a handsome town in Spain, in Estramadura, with a celebrated convent, whose structure is magnificent, and is immensely rich. It is seated on a rivulet of the same name; 45 miles south-west from Toledo. W. Long. 4. 45. N. Lat. 39. 12.

one of the Caribbee islands, belonging to the French, the middle of which is in seated about N. Lat. 16. 30. W. Long. 61. 50.

This island, which is of an irregular figure, may be about 80 leagues in circumference. It is divided into two parts by a small arm of the sea, which is not above two leagues long, and from 15 to 40 fathoms broad. This canal, known by the name of the Salt River, is navigable, but will only carry vessels of 50 tons burden.

That part of the island which gives its name to the whole colony is, towards the centre, full of craggy rocks, where the cold is so intense, that nothing will grow upon them but fern, and some useless shrubs covered with moss. On the top of these rocks, a mountain called la Souphriere, or the Brimstone Mountain, rises to an immense height. It exhales, through various openings, a thick black smoke, intermixed with sparks that are visible by night. From all these hills flow numberless springs, which fertilize the plains below, and moderate the burning heat of the climate by a refreshing stream, so celebrated that the galleons which formerly used to touch at the Windward islands, had orders to renew their provision with this pure and salubrious water. Such is that part of the island properly called Guadalupe. That which is commonly called Grand Terre, has not been so much favoured by nature. It is indeed less rugged; but it wants springs and rivers. The soil is not so fertile, or the climate so wholesome or so pleasant.

No European nation had yet taken possession of this island, when 550 Frenchmen, led on by two gentlemen named Lotine and Duplessis, arrived there from Dieppe on the 28th of June 1635. They had been very imprudent in their preparations. Their provisions were so ill chosen, that they were spoiled in the passage, and they had shipped so few, that they were exhausted in two months. They were supplied with more from the mother-country. St Christopher's, whether from scarcity or design, refused to spare them any; and the first attempts in husbandry they made in the country could not as yet afford any thing. No resource was left for the GUA [120] GUA

Guadeloupe, the colony but from the savages; but the superfluities of a people who cultivate but little, and therefore had never laid up any stores, could not be very considerable. The new comers, not content with what the savages might freely and voluntarily bring, came to a resolution to plunder them; and hostilities commenced on the 16th of January 1636.

The Caribs, not thinking themselves in a condition openly to resist an enemy who had so much the advantage from the superiority of their arms, destroyed their own provisions and plantations, and retired to Grande Terre, or to the neighbouring islands. From thence the most desperate came over to the island from which they had been driven, and concealed themselves in the thickest parts of the forests. In the day-time, they shot with their poisoned arrows, or knocked down with their clubs, all the Frenchmen who were scattered about for hunting or fishing. In the night, they burned the houses and destroyed the plantations of their unjust spoilers.

A dreadful famine was the consequence of this kind of war. The colonists were reduced to graze in the fields, to eat their own excrement, and to dig up dead bodies for their subsistence. Many who had been slaves at Algiers, held in abhorrence the hands that had broken their fetters; and all of them cursed their existence. It was in this manner that they atoned for the crime of their invasion, till the government of Aubert brought a peace with the savages at the end of the year 1640. The remembrance, however, of hardships endured in an invaded island, proved a powerful incitement to the cultivation of all articles of immediate necessity; which afterwards induced an attention to those of luxury consumed in the mother-country. The few inhabitants who had escaped the calamities they had drawn upon themselves, were soon joined by some discontented colonists from St Christopher's, by Europeans fond of novelty, by sailors tired of navigation, and by some sea-captains, who prudently chose to commit to the care of a grateful soil the treasures they had saved from the dangers of the sea. But still the prosperity of Guadeloupe was stopped or impeded by obstacles arising from its situation.

The facility with which the pirates from the neighbouring islands could carry off their cattle, their slaves, their very crops, frequently brought them into a desperate situation. Intestine broils, arising from jealousies of authority, often disturbed the quiet of the planters. The adventurers who went over to the Windward islands, disdaining a land that was fitter for agriculture than for naval expeditions, were easily drawn to Martinico by the convenient roads it abounds with. The protection of those intrepid pirates brought to that island all the traders who flattered themselves that they might buy up the spoils of the enemy at a low price, and all the planters who thought they might safely give themselves up to peaceful labours. This quick population could not fail of introducing the civil and military government of the Caribbee islands into Martinico. From that time the French ministry attended more seriously to this than to the other colonies, which were not so immediately under their direction; and hearing chiefly of this island, they turned all their encouragements that way.

It was in consequence of this preference, that in 1700 the number of inhabitants in Guadeloupe amounted only to 3825 white people, 325 savages, free negroes, mulattoes, and 6725 slaves, many of whom were Caribs.

At the end of the year 1755, the colony was peopled with 9643 whites, 41,140 slaves of all ages and of both sexes. Her saleable commodities were the produce of 350 sugar-plantations, and 15 plots of indigo; besides cocoa, coffee, and cotton. Such was the state of Guadeloupe when it was conquered by the British in the month of April 1759.

France lamented this loss; but the colony had reason to comfort themselves for this disgrace. During a siege of three months, they had seen their plantations destroyed, the buildings that served to carry on their works burnt down, and some of their slaves carried off. Had the enemy been forced to retreat after all these devastations, the island was ruined. Deprived of all assistance from the mother-country, which was not able to send her any succours; and expecting nothing from the Dutch (who, on account of their neutrality, came into her roads), because she had nothing to offer them in exchange; she could never have subsisted till the ensuing harvest.

The conquerors delivered them from these apprehensions. The British, indeed, are no merchants in their colonies. The proprietors of lands, who mostly reside in Europe, send to their representatives whatever they want, and draw the whole produce of the estate by the return of their ship. An agent settled in some sea-port of Great Britain is intrusted with the furnishing the plantation and receiving the produce. This was impracticable at Guadeloupe; and the conquerors in this respect were obliged to adopt the custom of the conquered. The British, informed of the advantage the French made of their trade with the colonies, hastened, in imitation of them, to send their ships to the conquered island; and so multiplied their expeditions, that they overstocked the market, and sunk the price of all European commodities. The colonists bought them at a very low price; and, in consequence of this plenty, obtained long delays for the payment.

To this credit, which was necessary, was soon added another arising from speculation, which enabled the colony to fulfil its engagements. A great number of negroes were carried thither, to hasten the growth and enhance the value of the plantations. It has been said in various memorials, all copied from each other, that the English had stocked Guadeloupe with 30,000 during the four years and three months that they remained masters of the island. The registers of the custom-houses, which may be depended on, as there could be no inducement for an imposition, attest that the number was no more than 18,721. This was sufficient to give the nation well-grounded hopes of reaping great advantages from their new conquest. But their hopes were frustrated; and the colony, with its dependencies, was restored to its former possessors by the treaty of peace in July 1763.

By the survey taken in 1767, this island, including the smaller islands, Deseda, St Bartholomew, Marigalante, and the Saints, dependent upon it, contains 11,863 white people of all ages and of both sexes, 752 free blacks and mulattoes, 72,761 slaves; which makes in all a population of 85,376 souls. Guadalupe was taken by the British in 1794, but retaken by the French the following year. It was again reduced by the British in 1810, and remained in their possession till the general peace in 1814, when it was restored to France. In 1812, according to an official return, the population consisted of 12,747 whites, 943,285 slaves, and 7764 free negroes. Guadalupe exported 8,216,249 pounds of sugar in 1811, with 1,601,686 pounds of coffee, besides other articles.