360 l^he Discoveries 
ftrong, that the Spaniards were glad to live upon good 
Terms with them. Yet they never confidered them 
in any other Light, than as Ufurpers, and Men whom 
Force maintained in a Country to which they had no 
manner of Right. The Way in v/hich the French fet- 
tled themfelves w^as Very fingular, for they might well 
be divided, and, indeed, the French Hiftorians have 
divided them into three very diftind Sorts of People. 
Firft, The Buccaneers^ or Flunters, who, for the 
Conveniency of killing black Cattle, and felling their 
Skins, fixed upon the Continent of Hifpaniola^ and built 
fome Villages for their Retreat, and Several Fortrefies 
for their Security. Flibufiiers^ or Privateers, who were 
furniflied by Commiffions from the French Governor of 
Petit Guaves, to cruize upon the Spaniards, and who were 
moftly at Sea, fometimes in fmall Veffels, every Crew 
upon its own Account, and fometimes in large Squadrons, 
with fifteen hundred or two thoufand Men on board 
them, but of all Nations, and who refoited from Time 
to Time into the French Ports, to careen their Ships, dif- 
pofe of their Prizes, and to recruit. The third Sort of 
People were, Mpn of a more fober way of Living, who 
fettled in the Country, laid out Plantations, in which 
they raifed Tobacco, and other valuable Commodities, 
whom the French therefore ftile Inhabitants. Thefe three 
Sorts of People were very ufeful to each other *, for 
the Hunters furnifned Provifions and Hides in vaft Quan- 
tities •, the Privateers brought in Prizes of great Value, 
and fpent their Money very freely ; and by enriching 
increafed the Number of Inhabitants, fo that in a fliort 
Space of Time, the French extended their Settlements 
all along the South-weft Coaft of St. Domingo \ and as 
for the Tortoife Ifiand, fo called from its being thought 
to rcfemble that Animal ; it was very thoroughly plant- ■ 
ed, and the Tobacco they raifed there was very good, 
and grew into great Efteem. 
It is true, that in Time of Peace, both the Spaniards 
and the Englijh complained loudly of the Conduct of the 
French Governors, under Colour of whofe Commiffions 
the Privateers committed great Diforders, took Ships of 
all Nations, and difturbed the whole Commerce of Ame- 
rica. But the French did not give themfelves much Pain 
upon this Head •, on the\contrary, though they fometimes 
gave good Words, and promifed fome Redrefs, yet they 
buffered the Governors to go on in the fame Way, be- 
caufe they found that it drew numbers of People to their 
Settlements, and was like to fecure them the Poffeffiion 
of the Weftern Part of St. Domingo. In 1664 they fet 
up a particular Company for managing the Trade of 
thefe Parts, but that was boon found ineffedual; and 
therefore in about two Years Time they let it fall. It 
was not till the Year 1697 that they gained a legal 
Poffeffion of this Country, by the Treaty of Ryfwick, by 
which the Spaniards yielded to them one half of the 
Eland ^ and the Boundaries .between them and the French 
were fettled, by a Line drawn crofs the Country, from 
North to South j fo that the French enjoy all the Weftern 
half of St. Domingo, which they have fettled very effec- 
tually. In the Year 1726 the Isffimber of People there 
was computed at thirty thoufand Whites, and one hun- 
dred thoufand Negroes, and Mulattoes. The principal 
Place they have on the North Side of the Eland is Cape 
Francoife, which is very happily fituated, and has a very 
good Port •, the Town is large and well peopled, and is 
thought to contain four thoufand white, and as many 
Negro, Inhabitants ^ on the Weft Side they have the 
Town and Port of Leogane, which is the Seat of the 
Government ; and, befides thefe, they have feveral other 
good Ports and great Towns. 
I'he principal Trade of St. Domingo, for many Years, 
confifted in Tobacco, in which it is faid there have been 
from fixty to one hundred Ships employed ; but upon 
the eftabliiliing an exclufive Farm of this Commodity 
in France, the Trade of St. Domingo for that Commodi- 
ty began to decline, and is, at laft, funk to nothing. 
Inftead of Tobacco, they fell to planting of Sugar, and 
thoucrh at firft they met with fome Difficulties, which was 
occafioned by the too great Fertility of the Soil, yet 
thefe were foon got over, and Sugar became, in a ffiort 
and Settlements Book I. 
Space of Time, the ftaple Commodity of the Ifland •, it 
is, in the Opinion of fome, the very beft Sugar made in 
the Wefi Indies, and, generally fpeaking, yields three or 
four Shillings a hundred more, than the Sugar from any of 
their other 'Elands, which has occafioned a furprizing Pro- 
grefs in the Cultivation of this Commodity in St, Domin- 
go, which, in 1726, flood thus; There were then two 
hundred Sugar Works in the Eland, which, it was com- 
puted, yielded, one with another, four hundred Hogf- 
heads of Sugar, each Hogfhead of about five hundred 
Weight. At this Time Sugar yielded, upon the Spot, 
from twelve to thirteen Livresper hundred Weight; fo 
that from this Computation, it appears that the Sugar of 
this Ifiand produced the French, annually, about two 
hundred thoufand Pounds, and the Indigo is faid to 
produce near half as much ; they raife, likewife. Cacao, 
Ginger, and Cotton. Coffee grows there very well, and 
fome are of Opinion, that Cinnamon, Clove, and Nut- 
meg Trees might be raifed in this warm Climate; but the 
great Profit the Inhabitants make at prefent of their Su- 
gar and Indigo, hinders them from running into any 
new Improvements ; and as the French Ships that come 
hither return well laden with the Commodities before- 
mentioned, and raw Hides, it is very probable they will 
continue to go on in the Way they are in, till fuch Time 
as the Price of the Sugar falls confiderably. The French 
are thoroughly perfuaded that there are confiderable 
Mines of feveral Sorts in their Part of the Ifiand, but as 
one of their Writers expreffes it, while the Sugar Mine, 
and the Indigo Mine, produce fo much, and with fuch 
Certainty, they are never like to look for any other 
Mines. 
Corn has been fown here, but is faid to ripen at dif- j 
ferent Times, fo that it cannot be reaped wdth any Pro- 
fit ; and though their Grapes are very fine, yet it is pre- 
tended they will neither make Wine, nor Raifins ; but 
the Truth of the Matter feems to be, that the Govern- 
ment difcourages raffing either, and this from very juft and 
reafonable Motives ; for fay they, if France takes off all ' 
the Sugar and Indigo, made by the Inhabitants of St. Do- \ 
mingo, it is but reafonable that the People of that Colony j 
fhould take Corn and Wine from France ; we may very 
well fuppofe, that from the fame Motive they difeourage 
Silk, of which the Spaniards made great Quantities, and 
very good. It is very apparent, from what has been faid 
of this Ifiand, and what might be faid of it, that it is, be- 
yond Comparifon, the moft confiderable, and moft im- j 
portant. Colony, that the French have ; which is the Rea- 
fon they are fo defirous of obtaining the Ceffion of the 
other half from the Spaniards ; which, fome Time or j 
other, it is more than probable they will obtain, unlefs 
the other Powers of Europe provide againft it, by a fpe- | 
cial Claufe in their Treaties with the Houfe of Bourbon, , 
which appears to me a Matter of the greateft Confe- ! 
quence. 
For ffiould the French once carry their Point, and be- 
come foie Mafters of this Ifiand, we may very reafonably [ 
believe, that in the Space of fifty or fixty Years, it I 
would become the richeft and moft valuable Country in 1 
that Part of the World, efpecially if the French fhoulci j 
abandon their other Ifiands, and tranfport their Inhabit- : 
ants thither ; and even in that Cafe, there would be no 1 
Danger of its being over-peopled, and its Fertility is fuch, , 
that they would all find Room to exercife their Induftry, | 
and that Induftry would be richly rewarded; befides, , 
this would afford them many Advantages ; for whereas 
their other Ifiands are fubjeift to many Inconveniences, , 
but more efpecially the Want of Provifions ; thefe would I 
be all remedied there, and it would afford them an Op- 
portunity of encreafing their Strength to fuch a Degree, t 
as would put it out of the Power of any of -their Neigh- 
bours to give them much Difturbance ; on the contrary, > 
they would foon become formidable, both to us and to i 
the Spaniards ; which is an Evil, that as it has been fore- 
feen in Time, it is hoped Care will be taken to prevent . 
its ever coming to pafs. 
Before we quit this Subjeft, it is neceffary to obfer/e, ; 
that on the South Side of the French Part of St. Domingo ' 
there lies a little Ifiand, called Avache, at the Diftance of 
about r 
