The Buccaneers in the West Indies in the XVII CenturyHaring, Clarence Henry
History
The Buccaneers in the West Indies in the XVII Century
Haring, Clarence Henry
Buccaneers; West Indies -- History
In the latter part of 1659 a French gentleman, Jeremie Deschamps,
seigneur du Rausset, who had been one of the first inhabitants of
Tortuga under Levasseur and de Fontenay, repaired to England and had
sufficient influence there to obtain an order from the Council of State
to Colonel Doyley to give him a commission as governor of Tortuga, with
such instructions as Doyley might think requisite.[193] This same du
Rausset, it seems, had received a French commission from Louis XIV. as
early as November 1656.[194] At any rate, he came to Jamaica in 1660 and
obtained his commission from Doyley on condition that he held Tortuga in
the English interest.[195] Watts, it seems, had meanwhile learnt that he
was to be superseded by a Frenchman, whereupon he embarked with his
family and all his goods and sought refuge in New England. About two
months later, according to one story, Doyley heard that Deschamps had
given a commission to a privateer and committed insolences for which
Doyley feared to be called to account. He sent to remonstrate with him,
but Deschamps answered that he possessed a French commission and that he
had better interest with the powers in England than had the governor of
Jamaica. As there were more French than English on the island, Deschamps
then proclaimed the King of France and set up the French colours.[196]
Doyley as yet had received no authority from the newly-restored king,
Charles II., and hesitated to use any force; but he did give permission
to Arundell, Watts' son-in-law, to surprise Deschamps and carry him to
Jamaica for trial. Deschamps was absent at the time at Santa Cruz, but
Arundell, relying upon the friendship and esteem which the inhabitants
had felt for his father-in-law, surprised the governor's nephew and
deputy, the Sieur de la Place, and possessed himself of the island. By
some mischance or neglect, however, he was disarmed by the French and
sent back to Jamaica.[197] This was not the end of his misfortunes. On
the way to Jamaica he and his company were surprised by Spaniards in the
bay of Matanzas in Cuba, and carried to Puerto Principe. There, after a
month's imprisonment, Arundell and Barth. Cock, his shipmaster, were
taken out by negroes into the bush and murdered, and their heads brought
into the town.[198] Deschamps later returned to France because of
ill-health, leaving la Place to govern the island in his stead, and when
the property of the French Antilles was vested in the new French West
India Company in 1664 he was arrested and sent to the Bastille. The
cause of his arrest is obscure, but it seems that he had been in
correspondence with the English government, to whom he had offered to
restore Tortuga on condition of being reimbursed with L6000 sterling. A
few days in the Bastille made him think better of his resolution. He
ceded his rights to the company for 15,000 livres, and was released from
confinement in November.[199]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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