chap. IV.] WEST INDIES. i€i 
be considerable, the inhabitants of the Leeward 
Islands, who were probably unacquainted with his 
private character, received him with singular re¬ 
spect, and the assembly of Antigua,, even con¬ 
trary to a royal instruction, added a thousand 
pounds to his yearly income, in order, as it was 
expressed in the vote, to relieve him from the 
expense of a house-rent; a provision which, I 
believe, has been continued ever since to his suc¬ 
cessors in the government, 
The return which Mr. Park thought proper to 
make for this mark of their kindness, was an 
avowed and unrestrained violation of all decency 
and principle. He feared neither God nor man; 
and it was soon observed of him* as it had former¬ 
ly been of another detestable tyrant, that he spared 
no man in his anger , nor woman in his lust. One 
of his first enormities was to debauch the wife of 
a Mr. Chester, who was factor to the royal African 
company, and the most considerable merchant in 
the island. Apprehending that the injured hus¬ 
band might meditate revenge, the worthy governor 
endeavoured to be beforehand with him, by adding 
the crime of murder to that of adultery, for Chester 
having about this time had the misfortune to kill a 
person by accident, his excellency, who had raised 
a common soldier to the office of provost-marshal, 
brought him to a trial for his life; directing his in¬ 
strument the provost-marshal, to impanel a jury of 
certain persons, from whom he doubted not to ob¬ 
tain Chester’s conviction; and the execution of this 
Vol II, 
x 
