The Irish officers of the Brigades being acquainted with the customs, and speaking the language of the English, treated them with every civility in their power, during the time they were in the island; frequently visiting them, joining them on parties of amusement, and rendering them several little services. And to their praise be it mentioned, that on two or three occasions some of them opposed the French officers, for their bad treatment of the English, at the risk of losing their own lives. During five years and a quarter, the time that the island of Dominica was in possession of the French, it was resorted to by no vessels from Old France; nor was any of the produce of the English plantations exported to that kingdom during this period; but part of it was sent in neutral bottoms to the Dutch island of Saint Eustatius, before its capture by Admiral Rodney; and from thence it was exported to England, under the most extravagant expences and loss to the proprietors. Other parts of the produce were sent in Dutch vessels, which were engaged for the purpose in England, to Rotterdam, where, on, their arrival, the sugar in particular sold from sixteen to eighteen pounds sterling per hogshead. After the breaking out of the war with the Dutch, the produce of Dominica was sent, under Imperial colours, to Ostend, where the sugar sold only from six to eight pounds sterling per hogshead. This was a great falling off in the price of that commodity, and greatly distressed the sugar planters in particular; but to complete their misfortunes, one of those very vessels, laden with returns to the island, was captured by the Americans, who sold both the ship and cargo. The prices of the different articles in Dominica, the greatest part of the time of the French government of it, were as follow: Sugar, from 1l. 4s. to 1l. 10s. per Cwt. Rum, 2s. per gallon. Coffee, from 2l. to 2l. 10s. per Cwt. Of the current money of the island, which was at eighty-five per cent. and was not more than one-half the value of the same produce at present. The freight of shipping it off from the out-bays to Roseau, was then nearly double to what it is now; and the duties paid to the French Custom-house, for exporting the sugar alone, was upwards of twenty per cent. on their estimation of its value. The different articles of provisions, and other necessaries, brought to the island, were at a most extravagant price. Beef, from 9l. 18s. to 11l. 5s. per barrel. Pork, from 11l. 5s. to 13l. 4s. per ditto. Flour, from 9l. 18s. to 12l. per ditto. Butter, from 10l. to 13l. 4s. per firkin. This was the wholesale price; but when disposed of again at retail, the price was extravagant; for butter was not to be had there under six shillings a pound, candles at three shillings, soap at the same price, and every other article in that advanced proportion.