter of the Weft-Tndia feas : and, indeed, the fate of the iflands feem- 

 ed to be in his hand. His firft objedt was Grenada, which he at- 

 tacked with no lefs than twenty-five fhips of the hne and ten frigates, 

 together with 5,000 foldiers. To that vafl force the iflund could only 

 oppofe 90 foldiers, 300 militia men, and 1 50 feamen drawn from the 

 merchant fhips. But this handful of men adted the very reverfe of the 

 conducl of the people of S'. Vincents, and, notwithftanding the enorm- 

 ous fuperiority of the enemy, made a brave defence. Their bravery 

 was unavailing, and Lord Macartney, the governor, was obliged to fur- 

 render to the irrefiflible power of the enemy (July 2*). 



Grenada at this time contained 106 fugar plantations, worked by 

 18 293 negroes, from which in the year 1776 there were exported 



14,012,1157 pounds of mufcavado 7 c^ r ^ cr 



9,273,607 pounds of clayed \ -3^285,764 pounds of fugar, 



and 818,700 gallons of rum. 

 The other articles of produce exported that year, were 

 1,827,166 pounds of coffee, 

 457,719 pounds of cacao, or chocolate nuts, 

 91,943 pounds of cotton, 

 27,638 pounds of indigo, 

 and fome fmaller articles, the value of the whole year's exports at the 

 ports offliipping being eftimated at ^600,000, exclufive of any charges. 

 The number of white people, which in the year 1771 was above 1,600, 

 had decreafed in 1777 to 1,300, and the negro flaves were in all about 

 35,000 ; befides whom there were free people of colour to the number 

 of, probably, about 1,000 *. 



No attack was made upon any of the other iflands at this time. 

 D'Eflaing, after feeing the French homeward-bound merchant fhips 

 clear of the greatefl danger, left the Weft-Indies, and went with the 

 moft of his fhips to North America, where he accompliflied nothing 

 worthy of his great force ; and foon after he abandoned his American 

 allies, and went home to France, the ifland of Grenada being in fad the 

 only conqueft achieved by fo mighty an armament. 



July 15"' — In compliance with a mefHige from the king, the lords of 

 trade direclcd that the fum of ^13,000, granted by parliament for fup- 

 porting the fettlements on the coafl of Africa, fhould. be invefted. in 

 1 applies fuitable for the fervice of the year i 780 ; which, on their ar- 

 rival in Africa, fhould be appropriated to defray all charges incurred 

 after the 1" of January 1780, including the falaries of the leveral 

 officers, &c. for that year : but that no part of it fhould be expended 

 in fatisfying any debts incurred, or alleged, to be incurred, previous to 



• The crops and population of the lefler dependent iflands, called Grenadines, are included in this 

 flcitement. 4 



