tures were fuch, that they almost unanimously refolved to put an end to their own lives, but were prevented by one of the Spanish tyrants called Vafco Porcellos. This wretch threatened to hang himfelf along with them, that he might have the pleasure, as he said, of tormenting them in the next world worse than he had done in this; and so much were they afraid of the Spaniards, that this threat diverted these poor favages from their defperate refolution. In 1511, the town of Havannah was built, now the principal place on the ifland. The houses were at first built only of wood, and the town itself was for a long time fo inconfiderable, that in 1536 it was taken by a French pirate, who, obliged the inhabitants to pay feven hundred. ducats to fave it from being burnt. The very day after the pirate's departure, three Spanish ships arrived from Mexico, and having unloaded their cargoes, failed in pursuit of the pirate ship. But fuch was the cowardice of the officers, that the pirate took all the three fhips, and returning to the Havannah, obliged the inhabitants to pay feven hundred ducats more. To prevent misfortunes of this kind, the inhabitants built their houses of stone, and the place has fince been ftrongly fortified.

According to Abbé Raynal, the Spanish settlement at Cuba is very important, on three accounts: 1. The produce of the country, which is confiderable. 2. As being the staple of a great trade; and, 3. As being the key to the Weft-Indies. The principal produce of this inland is cotton; the commodity, however, through neglect, is now become so scarce, that fometimes feveral years pass without any of it being brought into Europe. In the place of cotton, coffee has been cultivated, but by a fimilar negligence, that is produced in no great quantity; the whole produced not exceeding thirty or thirty-five thoufand weight, one-third of which is exported to Vera Cruz, and the reft to Madrid. The cultivation of coffee naturally leads to that of fugar; and this, which is the most valuable production of America, would of itself be fufficient to give Cuba that state of profperity for which it feems defigned by nature. Although the furface of the island is in general uneven and mountainous, yet it has plains sufficiently extenfive, and well enough watered, to fupply the confump tion of the greatest part of Europe with fugar. The incredible ferti lity of its new lands, if properly managed, would enable it to furpass every other nation, however they may have now got the start of it; yet fuch is the indolence of the Spaniards, that to this day they have but few plantations, where with the finest canes, they make but a

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fmall quantity of coarse sugar at a great expense. This ferves partly for the Mexican market, and partly for the mother country, while the indolent inhabitants are content to import fugar for themselves at the expense of near two hundred and twenty thousand pounds annually. It has been expected, with probability, that the tobacco imported from Cuba would compenfate this lofs, for after furnishing Mexico and Peru, there was fufficient, with the little brought from Caracca and Buenos Ayres, to fupply all Spain. But this trade, too, has declined through the negligence of the court of Madrid, in not gratifying the general tafte for tobacco from the Havannah. The Spanish colonies have an universal trade in skins, and Cuba fupplies annually about ten or twelve thoufand. The number might easily be increased in a country abounding with wild cattle, where fome gentlemen poffefs large tracts of ground, that for want of population can scarce be applied to any other purpose than that of breeding cattle. The hundredth part of this ifland is not yet cleared; the true plantations are all confined to the beautiful plains of the Havannah, and even those are not what they might be; all these plantations together may employ about twenty-five thousand male and female flaves. The number of whites, mestees, mulattoes, and free negroes upon the whole ifland, amounts to about thirty thousand. The food of thefe different fpecies confifts of excellent pork, very bad beef, and caffava bread. The colony would be more flourishing if its productions had not been made the property of a company, whose exclufive privilege operates as a conftant and invariable principle of difcouragement. If any thing could fupply the want of an open trade, and atone for the grievances occafioned by this monopoly at Cuba, it would be the advantage which this ifland has for fuch a long time enjoyed, in being the rendezvous of almost all the Spanish veffels that fail to the new world; this practice commenced almoft with the colony itself. Ponce de Leon having made an attempt upon Florida in 1512, became acquainted with the new canal of Bahama; it was immediately discovered that this was the best route the ships bound from Mexico to Europe could poffibly take, and to this the wealth of the island is principally, if not altogether, owing.

HISPANIOLA, OR ST. DOMINGO.

Hifpaniola, called alfo St. Domingo, is the largest of the Carib bee islands, extending about four hundred and twenty miles from cast to west, and one hundred and twenty in breadth from north to fouth

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fouth, lying between 17° 37′ and 20° of north latitude, and between 67° 35′ and 74° 15' weft longitude. The climate is hot, but not reckoned unwholefome, and fome of the inhabitants are faid to arrive at the age of one hundred and twenty. It is fometimes refreshed by breezes and rains, and its falubrity is likewife in a great measure owing to the beautiful variety of hills and valleys, woods, and rivers, which every where prefent themfelves. It is indeed reckoned by far the finest and most pleasant island of the Antilles, as being the beft accommodated to all the purposes of life when duly cultivated.

This ifland, famous for being the earliest fettlement of the Spaniards in the new world, was at first in high estimation for the quantity of gold it fupplied; this wealth diminished with the inhabitants. of the country, whom they obliged to dig it out of the bowels of the earth; and the fource of it was entirely dried up, when they were exterminated, which was quickly done, by a series of the most hocking barbarities that ever difgraced the history of any nation. Benzoni relates, that of two millions of inhabitants contained in the ifland when discovered by Columbus in 1492, fcarce one hundred and fifty-three were alive in 1545. A vehement defire of opening again this fource of wealth, inspired the thought of getting flaves from Africa; but, befides that thefe were found unfit for the labours they were deftined to, the multitude of mines which then began to be wrought on the continent, made thofe of Hifpaniola no longer of any importance. An idea now fuggefted itfelf, that their negroes, which were healthy, strong, and patient, might be usefully employed in husbandry; and they adopted, through neceffity, a wife refolution, which, had they known their own intereft, they would have embraced by choice.

The produce of their induftry was at firft extremely small, because the labourers were few. Charles V. who, like most sovereigns, preferred his favourites to every thing, had granted an exclufive right of the flave trade to a Flemish nobleman, who made over his privilege to the Genoese, who conducted this infamous commerce as all mono-, polies are conducted; they refolved to fell dear, and they fold but few. When time and competition had fixed the natural and, neceffary price of flaves, the number of them increased. It may easily be imagined that the Spaniards, who had been accuftomed to treat the Indians as beasts, did not entertain a higher opinion of these negro Africans, whom they substituted in their place. Degraded still farther in their eyes by the price they had paid for them, they aggra

vated the weight of their fervitude, it became intolerable, and thefe wretched flaves made an effort to recover the unalienable rights of mankind; their attempt proved unfuccefsful, but they reaped this benefit from their despair, that they were afterwards treated with lefs inbumanity.

quences.

This moderation, if tyranny cramped by the apprehenfion of revolt can deferve that name, was attended with fome good confeCultivation was purfued with fome degree of fuccefs Soon after the middle of the 16th century, Spain drew annually from this colony ten millions weight of fugar, a large quantity of wood for dying, tobacco, cacoa, caffia, ginger, cotton, and peltry in abundance. One might imagine that fuch favourable beginnings would give both the defire and the means of carrying them farther; but a train of events more fatal each than the other, ruined these hopes.

The first misfortune arose from the depopulation of the island; the Spanish conquests on the continent fhould naturaly have contributed to promote the fuccefs of an ifland, which nature feemed to have formed to be the center of that vast dominion arifing around it, to be the ftaple of the different colonies. But it fell out quite otherwife; on a view of the immenfe fortunes raifing in Mexico, and other parts, the richest inhabitants of Hifpaniola began to defpife their fettlements, and quitted the true fource of riches, which is on the furface of the earth, to go and ranfack the bowels of it for veins of gold, which are quickly exhaufted. The government endeavoured in vain to put a stop to this emigration; the laws were always either artfully cluded, or openly violated.

The weakness, which was a neceffary confequence of fuch a conduct, leaving the coafts without defence, encouraged the enemies of Spain to ravage them. Even the capital of this island was taken and pillaged by that celebrated Englift failor, Sir Francis Drake. The cruifers of lefs confequence contented themfelves with intercepting. veffels in their paffage through thofe latitudes, the best known at that time of any in the new world. To complete these, misfortunes, the Caftilians themselves commenced pirates; they attacked no ships but those of their own nation, which were more rich, worse provi ded, and, worse defended than any others. The custom they had of fitting out fhips clandeftinely, in order to procure flaves, prevented them from being known, and the affistance they purchased from

the

the fhips of war, commiffioned to protect the trade, infured to them impunity.

The foreign trade of the colony was its only refource in this diftrefs, and that was illicit; but as it continued to be carried on, notwithstanding the vigilance of the governors, or, perhaps, by their connivance, the policy of an exafperated and fhort-fighted court exerted itfelf in demolishing most of the fea ports, and driving the miserable inhabitants into the inland country. This act of violence threw them into a state of dejection, which the incurfions and fettlement of the French on the island afterwards carried to the utmost pitch. The latter, after having made fome unsuccessful attempts to fettle on the island, had part of it yielded to them in 1697, and now enjoy by far the best share.

Spain, totally taken up with that vaft empire which she had formed on the continent, ufed no pains to diffipate this lethargy; she even refused to liften to the folicitations of her Flemish subjects, who earneftly preffed that they might have permiffion to clear those fertile lands. Rather than run the risk of feeing them carry on a contraband trade on the coafts, fhe chofe to bury in oblivion a fettlement which had been of confequence, and was likely to become fo again.

This colony, which had no longer any intercourse with Spain but by a fingle ship, of no great burden, that arrived from thence every third year, confifted, in 1717, of eighteen thoufand four hundred and ten inhabitants, including Spaniards, meftees, negroes or mulattoes. The complexion and character of these people differed according to the different proportions of American, European and African blood they had received from that natural and tranfient union which restores all races and conditions to the fame level. These demi-favages, plunged in the extreme of floth, lived upon fruits and roots, dwelt in cottages without furniture, and most of them without clothes. The few among them, in whom indolence had not totally fuppreffed the fenfe of decency and tafte for the conveniencies of life, purchased clothes of their neighbours the French in return for their cattle, and the money fent to them for the maintenance of two hundred foldiers, the priests and the government. It doth not appear that the company, formed at Barcelona in 1757, with exclufive privileges for the re-establishment of St. Domingo, hath as yet made any confiderable progrefs. They send out only two fmallveffels annually, which are freighted back with fix thousand hides, and fome other commodities of little value.

Domingo,