OF THE GOVERNMENT OF THE ISLAND UNDER THE FRENCH, WITH A RELATION
OF THE DISTRESSED SITUATION OF THE ENGLISH INHABITANTS, UNTIL
ITS RESTORATION TO GREAT BRITAIN; TOGETHER WITH THE ACCOUNT OF
THAT EVENT, AND SEVERAL OTHER SUBJECTS.
Thus fell the important island of Dominica into the hands of the
French; and with it were lost all those advantages, that it was
afterwards discovered would have accrued to the English, had it
been in their possession during the last war.
This island, from its local situation, being exactly between the
two principal islands of the French, Martinique and Guadeloupe, is
the best calculated of all the possessions of Great Britain in that
part of the world, to secure her the dominion of those seas. Had a
few ships of war been stationed at Prince Rupert’s bay, they would
have effectually stopped all intercourse of the French settlements
with each other; as not a vessel could have passed or repassed, but
would have been liable to capture by the British cruizers off that
bay, and to windward of the island.
The island of Saint Lucia, that burying-place of thousands of
brave Englishmen, would then, it is probable, have remained in the
desolate state it was in before its surrender, as of no importance
to the French. And it is most certain, that had Dominica been
retained, at half the expence of men and money which it cost Great
Britain to reduce the other, the loss of most of the English
settlements in the West Indies would have been prevented, and the
French would then have had sufficient employment in securing their
own.
The importance of this island to the English was so well known,
and dreaded by the French at that time, that the taking it out of
our possession was the first object in their attack on the British
settlements: and the Marquis de Bouillé actually secured Dominica
for his nation, before hostilities between the two Crowns were
known in the English West Indies.
The forces under the command of the Marquis, on this expedition,
consisted of near three thousand regular troops, and near half that
number of volunteers, composed of white men, mulattos, and negros.
The naval armament consisted of three frigates, one a forty-gun
ship, and upwards of thirty sail of armed sloops and schooners.
For several days after the surrender, the inhabitants from all
parts of the island came to the Government-house, in order to
sign the Articles of Capitulation. During the time, some of the
English inhabitants were accused to the Marquis, by some of the
French, with having fitted out privateers against the Americans.
These persons were treated with great indignity by the Marquis, who
obliged them to pay down considerable sums of money for vessels
said to have been French property, which had been captured as
Americans by the privateers.
The principal accusers of the English inhabitants, on this and
several other occasions, were certain French people, who had,
heretofore, been treated with every indulgence and kindness by
those they accused; as they were also the chief promoters of all
the disturbances, heart-burnings, and animosities of the French
government, to the British inhabitants of the island, during the
whole of the time it was in their possession; and were, moreover,
the means of obliging several to quit it, leaving behind them
their property.
These were Thomas C----d A----t, W----m R----d, and a M----r
C----r. The latter had formerly dealt largely with some English
merchants of the island, whom he had defrauded of their dues by
running away; but returning on this expedition, as chief guide
to the troops, he was promoted by the Marquis de Bouillé to the
office of chief baker to the forces in the place, as a reward
of his treachery. R----d had quitted that country in the same
clandestine manner; but returning with the Marquis, as a volunteer
in the cause, was by him appointed his most Christian Majesty’s
Receiver-general of Dominica. C----d A----t had been a number of
years a trustee for the French church-lands in Roseau, to which
office he was appointed by the English government, at the time of
the cession of the country to Great Britain. He had, moreover,
been treated with a degree of indulgence in his office, more than
his behaviour entitled him to, and which he repaid, by taking every
step in his power to do injury to the English inhabitants of the
island after its surrender to the French.
The fate of these three men is worth remarking, as the recital may
serve to deter others from being guilty of the like treacherous
and mischievous doings. The Baker, whose infamous character soon
came to the knowledge of the French government, was discharged from
that office for fraud in his weights, and again obliged to fly
the country. The Receiver-general, after having exercised his new
office with every species of imposition and insolence in a degree
peculiar to himself, very prudently took a silent departure from
the island, a few days before its evacuation by the French, as
being conscious of his meriting a just punishment had he remained.
And C----d A----t, as soon as the island was restored, retired on
his plantation in the country; where, universally detested by both
French and English, he died of despair but a short time after.
As soon as the new form of government was settled by the Marquis de
Bouillé, he departed for Martinique, leaving the Marquis Duchilleau
Commander in Chief of his conquest. This Governor had an universal
antipathy to the English, the very name of an Englishman being
hateful to his ears; nor could he bear them in his sight with any
degree of temper; and contrary to the character of men in general
of his nation, he extended his brutal behaviour even to the female
sex, if they came in his way, to petition or address him in behalf
of their property.
Withal, he was so very pusillanimous, that the most vague report
of the approach of the English from Saint Lucia terrified him;
when, galloping up and down like a madman, he would threaten every
Englishman he met, to put them to death, and to set fire to the
town, should their countrymen dare to attempt an invasion. And
moreover, not confiding in the great number of troops that were
under his command, but thinking them not sufficient to quell an
insurrection of the English inhabitants, whom he weakly supposed
might make an attempt to retake the island, he thought proper
to break through the eighteenth Article of the Capitulation, by
disarming them, and distributing their arms among the runaway
negros, with whom he actually entered into a treaty for assistance.
This was the Governor whom the Marquis de Bouillé, from motives
of policy, thought fit to appoint over his first conquest; and
there could not have been a more proper person for carrying the
intentions of the Marquis into execution, by lessening the value of
Dominica, in order to have it ceded to the French at the conclusion
of the war. In this, however, happily for the English nation, he
was disappointed; and although the greatest part of the English
inhabitants, from the harsh and cruel treatment they underwent, not
only from the Marquis Duchilleau, but also from every French person
in office under his government, was driven to the necessity of
quitting the island; yet the few that remained, patiently enduring
all their sufferings from the French, waited only the commencement
of peace, to determine whether the country would be restored to the
English, or be continued under the dominion of France. The former
happening to be the case, was a matter of great concern to the
French, who, well knowing its importance, quitted their possessions
with the greatest reluctancy, from a conviction that it was an
island capable of being rendered both formidable and dangerous to
their own settlements at a future period.
To return to the Marquis Duchilleau; he, like another tyrannic
governor, issued a proclamation, forbidding the assembling together
of the English inhabitants more than two in a place. That no lights
were to be seen in their houses after nine o’clock at night; that
no English person was to be out after that hour, in the streets,
without a candle and lanthorn, or a lighted pipe in his mouth; and
that no servant of theirs was to be seen at night, without a ticket
from his master; under no less a penalty to white people, than
being shot by the centinel at the post they passed by, of being
imprisoned, or sent out of the island; and the servants were to be
whipped in the public market, besides a fine on their masters.
Many of the English inhabitants were imprisoned by him on the
slightest pretence; and one of them, Robert Thou, was actually shot
by a centinel, for attempting to go on board his own vessel after
nine o’clock at night. This unfortunate young man died a few days
after, in the utmost torture from his wound, the ball going through
his body at the breast; and the perpetrator of this horrid murder
was raised by the Marquis Duchilleau to a higher station in his
regiment, for having thus wantonly killed him.
So very apprehensive was this Governor, that the English
inhabitants were forming designs to retake the island, or that
they held a correspondence with the enemy at Saint Lucia, that
every letter of theirs was opened for his inspection before it was
delivered. And deeming this insufficient to come at the knowledge
of their private transactions, he adopted the practice of going
himself in disguise, or employing others, who better knew the
English language, to listen at their doors and windows in the
night-time; but luckily he never found out any secrets.
He repeatedly threatened to set fire to the town of Roseau, in
case the island was attacked; and though the latter was never
attempted by the English forces, yet that town was set fire to by
the French soldiers, who, there is every reason to suppose, did it
by his private orders. This supposition was strongly corroborated,
by his behaviour on the night of that melancholy event, at which
himself was present best part of the time; but he would not suffer
his soldiers to assist in extinguishing the flames; save only in
houses that belonged to the French inhabitants; especially in that
of Thomas Chabaud Arnault, which, though several times on fire,
was yet saved by the troops, in preference to far more valuable
buildings that were consumed, while they stood looking on, diverted
with the scene.
The soldiers were busy, the chief time of the fire, in securing for
themselves the property of the inhabitants; breaking open boxes,
trunks, and chests, driving in the heads of casks of liquor, and
taking out what quantity they could in their hats, bottles, and
other vessels, letting the rest run out into the streets. Some
of the French inhabitants were also busily employed in the same
manner; one of them in particular, of the name of “P----n,” was
actually detected with several articles of value belonging to
English people; and in particular a cask of Madeira wine, the
property of a Mr. John Tilestone, a reputable tavern-keeper in that
town; who afterwards recovered the value of it by a suit at law
against the said P----n.
This fire in Roseau happened the evening of Easter Sunday, 1781, by
which upwards of five hundred houses were consumed in a few hours;
and among them the principal buildings, stores, a vast quantity
of rich merchandize, and valuable articles of houshold goods were
destroyed, to the amount of upwards of two hundred thousand pounds
sterling.
The inferior French officers, and several of the French inhabitants
of Dominica, encouraged thereto by the tyrannic behaviour of the
Marquis Duchilleau, were not backward in their bad treatment of
the English inhabitants: the officers usually insulting them as
they walked the streets; throwing showers of stones on their houses
in the night-time; saluting the English white women with indecent
expressions as they passed by; taking the upper hand of the men in
taverns, and other places of necessary resort, where they happened
to be present, or indignantly driving them out; circumstances of
such mean cruelty to a conquered people, that one should think,
none but the dregs of mankind would ever be guilty of.
This too was the behaviour of some of the French inhabitants; from
whom it was, in a particular manner, distressing to the English,
who had heretofore treated them with every degree of kindness, as
being a set of people, who, though not of the same nation by birth,
were members of the same community, subject to the same government,
and as such, entitled to the same privileges and respect with
themselves. Of these in particular, a Frenchman of colour, of the
name of Blanchdelablong, and a white man, named Etienne Vring,
deserve to be mentioned. The first had the audacity to strike the
English Chief Justice, and the other insolently drew his sword on
a respectable English merchant in a public tavern.
It is, however, necessary here to do justice to the merits of some
of the principal French officers at that time; as of the Count de
Bourgoinne, Monsieur du Beaupé, and the generality of the officers
of Irish Brigades in that island.
The Count de Bourgoinne was Chief Governor of Dominica for some
time after the Marquis Duchilleau had quitted it, to assist in the
expedition formed by the French and Spaniards against Jamaica;
and during the time of his government, the English inhabitants
were much better treated, than while under Duchilleau. But this
not answering the politic views of the Marquis de Bouillé, he
recalled the Count from his government, under pretence of his
mal-administration; but in reality, only for his lenity to the
English inhabitants of Dominica.
Monsieur du Beaupé succeeded this latter; and although he was no
great admirer of the English, yet, during his government, which
lasted till the island was restored, the inhabitants of that
description enjoyed some little repose from their sufferings, as he
made it a point to prevent their being mal-treated by those under
his command.
The Irish officers of the Brigades being acquainted with the
customs, and speaking the language of the English, treated them
with every civility in their power, during the time they were in
the island; frequently visiting them, joining them on parties of
amusement, and rendering them several little services. And to their
praise be it mentioned, that on two or three occasions some of
them opposed the French officers, for their bad treatment of the
English, at the risk of losing their own lives.
During five years and a quarter, the time that the island of
Dominica was in possession of the French, it was resorted to by no
vessels from Old France; nor was any of the produce of the English
plantations exported to that kingdom during this period; but part
of it was sent in neutral bottoms to the Dutch island of Saint
Eustatius, before its capture by Admiral Rodney; and from thence it
was exported to England, under the most extravagant expences and
loss to the proprietors.
Other parts of the produce were sent in Dutch vessels, which were
engaged for the purpose in England, to Rotterdam, where, on, their
arrival, the sugar in particular sold from sixteen to eighteen
pounds sterling per hogshead.
After the breaking out of the war with the Dutch, the produce of
Dominica was sent, under Imperial colours, to Ostend, where the
sugar sold only from six to eight pounds sterling per hogshead.
This was a great falling off in the price of that commodity,
and greatly distressed the sugar planters in particular; but to
complete their misfortunes, one of those very vessels, laden with
returns to the island, was captured by the Americans, who sold both
the ship and cargo.
The prices of the different articles in Dominica, the greatest part
of the time of the French government of it, were as follow:
Sugar, from 1l. 4s. to 1l. 10s. per Cwt.
Rum, 2s. per gallon.
Coffee, from 2l. to 2l. 10s. per Cwt.
Of the current money of the island, which was at eighty-five per
cent. and was not more than one-half the value of the same produce
at present. The freight of shipping it off from the out-bays to
Roseau, was then nearly double to what it is now; and the duties
paid to the French Custom-house, for exporting the sugar alone, was
upwards of twenty per cent. on their estimation of its value.
The different articles of provisions, and other necessaries,
brought to the island, were at a most extravagant price.
Beef, from 9l. 18s. to 11l. 5s. per barrel.
Pork, from 11l. 5s. to 13l. 4s. per ditto.
Flour, from 9l. 18s. to 12l. per ditto.
Butter, from 10l. to 13l. 4s. per firkin.
This was the wholesale price; but when disposed of again at retail,
the price was extravagant; for butter was not to be had there under
six shillings a pound, candles at three shillings, soap at the
same price, and every other article in that advanced proportion.
The English inhabitants then of Dominica were, in consequence,
greatly distressed; as few of them could afford to purchase those
necessary articles, the planters, and lower order of people
especially; the latter having no trade, and but little to do, were
unable to be at so great an expence; and the planters having a
number of negros on their estates, were distressed to furnish a
necessary supply of provisions for their slaves, or for themselves.
Many were under the necessity of purchasing from the French
soldiers their allowance from the King, of salt meat, bread, and
other matters; which, though not the best provisions of the kind,
were a great assistance to a number of the inhabitants, as well in
the towns as on the plantations.
On the other hand, the island of Saint Lucia, soon after its
capture by the English, was rendered a place far more desirable,
in point of trade, than it had ever been, while under its former
masters; and the French inhabitants of it were better treated by
the English government, officers and soldiers, than they actually
treated their own countrymen, who retired thither after its
surrender.
That island was the chief mart of trade for provisions and
merchandize of every description, during the war, being resorted to
by vessels, not only from our own settlements, but also from most
of the foreign islands, by the means of flags of truce. Provisions
in particular, were to be had there at the following moderate
prices, viz.
Beef, from 5l. 10s. to 6l. per barrel.
Pork, from 6l. 10s. to 7l. per ditto.
Flour, from 3l. 6s. to 4l. per ditto.
Butter, from 4l. 10s. to 5l. per firkin.
Although the French government of Dominica had every opportunity
of furnishing their troops with fresh provisions, by means of the
Americans, then in alliance with France, yet not a single vessel
arrived there with cattle, during the whole time they were in
possession of the island. But the cattle that were killed for the
use of the troops were, at first, indiscriminately shot on the
English plantations, at the pleasure of Duchilleau, whenever they
were wanted for the use of his soldiers.
He afterwards established an ordinance, that every English planter
should send a beast in his turn for the use of the military
hospital, under the penalty of having it taken by force; and
the person who did not comply, was imprisoned, or sent off the
island. By this means, upwards of sixty in every hundred head of
cattle in the country were destroyed during his Government; and
this ordinance was carried into execution with such rigour by him,
that if either by detention, by bad weather, or delay, by reason
of the distance of the estate from Roseau, the cattle were not
there in time, a party of soldiers, with their muskets loaded, were
immediately sent out, to kill any horned beast that fell in their
way.
By this arbitrary proceeding, many fine milch cows of the
inhabitants in the town fell victims to his wrath on these
occasions; and what was particularly hard upon the owners of them,
they were obliged to bear the loss without repining, and to put
up with being paid as for ordinary beasts, and waiting for that
payment a long time.
Another very great hardship on the owners of cattle, killed for the
use of the military hospital, was, that they were seldom permitted
to have a piece for themselves, though they paid for it, but were
obliged to be satisfied with the offals of the carcase. And, as
for others of the English, a piece of bullock’s liver was the most
they in general could get; and they were usually told by the French
officers in the markets, “That that was too good for an Englishman.”
This great destruction of the cattle in Dominica, at that time, was
a source of great disadvantages to the proprietors of the sugar
plantations, thereby preventing the possibility of carrying on
the culture of the sugar-cane, from the want of those necessary
animals. And by this procedure of the French, several of the
English planters were driven to the necessity of stopping the
further settlement of their estates, to the great detriment of
themselves and families, as well as injury to the mortgagees in
Europe; and at the same time, lessening the value of property in
the island in the opinion of people in general.
The French were satisfied with being able to keep the country from
Great Britain during the war, firmly believing, that it would
be ceded to them at the peace; they did, therefore, every thing
in their power to render the stay of the English inhabitants
uncomfortable and distressing. Their disappointment, therefore,
on finding the island was to be restored, was matter of great
concern to them; and they actually put off the delivering it up
to the English, a considerable time after the ratification of the
definitive treaty of peace was concluded in Europe.
Some weeks before the actual restoration of Dominica, an English
regiment from Saint Lucia arrived at Roseau, for the purpose of
taking possession of the island for his Britannic Majesty. This
was, however, peremptorily refused by the French Governor, who
strongly denied his having received any instructions for the
delivering up the island from his superiors at Martinique, or even
from Europe; at the same time, ordering the British Commander,
with his troops, to depart, and threatening to compel them to it.
But this order being contrary to the commission of the latter, he
declared he was determined to act as became him; in consequence
of which, he was at last permitted to land with his troops at
point Michael, there to wait till the French Governor had further
instructions.
Matters being thus accommodated, owing, it is probable, to the
superior force of the English, who came with two ships of war
to demand the island, which was then but thinly garrisoned; the
English troops were accordingly landed at the before-mentioned
place, where they continued till the day of the surrender of the
country to Great Britain.
It is worth while to remark here, the jealous behaviour of the
French Commander on this occasion; for though there was every
reason to believe, that he well knew the island was to be restored;
yet he took every method that was in his power of shewing a
disposition to prevent it; and he actually threatened to use force
if the English dared to land, as if upon an hostile occasion: nor
would he permit any of the English officers so much as to set their
feet on shore in Roseau; but lined the bay of that road with armed
soldiers, who even then treated some of the English inhabitants
exceedingly ill, for no other reason, than the joy that was visible
in their faces at the sight of their own countrymen.
This assumed face of resistance, was a plain indication of the
great unwillingness of the French to quit possession of the
country; but which would have little availed them, had the English
Commander been disposed to force his landing. This, however, would
have been productive of fatal consequences to the defenceless
English inhabitants, who would, there is no doubt, have fallen
victims to the fury of the French in the first instance, and it
would have answered no other end, than to facilitate the return of
the island to its former government a few weeks sooner.
The English inhabitants soon after made themselves amends, for
having been prevented from saluting their countrymen on their
arrival; for on the same evening there was scarcely a man, woman,
or child, in the town and suburbs of Roseau, that did not either
ride or walk to the quarters of the English troops at point
Michael, for the purpose of rejoicing at the prospect of a speedy
return of their own government.
One observation is due to the spirited behaviour of the British
Commander while at point Michael; he caused it to be well fortified
and guarded, for fear of the worst, and every day hoisted the
English flag. This being a most hateful sight to the French, their
Commander repeatedly sent orders to have the English colours taken
down, which the other as peremptorily refused; alledging, that this
country was his master’s, whose flag he would defend to the last
moment of his life; and that if the French Governor would have it
down, he must enforce his commands with the muzzles of his guns.
From this time, till the evacuation of Dominica, the French were
busily employed in demolishing the fortifications they had built,
and doing all the damage they could to those that were there before
their invasion, several of which they blew up with gunpowder.
This island was restored to England in the month of January,
1783. The day of its restoration was a joyful day for the English
inhabitants, especially for those who had undergone a long and
painful captivity, and had been treated with a degree of cruelty
hardly to be paralleled.
In the morning of the day of the evacuation the English troops
marched from point Michael; and between eleven and twelve
o’clock they came near the town of Roseau, where, waiting till
the French began to embark, it was near two o’clock before they
finally evacuated the island; and then the English troops came
into the town, with colours flying, drums beating, and a band of
music playing as they marched, escorted by most of the English
inhabitants, who, with multitudes of negros, lined both sides of
the way as they entered the town.
Between one and two o’clock, a company of the Train of Artillery
took possession of the principal fort in Roseau, marching in, while
the French troops marched out; and proceeded to the water-side,
where their boats being ready, they immediately embarked, amidst
the hisses and curses of the English inhabitants, whom they had
heretofore so cruelly treated.
As soon as the British troops were in possession of the fort, they
hoisted the standard of England on the flag-staff, which being a
sight few of the inhabitants had seen before, and being elated with
joy on the occasion, they were so eager to lend their assistance
to hoist it, that they were nearly pulling the halliards, by which
it was raised, to pieces, and breaking down the flag-staff by the
force of their numbers. The sight of the British standard was also
a matter of great admiration to the French, who, it is probable,
had never seen one before; and they seemed to view it with no
satisfaction, as they passed by it in their boats, probably, on
comparing the beauties of it with the fading pale colour of their
own.
Soon after the French were embarked, the new English Governor, John
Orde, Esq. landed from a frigate in the bay, under a discharge of
cannon from that vessel; which salute was returned by the fort on
his landing. When escorted by the whole of the English inhabitants,
amidst the shouts of “Long live King George,” he was conducted to
the Court-house in Roseau; and after having had his commission
proclaimed, and taking the usual oaths on the occasion, he retired
to partake of the general joy, and of a very genteel entertainment
prepared for him by the colony.