THE SERVICES OF LIEUT.-COLONEL FRANCIS DOWNMAN, R.A. 13 
delicious flavour, far surpassing anything I ever tasted in any other 
part of the world. 
The French began to plant colonies in this island as early as the 
year 1632. But for a long time this, together with all their colonies, 
continued in a languishing condition. It was in the beginning of the 
present century that they began to emerge from their depression. 
After the peace of Utrecht had given France time to breathe, she 
turned her attention strongly to these islands. Guadeloupe partook 
however less of this care than Martinico, and yet, by its natural 
advantages it does not fall short of that island, either in the quantity 
or goodness of its produce, if it does not greatly exceed it in both, as 
it certainly does in its capacity to receive all sorts of improvement. 
The importance of this island until its conquest was very little known 
in England. The reason was that, by an old and very extraordinary 
regulation, the people of Guadeloupe were forbid to trade direct with 
Europe, but were obliged to send all their produce to Martinique, from 
whence they had all their European commodities! The change they 
now experience is so pleasing to them that they heartily wish the 
English may ever remain masters, for they are certain of being again 
loaded with^this heavy imposition when the island is restored to France. 
They have now the satisfaction of disposing of their goods to whom they 
please, they are always sure of a market, and the whole country seems 
to have received new vigour from its late distress. The sides of the 
hills and mountains, that before never felt the hand of the husban-d 
man, are now cleared and cultivated. By this happy change of govern¬ 
ment every planter is amassing a fortune. 
The English made attempts on this island in 1691 and 1703, but 
they were neither powerful enough, nor conducted with sufficient ability 
to produce any permanent effect; the troops wasted the country and 
retired with their booty. 
