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to the National Affembly withdrew their attendance: the colonial committee, always under the influence of the planters, fufpended their labours. Its arrival in the island ftruck the whites with confternation: they vowed to facrifice their lives rather than fuffer the execution of the decree. Their rage originating in defpotifm and phrenzy, carried them fo far that they proposed to imprison the French merchants then in the ifland, to tear down the national flag, and hoift the British ftandard in its place, whilft the joy of the mulattoes was mingled with apprehenfions and with fears. St. Domingo re-echoed with the cries of the whites, with their menaces and blafphemies against the conftitution. A motion was made in the freets to fire upon the people of colour, who fled from the city, and took refuge in the plantations of their friends and in the woods: they were at length recalled by proclamation; but it was only to fwear fubordination to the whites, and to be witneffes of fresh enormities. Amidst these agitations the flaves had remained in their accustomed fubordination; nor was it till the month of August, 1791, that the fymptoms of the infurrection appeared amongst them,

A confiderable number, both of whites and people of colour, had loft their lives in thefe commotions before the flaves had given indications of difaffection; they were not, however, infenfible of the opportunities of revolt afforded by the diffentions of their masters; they had learnt that no alleviation of their miferies was ever to be expected from Europe; that in the struggle for colonial dominion, their humble interefts had been equally facrificed or forgotten by all parties. They felt their curb relaxed by the difarming and difperfion of their mulatto mafters, who had been accustomed to keep them under rigorous difcipline. Hopeless of relief from any quarter, they role in different parts, and spread defolation over the island. If the cold cruelties of defpotism have no bounds, what shall be expected from the paroxyfms of despair?

On the 11th of September, 1791, a convention took place, which produced the agreement called the Concordat, by which the white planters ftipulated, that they would no longer oppose the law of the 15th of May, which gave political rights to the people of colour. The colonial Affembly even promised to meliorate the fituation of the people of colour, born of parents not free, and to whom the decree of the 15th of May did not extend. An union was formed between the planters, which, if it had faoner taken place, had prevented the infur

rection. The infurgents were every where difpirited, repulfed, and difperfed; and the colony itself preferved from total deftruction.

By a decree of the National Affembly, the 24th of September, the people of colour were virtually excluded from all right of colonial legiflation, and expressly placed in the power of the white colonifts,

If the decree of the 15th of May could inftigate the white colonists to the frantic acts of violence before described, what fhall we fuppofe were the feelings of the people of colour on that of the 24th of September, which again blafted those hopes they had juftly founded on the conftitutional law of the parent ftate, and the folemn ratification of the white colonifts? No fooner was it known in the islands, than thofe diffentions which the revolt of the negroes had for a while appeased, broke out with fresh violence. The apprehenfions entertained from the flaves had been allayed by the effects of the Concordat; but the whites no fooner found themselves relieved from the terrors of immediate deftruction, than they availed themselves of the decree of the 24th of September; they formally revoked the Concordat, and treacherously refuled to comply with an engagement to which they owed their very exiftence. The peo ple of colour were in arms; they attacked the whites in the fouthern provinces; they poffeffed themfelves of Fort St. Louis, and defeated their opponents in feveral engagements. A powerful body furrounded Port au Prince, the capital of the island, and claimed the execution of the Concordat, At three different times did the whites affent to the requifition, and as often broke their engagement. Gratified with the predilection for monarchy and aristocracy, which the Conftituent Affembly had in its dotage avowed, they affected the appellation of patriots, and had the addrefs to transfer the popular odium to the people of colour, who were contending for their INDISPUTABLE RIGHTS, and to the few white colonists who had virtue enough to espouse their caufe. Under this pretext, the municipality of Port au Prince required M. Grimoard, the captain of the Boreas, a French line of battle fhip, to bring his guns to bear upon, and to cannonade the people of colour affembled near the town; he at first reful ed, but the crew, deluded by the cry of patriotism, enforced his compliance. No fooner was this meafure adopted, than the people of colour gave a loofe to their indignation: they spread over the country, and fet fire indifcriminately to all the plantations; the greatest part of the town of Port au Prince foon

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after shared the fame fate. Nothing feemed to remain for the white inhabitants but to feek their fafety in quitting the colony. In the northern parts the people of colour adopted a more magnanimous and perhaps a more prudent conduct. They begun," fays Mr. Verniaud, "by offering their blood to the whites." "We fhall wait," faid they, "till we have faved you, before we affert our own claims." They accordingly oppofed themselves to the revolted negroes with unexampled courage, and endeavoured to soothe them by attending to their reafonable requifitions.

After this recital of authentic and indifputable facts, it is not difficult to trace the causes of the infurrection. The effects we leave to be described by the profeffed hiftorian; but the prudent meafures of the French government we flatter ourselves will ultimately fucceed in extending peace and liberty to every inhabitant of this, and all the other islands under their dominion; and may the godlike plan for the liberation and happiness of the African, be fpeedily imitated by thofe governments in Europe who have not had fufficient virtue to fet the example.*

In this account of the French Weft-India islands it will no doubt be remarked, that we have taken no notice of the conqueft of fome of them by Great Britain during the prefent war. The very great probability that they will foon acknowledge their former dependency on France, and perhaps join in extending her victories over fome of the British iflands, must be our excufe; but if this is not deemed fufficient, we have only to remark, that the common practice of furrendering, as the price of peace, what has been purchased during a war by a torrent of human blood, render it impoffible to fay what will, in a few months, belong to England or France.

DUTCH WEST-INDIES.

ST. EUSTATIUS,

SITUATED in 17° 29' north latitude, and 63° 10' weft lon

gitude, and three leagues north-west of St. Chriftopher's, is only a mountain, about twenty-nine miles in compafs, rifing out of the fea like a pyramid, and almoft round. But though fo fmall and inconveniently laid out by nature, the industry of the Dutch have made it to turn to very good account; and it is, faid to contain five thousand whites, and fifteen thousand negroes. The fides of the mountains are laid out in very pretty fettlements, but they have neither fprings nor rivers. They raife here fugar and tobacco; and this ifland, as well as Curaffou, is engaged in the Spanish contraband trade, for which, however, it is not fo well fituated; and it has drawn the fame advantage from its conftant neutrality. But when hoftilities were commenced by Great-Britain against Holland, Admiral Rodney was fent with a confiderable land and fea force against St. Euftatius, which being incapable of any defence, furrendered at difcretion, on 3d of February, 1781. The private property of the inhabitants was confifcated, with a degree of rigour very uncommon among civilized nations, and very inconfiftent with the humanity and generofity by which the English nation ufed to be characterised. The reafon affigned was, that the inhabitants of St. Euftatius had affifted the United States with naval and other stores. But on the 27th of November, the fame year, St. Eustatius was retaken by the French, under the command of the Marquis de Bouille, though their force confifted of only three frigates, fome fmall craft, and about three hundred

CURAS SOU.

This island is fituated in twelve degrees north latitude, nine or ten leagues from the continent of Terra Firma, is thirty miles long, and ten broad. It seems as if it were fated, that the ingenuity and patience of the Hollanders should every where, both in Europe and America, be employed in fighting against an unfriendly nature; for the island is not only barren, and dependent on the rains for its water, but the harbour is naturally one of the worst in America; yet the Dutch have entirely remedied that defect; they have upon this harbour one of the largest and by far the most elegant and cleanly towns in the Weft-Indies. The public buildings are numerous and handfome; the private houses commodious; and the magazines large, convenient, and well filled. All kind of labour is here performed by engines; fome of them fo well contrived that fhips are at once lifted into the dock.

Though this ifland is naturally barren, the industry of the Dutch has brought it to produce a confiderable quantity both of tobacco and fugar; it has, befides, good falt works, for the produce of which there is a brifk demand from the English iflands, and the colonies on the continent. But what renders this island of most advantage to the Dutch, is the contraband trade which is carried on between the inhabitants and the Spaniards, and their harbour being the rendezvous to all nations in time of war.

The Dutch fhips from Europe touch at this island for intelligence, or pilots, and then proceed to the Spanish coafts for trade, which they force with a ftrong hand, it being very difficult for the Spanish guarda coftas to take these veffels; for they are not only ftout ships, with a number of guns, but are manned with large crews of chofen feamen, deeply interested in the fafety of the veffel and the fuccefs of the voyage. They have each a share in the cargo, of a value proportioned to the station of the owner, supplied by the merchants upon credit, and at prime coft. This animates them with an uncommon courage, and they fight bravely, because every man fights in defence of his own property. Befides this, there is a conftant intercourse between this island and the Spanish continent.

Curaffou has numerous warehouses, always full of the commodities of Europe and the Eaft-Indies. Here are all forts of woollen and linen cloth, laces, filks, ribands, iron utenfils, naval and military ftores, brandy, the fpices of the Moluccas,