By this arbitrary proceeding, many fine milch cows of the inhabitants in the town fell victims to his wrath on these occasions; and what was particularly hard upon the owners of them, they were obliged to bear the loss without repining, and to put up with being paid as for ordinary beasts, and waiting for that payment a long time. Another very great hardship on the owners of cattle, killed for the use of the military hospital, was, that they were seldom permitted to have a piece for themselves, though they paid for it, but were obliged to be satisfied with the offals of the carcase. And, as for others of the English, a piece of bullock’s liver was the most they in general could get; and they were usually told by the French officers in the markets, “That that was too good for an Englishman.” This great destruction of the cattle in Dominica, at that time, was a source of great disadvantages to the proprietors of the sugar plantations, thereby preventing the possibility of carrying on the culture of the sugar-cane, from the want of those necessary animals. And by this procedure of the French, several of the English planters were driven to the necessity of stopping the further settlement of their estates, to the great detriment of themselves and families, as well as injury to the mortgagees in Europe; and at the same time, lessening the value of property in the island in the opinion of people in general. The French were satisfied with being able to keep the country from Great Britain during the war, firmly believing, that it would be ceded to them at the peace; they did, therefore, every thing in their power to render the stay of the English inhabitants uncomfortable and distressing. Their disappointment, therefore, on finding the island was to be restored, was matter of great concern to them; and they actually put off the delivering it up to the English, a considerable time after the ratification of the definitive treaty of peace was concluded in Europe. Some weeks before the actual restoration of Dominica, an English regiment from Saint Lucia arrived at Roseau, for the purpose of taking possession of the island for his Britannic Majesty. This was, however, peremptorily refused by the French Governor, who strongly denied his having received any instructions for the delivering up the island from his superiors at Martinique, or even from Europe; at the same time, ordering the British Commander, with his troops, to depart, and threatening to compel them to it. But this order being contrary to the commission of the latter, he declared he was determined to act as became him; in consequence of which, he was at last permitted to land with his troops at point Michael, there to wait till the French Governor had further instructions.