Martinique

August the 5:th a squally rainy Day, at noon the North End of Martinico bore EbS 3 or 4 Leagues, at 4 in the Afternoon let go the Anchor in Rosseau Bay, but a Swell coming off the Land drove us off the Bank again, turned too and hove up the Anchor satt the Sails and anchored in Woodbridges Bay in 7 f:m water and a hundred or two y:ds from the Shore.

I went on Shore from Rosseau Bay with the Letters carried them to the Post Office and delivered them to Mr. Gordon, and from thence waited on the Governor and gave him his Dispatches, drank a glass or two of Wine and then went to see Cap:t Harry Grove, found him and two or three other Officers at the Bar. Went with him in the Evening to Judge Wilson’s found there a large Company drank Tea and spent the Evening there, the Judge his Lady two Daughters, a Miss Stewart and Mackintosh, a Mr. Fenton an Officer and two or three other Gentlemen, Mrs Wilson I found to be a very old acquaintance of our good Friend Mrs Williams, loves Cards played for Dollars, in short the look upon a Joe here very little more than we do a Shilling in England. Came off winning a Dollar a very lucky Circumstance as had not a farthing in my Pocket. Did not reach the Ship ‘till near 12 o’Clock what a Rake, but then I was with Ladies, and what more agreeable most of them Europeans, Harry Grove they say is to marry the youngest Daughter, Bell, a pretty Girl I suppose not seventeen.

I have run on further with my journal than I ought as in any Passage to this Island from St. Vincent should have attempted to have given you some Account of this latter Island, but paying some Respect to my Passengers took of my Attention from writing some how or other I do not seem very well pleased with them but will not attempt to give you any Sort of Opinion of them ‘till I get rid of them at Jamaica where from my Soul I wish they were safe landed. I have but just seen the Lady being continually in Bed and I avoid as much as possible going near her I mean her Cabin, by what I have seen she seems Creolish enough to give me a Dislike rather wou’d I have ten men (than one woman) passengers, but my dear Peggy I hope you think I make a great allowance, happy should I be was you and some of my Female Friends with me, could I but command the disagreeable Elements we have to deal with.

St. Vincent one of the Charibbee Islands and looked on as one of the neutral ones was at the last Peace ceeded to Great Britain it lyes in [blank space] North Latt: and [blank space] West Long:de is almost circular at least approaches that form the nearest, it is very mountainous and well watered some of the Lands very good others very barren. This Island you well remember has been remarkable for an expensive idle and cruel War carried on against the Charibs which after expending a great deal of money and not being able to expel the Charibs ended very shamefully to the Honor of British Arms as the General who commanded treated with these people as a nation which a little before they held in the Light of Slaves, These Charibs you must observe are not the Aborigines of the Island but a mixture between the Negroes and the native Charib few of the latter remaining, these they call the yellow Charib being more of the Indian Species. ‘Tis said a Guineaman belong:g to Liverpoole was wrecked upon this Island the Slaves having rose upon and murdered the Crew, these in time soon routed out the Natives or intermarried with them so that you can hardly now distinguish them from the Negroes. Those people had fixed as is natural upon some of the best spots in the Island and which our Troops wanted to drive them from, they still keep possession though make but little use of them, as they cultivate only a little Tobacco which they sell to the French at St Lucia and Martinico.

They seem much more attached to that nation than the English, and are a cunning artful Sett of People, and I believe treacherous, they have of late taken it into their Heads to harbour the runaway Negroes, tho’ they deny it, but it is well known that they are guilty of the Fact. Three of the People came up to the Governor’s whilst I was there, among them one of their Chiefs called Jean Baptiste a cunning sly Dog, the Gov:r gave him a Dollar and they had Grog with which they seemed well pleased.

This Island has been very fatal to the Planters most of them being ruined who have settled here, for a Person who has Money now w:d be the Time to purchase Estates which are already cleared away and cultivated. The Gazette of this Island is full of Advertisements from the Marshalls Office for the Sale of Lands to pay their Debts, my Passenger Mr Martin informed he had sunk more than two thousand Pounds Sterling and was forced to give up his Estate, many other of the principal People are in the same predicament. Two Families The Hon Harry Alexander’s and Mr Walker’s were whilst we lay at Kingston embarking in a Sloop with their Negroes for the Missisippi having given up their Plantations to their Creditors, what a Reverse of Fortune to many who before were in opulent Circumstances, Lawyers and Doctors in all these new Islands thrive best. Happy is the Man who has Nothing with either of them, one robs your Constitution the other your pocket.

August the 6th fine Day but the night was very rainy, went on shore this Morning to dine with the Governor, only he, his Lady and Secretary present, he seemed a good Sort of Man a Lieutenant Colonel upon half pay and commanded one of the Regiments in Portugal the last War. His Lady a pretty little black woman rather too fatt, had two Children one a Fine little Fellow about the Size and Age of Edward the other older by a year or two sent in the last ship to England. I think him much in the Right as the West Indies is the last place for Education, such Customs and Prejudices grow up with them as is very disagreeable to an European. Drank Tea there and staid till dark cou’d not get off for the Rain, eat Supper at the Tavern with Bray, the handsome Landlady Miss Hetty Barnet did us the honor to sup with us, an old hagged Brim though thinks herself young and handsome. In mentioning of St Vincent forget to remark that it contains about 1200 Whites and 13000 Blacks and makes about 5000 hhds Sugar this year. I had forgot to mention also that three Gentlemen came off this morning to get a passage with me to Jamaica saw them in the Evening at the French Coffee house and agreed with them.

Whereupon the journal entries terminate abruptly.