254 ’The Discoveries 
The Ifland ivas afterwards divided into four Circuits, 
and eleven Parifhes, each Parilh being allowed to fenci 
two Reprefentatives to the General Alfembly, and every 
Parilli had its Church and an Incumbent, with a hand- 
fome Maintenance affigned him. In the Year 1650 the 
White Inhabitants of the Ifland are faid to have increafed 
to between thirty and forty thoufand, befides Negroes, 
who Were much more numerous, and frequently plotted 
the Deftruftion of their Mailers ^ but their Plots were 
pnftantly difcovered, and the moll terrible Puniflrments 
inflifted on the Ring-leaders ; which did but increafe the 
Difaffeftion of the reft, and laid the Foundation of fredi 
Confpiracies. But notwithftanding the repeated Plots of 
their Slaves, never any Plantation of fo fmall an Extent, 
arrived to that Riches and Grandeur as Barbadoes did, in 
the Space of twenty or thirty Years. The Rump appre- 
hended this Ifland of fuch Confequence, during their Ufur- 
pation, that they fent a ftrong Squadron of Men of War 
thither, 16^1, under the Command of Sir George 
Afcuey who compelled the Lord Willoughby^ (appointed 
Governor by King Charles II.) to furrender the Ifland upon 
Condition the Royalifts Ihould remain in the PolfelTion of 
their Eftates and Liberties, and Mr. Searl was appointed 
Governor by them. 
The Dutch War llicceeding foon after, the Colony was 
prohibited trading with the Hollanders^ with whom they 
had principally trafficked hitherto ; for the Dutch it feems 
conftantly furniffied the Ifland with Negroes till this time, 
and taught the Barbadians to plant, and manage their 
Sugars to the bell Advantage, taking moft of it off of 
their Hands, with which they fupplied themfelves, and 
the reft of Europe •, but after the Ufurper’s Quarrel with 
the Dutch, the Barbadians were compelled, by an Or- 
dinance of Parliament, to bring all their Sugars direfbly 
to England, which was imitated by the Miniftry after 
the Reftoration of King Charles II. and was the Founda- 
tion of the Adi of Navigation, which requires all the 
Britijh Colonies to bring their Sugars and Tobacco di- 
redly to England, and forbids their trading with Foreign- 
cfs in thefe, and fome other, ftiled enumerated Articles. 
16. In the Year 1661 King Charles 11 . purchafed the 
Property of this Ifland of the Lord Kinowl, Heir to the 
Earl of Carlijle, and appointed the Lord Willoughby of 
Barham Governor ; ever lince which, Barbadoes has been 
a regular Government ; and the Colony granted a Duty of 
four and a half per Cent, for the Support of the Civil 
Government of that Ifland, and maintaining the Forces 
and Fortifications thereof ; which Duty (according to my 
Information) amounts to ten thoufand Pounds a Year : But 
inftead of being applied to the Purpofes for which it 
was given, it is difpofed of in Penfions to Courtiers, to the 
irreparable Damage of that Colony j no other Ifland having 
laid fo high a Duty on their Sugars. In the Year 1664 
de Ruyter, the Dutch Admiral, with a great Fleet of Men 
of War, treacheroufly attempted to furprife the Ifland of 
Barbadoes, tho* England was then in full Peace with Hol- 
land but he was bravely beat off by the Barbadians, 
and obliged to abandon that Enterprize. 
In the Year 1674 Sir Jonathan Atkins, being made 
Governor, had Orders to feize all the Ships trading in 
Africa for Negroes, that Trade being granted to the 
Royal African Company about that Time, exclufive of all 
others. And feveral Ships belonging to the Merchants 
of Barbadoes, bringing over Negroes afterward, were con- 
demned and forfeited, being denominated Interlopers ; 
which that Colony complained of as a great Grievance, the 
African Company fetting what Price they pleafed upon 
their Negroes ; but this was not redreffed till after the 
Revolution, when that Trade was laid open to all the 
Subjefts of England, paying ten per Cent, towards the 
Charge of their Forts. The Barbadians alfo fuffered 
great Lofles by a terrible Hurricane which happened there 
on the lothof Auguft 1674, when three hundred Houfes 
were blown down, two hundred Perfons killed, moft of 
their Sugar-works and Plantations fpoiled ; and ail their 
Wind-mills for grinding of Canes were blown down, ex- 
cept thofe that were built of Stone ; eight Ships alfo 
Coffered fli ip wreck in the Harbour % infomuch that the 
and Settlements Book I. 
Barbadians were difabled from making much Sugar the 
two fucceeding Years. Another Calamity with which the 
Barbadians were afflifled, Was an epidemical Diftemper, 
that feveral Years raged in the Ifland, differing Very little 
from the Plague. This began about the Year 1691, and 
occafioned a great DeCreafe amongft the white Inhabitants, 
which they have not recovered from that Day to this. It; 
feems the Miniftry of England, fending a Squadron of 
Men of War to Barbadoes, with a Body of Land Forces 
on board, to protedl the Trade of the Caribbee- IJlands, 
which had fuffered very much by the Depredations 
of the French Privateers ; the Barbadians, on their 
Arrival, concerted an Enterprize with the Commanders 
againft the French Iflands of Guadalupe, Martinico, 
St. Chrifiophers, &c. and joining the King’s Forces 
with fome of their own, formed a Body of four or 
five thoufand Men •, with which they made a Defcent 
on Guadalupe and St. Chrifiophers, and ruined many 
French Settlements, but did not make a Conqueft 
of them, as was expefted ; and what was ftill more un- 
fortunate, the Diftemper above-mentioned broke out in 
the Army, which the Soldiers brought back to Barbadoes, 
and almoft depopulated that Ifland of white Men. The 
King’s Ships alfo loft fo many of their Men, that there 
were not Hands enough to carry them home. 
If we fliould purfue this Hiftory lower, it would not 
contribute very much to the Information, Entertainment, 
or Satisfadlion of the Reader, becaufe it would involve us in 
long and perplexed Relations of the Difputes between the 
Inhabitants of this Colony and their Governors, Appeals 
from both Parties to the Government at home, and 
other fuch-like tedious and difagreeable Subjeds. We 
will therefore content ourfelves with obferving, that till 
fome very different Method is taken from that which has 
been hitherto in ufe for appointing Governors in this and 
other Colonies, fo that Men are not fent over with a View 
to repair their own Fortunes, inftead of enquiring into, 
and redreffing, thofe Grievances that affed the Properties 
of the Perfons they are fent to govern, we can never 
hope to fee the Plantations flourifh, or this Country reap 
thofe Advantages from them which otherwife ftie might. 
What is the Nature of thofe Advantages, and what their 
Degree in refped to this noble Ifland, juftly efteemed the 
moft valuable Plantation, for its Size, that ever this 
Nation poffeffed, fhall be our next Bufinefs to explain, 
by entering into a particular Defeription of this Ifland and 
its Produd. 
1 7. The Ifland of Barbadoes is fituated in the Atlan-^ 
tic Ocean, in 1 3 Degrees North Latitude, and 59 De- 
grees of weftern Longitude, being of a triangular Form ; 
about twenty-five Miles in length from South to North, 
and fifteen in Breadth from Eaft to Weft, where broadeft : 
It is a plain level Country for the moft Part, with fome 
fmall Hills of an eafy Afcent, and fcarce any Wood 
upon it at prefent ; it was covered with Woods, indeed, 
when the Englijh firft fent Colonies there, but they are all 
cut down to make room for Plantations of Sugar Canes, 
which take up almoft the whole Ifland at prefent, no- 
thing elfe being cultivated in any great Quantities. 
Their very Corn, Flefli, and Filh, being imported, for 
the moft Part, from the northern Colonies : There is fcarce 
an Harbour in the Ifland, the beft is that of Bridge-Town 
in Carlfie-Bay, on the South-weft Part of the Ifland, and 
this lies open to the Weftward ; however it is feeure 
from the North-eaft, which is the conftant Trade Wind 
here, and blows from Mqrning to Evening, except 
dieir Tornades and Hurricanes, which happen ufually 
about Midfummer, and in July and Auguft, and blow 
from every QiVarter. The Ships in the Bay, at fuch 
times, are in the utmoft Danger of being wrecked on 
Shore, if they cannot get out to Sea, and therefore fel- 
dom attempt to ride out thofe Storms. 
The Coaft is defended on the Eafl by Rocks and 
Sholes, from the Invafion of an Enemy, and on the Weft, 
where it is moft expofed to a Defcent, Breaft- works and 
Redoubts are eredled for its Security, but the Repair of 
them is too much neglected. There is fcarce a Stream 
in the Ifland that deferves the Name of a River j however, 
we 
