LUCIA, St, one of the Caribbee islands in the West Indies, about 22 miles long, and 11 broad, the middle of it lying in N. Lat. 39. 14. W. Long. 27. 0. It was first settled by the French in 1650; but was reduced by the English in 1664, who evacuated it in 1666. The French immediately refettered the island, but were again driven away by the Caribbs. As soon as the savages were gone, the former inhabitants returned, but only for a short time; for being afraid of falling a prey to the first privateer that should visit their coasts, they removed either to other French settlements that were stronger, or which they might expect to be better defended. There was then no regular culture or colony at St Lucia; it was only frequented by the inhabitants of Martinico, who came thither to cut wood, and to build canoes, and who had considerable docks on the island. In 1718 it was again settled by the French; but four years after, it was given by the court of London to the duke of Montague, who was sent to take possession of it. This occasioned some disturbance between the two courts; which was settled, however, by an agreement made in 1731, that, till the respective claims should be finally adjusted, the island should be evacuated by both nations, but that both should wood and water there. This precarious agreement furnished an opportunity for private interest to exert itself. The English no longer molested the French in their habitations; but employed them as their assistants in carrying on with richer colonies a smuggling trade, which the subjects of both governments thought equally advantageous to them. This trade has been more or less considerable till the treaty of 1763, when the property of St Lucia was secured to the crown of France. After that time the colony flourished considerably. In the beginning of the year 1772, the number of white people amounted to 2018 souls, men, women, and children; that of the blacks to 663 free men, and 12,795 slaves. The cattle consisted of 928 mules or horses, 2070 head of horned cattle, and 3184 sheep or goats. There were 38 sugar plantations, which occupied 978 pieces of land; 5,595,889 coffee-trees; 1,321,600 cocoa plants; and 567 plots of cotton. There were 706 dwelling places. The annual revenue at that time was about 175,000l. which, according to the Abbé Raynal, must have increased one-eighth yearly for some time. It was taken by the British in 1778; restored to France in 1783. It fell again into the hands of the British in 1794, was evacuated in 1795, and was again retaken in 1796.

The soil of St Lucia is tolerably good, even at the sea side; and is much better the farther one advances into the country. The whole of it is capable of cultivation, except some high and craggy mountains which bear bear evident marks of old volcanoes. In one deep valley there are still eight or ten ponds, the water of which boils up in a dreadful manner, and retains some of its heat at the distance of 6000 toises from its reservoirs. The air in the inland parts, like that of all other uninhabited countries, is foul and unwholesome; but grows less noxious as the woods are cleared and the ground laid open. On some parts of the sea coast, the air is still more unhealthy, on account of some small rivers which spring from the foot of the mountains, and have not sufficient slope to wash down the sands with which the influx of the ocean stops up their mouths, by which means they spread themselves into unwholesome marshes on the neighbouring grounds.