Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Short Abstract Of The History Of Guadaloupe.
D'Olive ' s wicked emissaries , though they had left in the room of it a hog and some fruit , really more in value , it was thought a sufficient . motive for commencing hostilities . An officer of the nstme of Fontaine was dispatched , with fifteen stout soldiers , to make a tour round the island , and bring off by fair means a few French who had for two or three months sojourned among the natives . These poor people , suspecting nothing , received Fontaine and his party with great
satisfaction , regaled them in the best manner they could , restored their countrymen to them , and informed them that a small English vessel had landed a few men on the island , who had visited and proposed an alliance against the French ; that they had openly rejected their overtures ; and that the English were now gone up the country in search of game . Fontaine made so good use of this intelligence , that
he took the English vessel , and brought her to Fort St . Pierre . Three days after this action the governor , with some desperadoes ipur , ed to villany , embarked to visit the habitations of the savages in that part of the island where Fort Royal now stands , reporting that they were going in search of a more convenient spot than that which they at present occupied . The natives having by some meansor
, other been advertised of their cruel intention , had abandoned the place , carried off their provisions , and set fire to their . huts ; so that when D'Olive landed , he found only an old man , aged 70 , named Yancey , with his two sons , and three other young men who had not time to make their escape . These people , when they saw the French
approach , made all possible signs of submission , crying out , France no angry ivith us ; and being assured no hurt was designed them , they surrendered at discretion . The governor immediately changed his looks and discourse , and with a stern countenance called the old man villain and traitor , accusing him of conspiring with other natives against the colony to destroy them all . The poor old man denied the charge , with all the frankness and honest assurance that truth could dictate ;
declaring , at the same time , that he and all his countrymen were so strongly attached to the French , that they would leave nothing undone to serve them . But D'Olive taking a watch put of his pocket , " shewed it to him , tellin g him that it was the guardian angel of France , and that he had been assured b y him of what he had how affirmed . ;—The simple Indian , astonished at the tickinand motion ofthis little
g . machine , which he really supposed a spirit and the author of the calumny , exclaimed against it with strong invectives and resentment , declaring it to be an impostor , and swearing solemnly that neither he nor any of his countrymen had conceived the least design against the French . To confirm the truth of this asseveration , they commanded him to order the womenwho were in sihtto come in and
surren-, g , der ; to which the old man readily consented , giving an order for that purpose to one of his sons ; but the young man , "instead of returning , ' made his escape with the women . , This so enraged d'Oiive , that , dragging Yancey and his remaining son into the sloop , they stabbed the young man with their poir fiards in sight of his unhappy father , whom they immediately after
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Short Abstract Of The History Of Guadaloupe.
D'Olive ' s wicked emissaries , though they had left in the room of it a hog and some fruit , really more in value , it was thought a sufficient . motive for commencing hostilities . An officer of the nstme of Fontaine was dispatched , with fifteen stout soldiers , to make a tour round the island , and bring off by fair means a few French who had for two or three months sojourned among the natives . These poor people , suspecting nothing , received Fontaine and his party with great
satisfaction , regaled them in the best manner they could , restored their countrymen to them , and informed them that a small English vessel had landed a few men on the island , who had visited and proposed an alliance against the French ; that they had openly rejected their overtures ; and that the English were now gone up the country in search of game . Fontaine made so good use of this intelligence , that
he took the English vessel , and brought her to Fort St . Pierre . Three days after this action the governor , with some desperadoes ipur , ed to villany , embarked to visit the habitations of the savages in that part of the island where Fort Royal now stands , reporting that they were going in search of a more convenient spot than that which they at present occupied . The natives having by some meansor
, other been advertised of their cruel intention , had abandoned the place , carried off their provisions , and set fire to their . huts ; so that when D'Olive landed , he found only an old man , aged 70 , named Yancey , with his two sons , and three other young men who had not time to make their escape . These people , when they saw the French
approach , made all possible signs of submission , crying out , France no angry ivith us ; and being assured no hurt was designed them , they surrendered at discretion . The governor immediately changed his looks and discourse , and with a stern countenance called the old man villain and traitor , accusing him of conspiring with other natives against the colony to destroy them all . The poor old man denied the charge , with all the frankness and honest assurance that truth could dictate ;
declaring , at the same time , that he and all his countrymen were so strongly attached to the French , that they would leave nothing undone to serve them . But D'Olive taking a watch put of his pocket , " shewed it to him , tellin g him that it was the guardian angel of France , and that he had been assured b y him of what he had how affirmed . ;—The simple Indian , astonished at the tickinand motion ofthis little
g . machine , which he really supposed a spirit and the author of the calumny , exclaimed against it with strong invectives and resentment , declaring it to be an impostor , and swearing solemnly that neither he nor any of his countrymen had conceived the least design against the French . To confirm the truth of this asseveration , they commanded him to order the womenwho were in sihtto come in and
surren-, g , der ; to which the old man readily consented , giving an order for that purpose to one of his sons ; but the young man , "instead of returning , ' made his escape with the women . , This so enraged d'Oiive , that , dragging Yancey and his remaining son into the sloop , they stabbed the young man with their poir fiards in sight of his unhappy father , whom they immediately after