Produced by Jonathan Ingram, Jane Hyland and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net [Illustration: MOUNTAIN CRATER, DOMINICA.] THE ENGLISH IN THE WEST INDIES OR THE BOW OF ULYSSES BY JAMES ANTHONY FROUDE WITH ILLUSTRATIONS ENGRAVED ON WOOD BY G. PEARSON AFTER DRAWINGS BY THE AUTHOR [Illustration] NEW EDITION LONDON LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO. 1888 _All rights reserved_ Fürsten prägen so oft auf kaum versilbertes Kupfer Ihr bedeutendes Bild: lange betrügt sich das Volk Schwärmer prägen den Stempel des Geist's auf Lügen und Unsinn: Wem der Probirstein fehlt, hält sie für redliches Gold. GOETHE. PREFACE TO FIRST EDITION. My purpose in writing this book is so fully explained in the book itself that a Preface is unnecessary. I visited the West India Islands in order to increase my acquaintance with the condition of the British Colonies. I have related what I saw and what I heard, with the general impressions which I was led to form. In a few instances, when opinions were conveyed to me which were important in themselves, but which it might be undesirable to assign to the persons from whom I heard them, I have altered initials and disguised localities and circumstances. The illustrations are from sketches of my own, which, except so far as they are tolerably like the scenes which they represent, are without value. They have been made producible by the skill and care of the engraver, Mr. Pearson, to whom my warmest thanks are due. J.A.F. ONSLOW GARDENS: _November 15, 1887_. [Illustration] CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. PAGE Colonial policy--Union or separation--Self-government--Varieties of condition--The Pacific colonies--The West Indies--Proposals for a West Indian federation--Nature of the population--American union and British plantations--Original conquest of the West Indies 1 CHAPTER II. In the train for Southampton--Morning papers--The new 'Locksley Hall'--Past and present--The 'Moselle'--Heavy weather--The Petrel--The Azores 10 CHAPTER III. The tropics--Passengers on board--Account of the Darien canal--Planters' complaints--West Indian history--The Spanish conquest--Drake and Hawkins--The buccaneers--The pirates--French and English--Rodney--Battle of April 12--Peace with honour--Doers and talkers 20 CHAPTER IV. First sight of Barbadoes--Origin of the name--Père Labat--Bridgetown two hundred years ago--Slavery and Christianity--Economic crisis--Sugar bounties--Aspect of the streets--Government House and its occupants--Duties of a governor of Barbadoes 32 CHAPTER V.