■99 
chap, hi.] WEST INDIES. 
After much deliberation, in the year 1719, they 
came with a considerable force from Martinico, and 
landing without much opposition, began to burn 
the negro huts and destroy their plantations, sup¬ 
posing that the Indians would have attacked them 
in the mountains, which if they had done, the 
blacks had probably been extirpated, or forced to 
submit and become slaves. But either from fear 
or policy, the Indians did nothing, and the negroes 
sallying in the night, and retreating in the day to 
places inaccessible to the whites, destroyed so many 
of the French, (amongst whom was Mr. Pan ham 
major of Martinique, who commanded them), that 
they were forced to retire. When by this experi¬ 
ment they were convinced that force would not do, 
they had recourse to fair means, and by dint of per¬ 
suasions and presents, patched up a peace with the 
negroes as well as the Indians, from which they re¬ 
ceived great advantage. 
“ Things were in this situation when captain 
Uring came with a considerable armament to take 
possession of St. Lucia and this island, in virtue of 
a grant from our late sovereign king George I. to 
the late duke of Montague. When the French 
had dislodged this gentleman, by a superior force 
from St. Lucia, he sent captain Braithwaite to try 
what could be done at St. Vincent, in which he 
was not at all more successful, as will best appear 
from that gentleman’s report to Mr. Lring, which, 
as it contains several curious circumstances relative 
to the country, and to the two independent nations 
