various powers were called into action, and the unfortu- 1781. nate town, with its miferable inhabitants, were the victims of her indignation. One hundred and feventy pieces of cannon, of the heaviest metal, and eighty mortars, disgorged their tremendous torrents of fire all at once upon that narrow fpot. This dreadful cannonade and bombardment was continued night and day, for a confiderable time, without intermiffion. Nothing could be more fplendidly magnificent, or dreadfully fublime, than the view, and report of this tremendous scene, to those who observed them from the neighbouring hills of Barbary and Spain during the night; especially in the beginning, when the cannonade of the enemy being returned by gen. Elliot, with ftill fuperior power and greater fierceness, the whole rock feemed to vomit out fire, and all diftinction of parts was loft in flame and fmoke. The artillery officers and engineers in the garrison computed, that during more than three weeks from the first attack, the Spaniards continued regularly to expend, at least, a thousand barrels of gunpowder, of a hundred weight each, and to fire from four to five thousand shot and fhells, in every 24 hours upon the fortrefs. After difcharging 75,000 fhot, and 25,000 fhells in this courfe of firing, it was lowered to about 600 of both in the 24 hours.

When admiral Rodney returned from New York to St. Lucie toward the close of the last

year, the reports of the dismantled ftate of St. Vincent through the hurricane, induced him and gen. Vaughan to undertake an expedition for the recovery of that island: but after landing a number of troops with the marines, on the 16th of December, and continuing a day on the island, the

French

1781. French were found in fuch force, and their works in fuch condition, that the commanders were obliged to reimbark the troops without venturing upon an attack.

Feb,

3.

Not much more than a month after this attempt, the commanders, in confequence of inftructions from Great Britain, directed their views to the reduction of the Dutch island St. Euftatia. This ifland, though barren and contemptible in itself, had long been the feat of a lucrative and prodigious commerce; and might be considered as the grand free port of the West Indies and America, and as a general market and magazine to all nations. Its richeft harvests however, were during the seasons of warfare among its neighbours, owing to its neutrality and fituation with its unbounded and unclogged freedom of trade. The island is a natural fortification; and has but one landing place, which may be easily rendered impracticable to an enemy, The inhabitants, though not very numerous, included a portion of the natives of almost all trading countries.

The British fleet and army appeared before and furrounded St. Euftatia with a great force. Rodney and Vaughan fent a peremptory fummons to the governor, to surrender the island and its dependencies within an hour; accompanied with a threat, that if any refiftance was made he must abide the confequences. Mr. de Graaff, totally ignorant of the rupture between Great Britain and Holland, could fcarcely believe the officer, who delivered the fummons, to be ferious. But he returned for answer, that being utterly incapable of making any defence, he must of neceffity furrender, only recommending the town and inhabitants to the clemency of the British commanders. The wealth of the place excited

excited the astonishment of the conquerors. The whole 1781, island seemed to be one vaft magazine. All the storehouses were filled with various commodities; and the very beach was covered with hogfheads of fugar and tobacco. The value was estimated confiderably above three millions sterling. But this was only a part; for above 150 veffels of all denominations, many of them richly laden, were captured in the bay, exclufive of a Dutch frigate of 38 guns, and five smaller.

The neighbouring fmall ifles of St. Martin and Saba were reduced in the fame manner; and Rodney being informed, that a fleet of about 30 large fhips, richly laden with fugar and other Weft India commodities, had failed from Euftatia for Holland just before his arrival, under convoy of a flag fhip of 60 guns, he dispatched the Monarch and Panther with the Sybil frigate, in purfuit of them. These foon overtook the convoy; and the Dutch admiral, refusing to strike his colours, and all remonstrances proving ineffectual, a fhort engagement took place between his fhip the Mars and the Monarch. He died bravely in defence of his fhip; when the inftantly ftruck, and the whole convoy was taken.

This is one of the feverest blows that Holland could have received. The Dutch Weft India company, with the magistracy and citizens of Amfterdam, are great fufferers upon the occafion. But the greatest weight of the calamity feems to have fallen on the British merchants, who confiding in the neutrality of the place, and in fome acts of parliament made to encourage their bringing their property from the islands lately taken by the French, had accumulated a great quantity of West

1781. India produce, as well as European goods, in the place: for all the property was indifcriminately feized, inventoried, and declared to be confiscated.

The keeping of Dutch colours flying at Eustatia, rendered it for fome time a decoy to French, Dutch, and American veffels, a confiderable number of which fell accordingly into the hands of the conquerors without trouble.

The indifcriminate feizure and confifcation of property in the island, induced the merchants of St. Chriftopher (or St. Kitt's) to prefent two memorials to adm. Rodney and gen. Vaughan, for themselves, and as agents and factors for many of the most commercial houses in Great Britain and Ireland. They stated, that their connections with St. Euftatia, and the property they had lodged there, were all in pursuance to, and under the fanction of repeated acts of the British parliament; and that their commerce had befide been entirely founded on the fair principles of merchandise, and conducted according to the rules and maxims adopted by all trading nations. The fecond memorial was carried and delivered to Rodney by Mr. Glanville the 11th of March. The admiral in a line to him anfwered, that "their effects at St. Eustatius could only be lodged as a depofit to fupply the neceffities of their king and their country's enemies. The island was Dutch, every thing in it was Dutch, every thing was under the protection of the Dutch flag, and as Dutch it fhall be treated." Mr. Glanville made a fenfible reply on the 13th of March, and obferved-" That if the king's enemies were fupplied, by the trade of his fubjects through St. Eustatius, they were likewife fupplied, through the fame channel,

by.

by the fale of prizes captured by his majesty's fhips of war. 1781. The one fact is as notorious as the other, and equally criminal."

After the furrender of Euftatia, the Jews who were numerous and wealthy were the firft fufferers. Several of them were torn from their habitations with many indignities, and banished without knowing the place of their destination; and were, in that state of wretchedness which followed the feizure of their property, transported as outlaws, and landed at St. Kitt's. The affembly, to their great honor, inftantly paffed an act for their prefent relief and future provifion, until they fhould have time to recover from their calamitous fituation. The Jews were foon followed by the Americans, fome of whom had been obliged to fly their native country, through the part which they had taken in fupport of the British cause. These alfo were fent to St. Kitt's, in much the fame ftate with the former; and were received and entertained with the fame humanity and liberality by the people and legislature of that ifland. The French merchants and traders were next banished; and at length the Amfterdammers met with the fame fate. Mean while public fales were advertised, invitation given, and protection afforded to purchasers of all nations and claffes; and the island exhibited one of the greatest auctions that ever was opened in the universe. Never was a better market for buyers. The goods were sold for a trifling proportion of their value; and by report, the French agents made the greatest and most lucrative purchases. Most of the goods were conveyed to French and Danish islands; and left to find their way to those enemies, for having fupplied whom, in the ordinary

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commerce,