chap, in.] WEST INDIES. T23 
dows in the night-time to the conversation which 
passed in domestic intercourse. 
He repeatedly threatened to set fire to the town 
of Roseau, in case the island should be attacked, 
and, though this was never attempted by the En¬ 
glish forces, yet that town was set fire to (as it was 
believed) by the French soldiers, and there was 
every reason to suppose that the governor was 
privy to it. This supposition was strongly corrobo¬ 
rated by his behaviour on the night of that melan¬ 
choly scene, at which he himself was present the 
best part of the time, and it is very confidently as¬ 
serted, would not allow his soldiers to assist in ex¬ 
tinguishing the flames, save only, in houses that be¬ 
longed to the French inhabitants. 
V 
This fire happened the evening of Easter Sunday, 
1781, by which upwards of five hundred houses 
were consumed in a few hours ; and a vast quan¬ 
tity of rich merchandize and effects destroyed, to 
the value of two hundred thousand pounds ster¬ 
ling. 
While the wretched inhabitants were thus groan¬ 
ing under domestic despotism, they had no re¬ 
sources from without. There trade was entirely 
cut off, insomuch, that during five years and three 
months, the time that the island of Dominica was 
in possession of the French, it was not resorted to 
by any vessels from Old France, nor was any of 
its produce exported to that kingdom; but part of 
