ERRATA. THE candid Reader is requested to excuse many evident oversights which, in consequence of the Author's residing so far from the Press, have unavoidably remained. At page 49, vol. ii., the sense is entirely altered; for "Colonel Lynch succeeded Sir Thomas Modyford," read, "When Sir Thomas Modyford succeeded Colonel Lynch.' And in the quotation, p. 230, vol. iii., between the second and third, and the fifth and sixth lines, a line of asterisks ought to have been placed; and in the third line of the same quotation, instead of " in the," read "in that." Gimingham House, Norfolk, 11th April, 1827. A CHRONOLOGICAL HISTORY OF THE WEST INDIES. 1655. UPON the appearance of Admiral Penn off Santo Domingo, with the fleet under his orders, the Spaniards, to increase their force, recalled their troops from Tortuga, of which island they had been in possession about 18 months. In compliance with his orders, the commander of the garrison, before he left the island, blew up the fort, burnt the church and all the houses and magazines, and laid the plantations waste! Not long afterwards, an English refugee of considerable property, named Elias Ward (Elyazouard), came from Jamaica, with his wife and family and a dozen soldiers, and with a con-mission from the general, settled upon Tortuga: he was soon joined by several English and French, and at the head of 120 adventurers.1 Du Tertre, tom. iii. p. 127. 1 "About the time of Elias Ward's establishing himself upon the island of Tortuga, some Frenchmen returned from Cuba to that island, and reported an occurrence sufficiently remarkable to occupy a place in this book: for they said that the great want of provisions which they suffered made ten or twelve of their brave adventurers land in Cuba, to take some pigs from two "corayls," which are the pens where the Spaniards breed a great quantity of these animals. That passing through a small marsh, a league from the first "corail," they fell in with the most horrible snake they had ever The first cacao-tree which is mentioned as being in the French West India islands was discovered by some Caribs at Capsterre, Martinico, and was pointed out to M. du Parquet. From this tree the island was stocked with plants. On the 1st of February, the expedition under the command of his Excellency Robert Venables, and the Right Honourable William Penn, consisting of about 3000 men, in thirty sail of vessels, one half of whom were victuallers, were collected at Barbadoes. The Great and Little Charity, two vessels, the one laden with artillery stores, the other with horses and equipments for the cavalry, were left behind, to the great injury of the service. The soldiers were immediately landed, and the ship's carpenters employed in putting together the shallops, the frames of which were brought out by the fleet. March 31st, the whole being ready, and a troop of horse (raised in the island at the expence of the inhabitants) embarked, the expedition sailed from Barbadoes, and anchored, April 2d, off St. Lucia. It passed close by Guadaloupe, to the great alarm of the inhabitants. On the 6th they were off St. Christopher's, where they were joined by about 1300 men, making, with those from Barbadoes, 5000 volunteers, exclusive of women and children, many of whom accompanied the volunteers. Admiral Penn was splendidly entertained by M. de Poincy, at his hotel on the mountain, before he went to the English quarters to settle the government. April 13th, the fleet were off the city of St. Domingo, and the next day 7000 infantry and one troop of horse, with three days' provisions, were landed ten leagues to the westward of the town'. Du Tertre, tom.ii. p. 184.-tom. i. pp. 472. 479. Harleian Miscellany, vol. vi. p. 377. Edition, 1810. Journal by J. S. an eye witness, printed London, 1655. bour every day lost their pigs, and that the suspicion they had, that one robbed the other, had set them to law with each other.' At daylight our adventurers carried him to the marsh, where the poor farmer was near dying with fear at the sight of such a frightful beast. But he was much consoled when they opened the snake, and he found two of his largest pigs in his belly! Quite delighted to find that the cause of his dispute with his neighbour was discovered, he begged our adventurers to give him their word not to do his neighbour any injury, and to permit him to go and look for him. He obtained it, and brought him; and after having seen the beast, they were reconciled, and gave to the adventurers all that they asked from them. The farmers skinned the snake, and the skin was carried to the Havannah, and placed in the cathedral, where all the inhabitants saw it with astonishment. M. d'Artigny, a man of honour, now living, and major of Tortuga, was one of those that fired at the snake, and has several times repeated this story to M. d'Ojeron, governor of the island of Tortuga, who gave me what I have written."-Du Tertre, tom. iii. p. 129. "M. de Poincy, after the alliance between the two nations was renewed by the treaty, permitted Admiral Penn to pass through his territory. The general passed through the middle of the French inhabitants, who were under arms, and so arranged, that after one company of infantry there was one of cavalry; and they have assured me (Du Tertre says), that M. de Poincy, to make his troops appear more numerous, had given orders to 120" cavaliers" to proceed by the back roads, and get beyond the admiral, so |