proves that this nieasure was determined upon in England previous to the arrival of Sir Richard Dutton. Mr. Stede had been an agent of the Royal African Company, and he had to thank their interest for this high appointment. The Assembly confirmed the lease of Fontabelle to him, and he possessed the address to prevail upon the Legislature to present him (by an Act which passed on the 12th of July 1687) with one thousand pounds; from whence it became customary to make presents to the Governors1.

The Duke of Albemarle, who had been appointed Governor of Jamaica, arrived in Barbados in 1687 on his passage to that island. The Lieutenant-Governor received him with great honours; the life-guards were stationed at the landing-place to receive and conduct him to Fontabelle, where he staid three weeks or a month, during which time they did duty there as a guard of honour.

The revolution in 1688 caused the flight of James the Second to France, and the throne of Great Britain was declared to be abdicated. William and Mary were unanimously called to fill it conjointly. King William renewed Mr. Stede's commission. When the information of these occurrences arrived in the West Indies, the subjects of Louis the Fourteenth, who was the friend and protector of the Stuarts, commenced hostile proceedings against the English settlers in St. Christopher's. They were joined by some Irish Roman Catholics, and committed the greatest cruelties, not only in St. Christopher's, but likewise in the adjacent islands. A party of Irish landed in Anguilla, and treated the defenceless inhabitants most barbarously: those who escaped with their lives were afterwards removed by Captain Thorn. General Codrington, who had been appointed Governor of the Leeward islands, applied to Barbados for assistance against these depredators. The inhabitants of St. Christopher's had been obliged to fly to the fort for safety. The Assembly thereupon came to the resolution of giving such assistance as they could afford; and Sir Timothy Thornhill, Major-General of the militia, having volunteered to lead an expedition for their relief, received authority to raise a regiment, and in less than a fortnight seven hundred men were raised and equipped at the public expense, and vessels provided for transporting them to St. Christopher's. They sailed from Carlisle Bay on the 1st of August 1689, and arrived on the 5th at Antigua, where they learnt with regret that the fort at St. Christopher's had been surrendered to the French on the 29th of July, and the English sent off the island to Nevis3. 1 From the passing of this Act to 1743, above £96,000 sterling were voted away for presents to governors and presidents.

2 Several planters afterwards settled from Barbados in Anguilla, and carried on a profitable trade, but without any government, civil or ecclesiastical.

3 Relation of the proceedings of the forces in their expedition against the French in the Caribbee islands, by T. Spencer, Junior, Secretary to Sir Timothy Thornhill, London, 1691. Harleian Miscellany, vol. ix. p. 308 et seq.

Sir Timothy landed his troops in Antigua, and afterwards removed his regiment to Nevis, where Lieutenant-General Codrington joined him in December. It was now resolved to attack St. Bartholomew's and St. Martin's. The first was taken in four days' time, with the loss of ten men killed and wounded. Between six and seven hundred prisoners surrendered, all of whom were transported-the men to Nevis, the children and women to St. Christopher's: the live stock, negroes and goods, were carried to Nevis. This harsh proceeding was severely reprimanded when it became known in England, and the inhabitants were restored to their property.

On the 19th of January 1690 General Thornhill made a feigned attack upon the weather-side of St. Martin's, while in the night he himself landed with his men without any opposition on the lee-side of the island, the enemy having drawn their forces to the other side. He succeeded in destroying the principal fortification; but before he had accomplished his object entirely, the French Admiral Du Casse anchored on the 26th of January off the windward part of the island, "hanging abroad bloody colours." He landed his troops at night, but Thornhill had selected such a good position, that the French did not dare to attack them. On the 30th Colonel Hewetson arrived from Antigua with three ships and two hundred men. The French ships at anchor perceiving the English colours, weighed and stood out to meet them: about noon they engaged, and after four hours' action the French bore away. In the morning Thornhill conveyed his artillery, baggage and plunder to the place of embarkation; which the enemy perceiving, they attacked him, but were beaten back into the woods. All the English embarked in safety, except ten, who were killed in the action, and three who were taken prisoners asleep in one of the breastworks; there were about twenty more wounded, who with the rest arrived safe at Nevis on Sunday morning the 2nd of February.

In June the English fleet arrived at Nevis, and the necessary preparations were made to attack St. Christopher's. General Codrington was appointed Commander-in-chief. The troops were mustered on the 16th of June, and amounted to three thousand men. On Thursday the 19th, the whole fleet, consisting of ten men-of-war, two fire-ships, twelve transports and about twenty small craft, sailed from Nevis, and the same evening came to anchor in Frigate Bay, St. Christopher's. On the 21st Major-General Thornhill landed between two and three o'clock with five hundred and fifty men at the little salt-ponds, at the foot of a hill, without opposition. This position was left unguarded, as the enemy thought it impossible that the English would march across that hill, it being so steep and difficult of ascent. Thornhill succeeded however, though the men were forced to use their hands as well as their feet, in climbing up the hill. At daybreak they gained the summit, where

they received a volley from some scouts, who immediately retreated. The Major-General leaving one company to secure the position on the summit, led the men about a third part down the hill before they were observed by the enemy, who now began to fire from the trenches. Thornhill was shot through his left leg; the English continued their attack and flanked them in their trenches. The Duke of Bolton's and the marine regiments landing at the same time, the enemy was forced to quit their post in disorder. Thornhill had been obliged to retire on board one of the ships, and the command of his regiment fell upon Lieutenant-Colonel John Thomas, who was ordered to march with the Barbadians and the Duke of Bolton's regiment into the country, supported by Colonel Williams's regiment from Antigua as a reserve. They routed a small party of the enemy, but the main body of the French advancing, they were almost surrounded after half an hour's fighting; when Colonel Williams coming up with the reserve, a vigorous attack was made, and the enemy driven from the field in confusion,-one part flying to the mountains, the rest to the fort.

The next day the army marched into the town of Basseterre, which was given up to the troops for plunder. As soon as Sir Timothy Thornhill recovered from his wound, he resumed the command of his regiment, and contributed materially to the success of the English arms. The fort surrendered on the 14th of July. The English lost about one hundred men, killed and wounded, in retaking the island. Upon the 20th of July, Major-General Thornhill sailed with his own regiment and the marines against St. Eustatia, and that same evening sent a summons to the island to surrender, which was refused. After five days' siege, the enemy sent out a flag of truce, and ultimately surrendered three days afterwards. The besieged were about sixty men, and behaved gallantly: Thornhill lost eight men killed and wounded: Lieutenant John M'Arthur was left in command of the island, and the inhabitants were carried prisoners to St. Christopher's, and from thence to Hispañola.

Sir Timothy Thornhill now returned with his regiment to Barbados, with the proud consciousness that he and his troops had mainly contributed to the success of the British arins. The noble and disinterested offer of his services reflects the more credit upon him, as at the time when he undertook the command he was still smarting under the severe sentence of an arbitrary decree. He had expressed his opinion on public affairs rather freely when Mr. Stede assumed his government, for which he was prosecuted for sedition by order of the Governor, and fined five hundred pounds to the King, and fifteen hundred pounds to the GoHe appealed to King James the Second in council, but without success: the sentence was confirmed. On his return to Barbados, the Legislature voted him, on the 2nd of August 1692, their thanks in acknowledgement of his gallant services, accompanied by a present of one thousand pounds.

vernor.

James Kendal, Esq., was appointed Captain-General and Chief-Governor of Barbados and the other Leeward islands. This appointment gave great satisfaction to the Barbadians, as Mr. Kendal was one of their countrymen he arrived in June 1689 on board one of the ships of Commodore Wright's fleet. Mr. Stede removed to England and settled in Kent, where his family had a seat at Stede-hill: the honour of knighthood was conferred upon him, on presenting the loyal address of the grand jury of Barbados to their Majesties. Mr. Kendal convoked an Assembly and passed several laws; unfortunately so many disasters combined, that during his administration the prosperity of Barbados rapidly declined: this could not be ascribed to mal-administration, but to the influence of prevailing circumstances. The war continued to rage in the West Indies, the seas were infested by privateers, and the freights for produce had risen to such an enormous amount that the Legislature interfered, and stipulated the charge of freightage to England of one hundred pounds of Muscovado sugar at six shillings and sixpence, white sugars at seven shillings and sixpence, scraped ginger at six shillings, and cotton at twopence per pound. The shipowners would not conform to these restrictions, and kept away entirely; in consequence of which the affairs of the island suffered so severely that the Legislature was obliged to suspend or repeal this act.

Colonel Kendal had received his Majesty's commands to liberate the unfortunate men who were held in bondage in consequence of the Duke of Monmouth's rebellion. The Governor got an Act passed nemine contradicente, on the 17th of March 1690, which he signed the same day, and which repealed the former Act for their detention in the island. In 1691 the Assembly considered it necessary that they should have agents in London, to watch and plead their interests: they chose Edward Littleton and William Bridges as their agents, and appointed them for two years, with an annual salary of two hundred and fifty pounds to each1. In 1694 there were three agents, but afterwards the charge was confided to one person, whose salary had been raised in proportion to the increased share of business and the higher price of living. The Act for the appointment of an agent is renewed annually.

The privateers committed such injury, that the Legislature came to the resolution of equipping two sloops for the protection of their trade. A fearful contagion, said to have been brought by the troops, but more probably derived from the coast of Africa, made its appearance in the island in the year 1692, and the mortality raged with such fury that it was common to see twenty buried in a day. Most of the ships'

1 The island must have possessed an agent previous to this period. I observe, from an entry in the Minutes of the Lords' Committee under the 31st of May 1677, that the Assembly objected to pay for 1500 pikes sent for the use of the colony by the Ordnance department because they had already authorized their own agent to procure them 1200 firelocks.

crews, both men-of-war and merchantmen, died off completely, and the men-of-war could not leave their anchorage on a cruize for want of men. Commodore Wright, who had in several instances shown negligence and cowardice, was sent home prisoner. Commodore Wren, who succeeded him on the station, arrived in Barbados on the 16th of January 1691, with eight men-of-war and a convoy of merchantmen. Governor Kendal having received information that a French squadron was cruizing to the north-east of the island, ordered, with the advice of the Council, two merchant-ships to be taken into their Majesties' service and equipped as men-of-war; these joined the fleet under the command of Commodore Wren, and sailed on the 30th of January in quest of the enemy; they returned on the 5th of February, not having seen the French squadron. Wren sailed again on the 17th of February with a fleet of merchantmen under convoy, and on the 21st of February attacked the French fleet near the island of Deseada, consisting of sixteen menof-war and two fireships under the command of the Count de Benac. The contest lasted from eight o'clock in the morning until noon, during which time all the merchantmen had an opportunity of getting clear. Captain Wren returned with his squadron to Barbados on the 25th of February, without any loss. This brave commander unfortunately fell a victim to the prevailing disease, and a similar fate met most of the masters of ships who came to the island at that time.

The great distress which prevailed in the island, and the decrease of the number of whites in consequence of the fearful epidemic, encouraged the slaves to form a new conspiracy. A day was appointed for a general revolt; the Governor was to be massacred, the magazine with warlike stores to be seized, and the forts to be surprised. The project was nearly ripe for execution when it was fortunately discovered: two of the ringleaders were overheard and instantly arrested: they obstinately refused to reveal their confederates, and rather submitted to be hung in chains for four days without food or drink; their courage however at last gave way, and upon a promise of free pardon they confessed their accomplices'. It is said that the projected insurrection had been instigated by French emissaries from Martinique.

A new expedition against the French had been determined on in 1693, and the colonies having been desired to furnish a proportion of troops for this service, the contingent for Barbados amounted to one thousand men. Two regiments of five hundred men each were raised and equipped, and the command given to Colonel Salter and Colonel Boteler. The expense of this undertaking amounted to thirty thousand pounds, which

1 Southey's Chronological History of the West Indies, vol. ii. p. 163. Warden, Chronologie Historique de l'Amérique, vol. viii. p. 533. Poyer's History of Barbados, p. 155. Neither Oldmixon nor Frere mentions this planned insurrection.