Thus have I narrated the reduction of Antigua by the French, following the steps of their own historian, “Du Tertre,” who of course speaks in favour of his own countrymen. Antigua remained a French colony, although of no use to the nation, except from the plunder obtained from it, until the following year, when by the treaty of Breda, Louis XIV. restored it to the English crown.[19] The French appear to have ever doubted their success; and their attack upon Antigua, in the first instance, seemed only intended as a feint; but by one of those extraordinary accidents, which we often meet with in the annals of nations, the island was reduced, and in the second attack, if we may believe Du Tertre, _only two shots_ were fired in its defence. At the period of this conquest of Antigua, there were about 800 negroes upon the island, but of these the French could only find about 500, which they carried away with them, along with their plunder. The after fate of Colonel Carden was truly shocking. Soon after the French had abandoned Antigua, a party of Caribs landed, and cruelly treated the defenceless inhabitants. At length they proceeded to the house of the ex-governor, Colonel Carden, who treated them very kindly, and administered to their want. Upon their leaving, they requested their entertainer to accompany them to the beach, who instantly complied; but the Caribs, more treacherous than the wild beasts that haunt the desert, had no sooner reached the place where their canoes were stationed, than they fell upon their kind host, cruelly murdered him, and broiled his head, which they afterwards carried with them to Dominica. Nor were they satisfied with this horrible piece of barbarity; for, to make the tragedy complete, they returned to Colonel Carden’s house, seized his wife and children, and after telling them of the fate of their kind relative, hurried them away into a captivity worse than death. The Bastian Baijer—whose name appears conspicuous in signing the capitulation, and in the after letters which passed between the English and the French—was of Dutch extraction, and one who emigrated to this island at an early period of its colonization. He died in London, in the year 1704, and in his will directed that his remains should be interred in the vaults of the Dutch church in Austin Friars, which was accordingly done. Many of the descendants (or rather representatives, for Bastian Baijer died without issue, and left his property to the person who assumed his name) of Bastian Baijer have resided in the island until within a year or two. The remains of one member of that family, Otto Baijer, Esq., moulders beneath the beautiful tomb, a description of which will be found in Chapter XV.; and the remaining scion of the house, a female, was shortly since united to the Hon. Owen Pell, of Antigua, and of Suwell, county of Northampton. ------