Guadeloupe

“ Many refugees of this nationality settled in the French islands after the Portuguese drove them out of Brazil. The commercial capital is situated at the mouth of the Salt River, in one of the hottest and most uninviting spots in the West Indies. Across the bay Guadeloupe proper, piled up in its labyrinth of mountains veiled in the blue haze of distance, seems to invite the perspiring inhabitants to cease their bargainings and retire to the cool heights. Young as it is, “the Point” has long since outgrown Basse Terre in size and importance. ”

“ Guadeloupe (168) , a French island among the Lesser Antilles, in the W. Indies; is subject to earthquakes; produces sugar and coffee; has belonged to France since 1816.
Guadiana, an important river of Spain, has its source in the E. of the plateau of Mancha, and for a short distance is known as the Zancara, flows in a westerly direction as far as Badajoz, where it bends to the S., then forms the border between Portugal and Spain for a short distance, bends into Alemtejo, and again, ere reaching the Gulf of Cadiz, divides the two countries ”

“ It is true that H.M. sloop “Dominica” had been sent to cruise off Guadeloupe; but even with the greatest zeal and enterprise, this vessel could scarcely have counted on intercepting more than a small proportion of the Privateers which lurked in every bay and creek of that notorious island, while, as it happened, any schemes which her officers had formed in this direction were promptly frustrated by a mutiny of the crew, who seized the vessel, took her into Guadeloupe, and reported to the French the defenceless state of Dominica. ”

“ We sailed from Dominica about sundown, setting a course which would take us up the west coast of Guadeloupe during the night. By 0600 we had put that island astern, in spite of a light and fickle breeze in the lee, which kept up most of the night nursing us along, and Montserrat was almost abeam to port. We were finding that Caribbean cruising, as many yachtsmen had discovered before us, has much of beauty and fascination to recommend it. Almost never were we out of sight of at least one island, mountainous and green, each one unique in itself. ”

“ The inhabitants of Guadeloupe consist of a few white officials and planters, a few East Indian immigrants from the French possessions in India, and the rest negroes and mulattoes. These mulattoes are famous for their grace and beauty of both form and feature. The women greatly outnumber the men, and there is a very large percentage of illegitimate births. ”

“ ST. VINCENT AND GUADELOUPE Life in Barbados—I am appointed acting-paymaster—President of a court-martial—Deputy judge-advocate—At St. Vincent—Expedition to Guadeloupe—Appointed deputy-assistant quartermaster-general and sent to Guadeloupe
WE had no more mishaps during that voyage, and got safely to Barbados on December 14, 1814. We landed on the following morning, and occupied St. Anne’s barracks, and the same evening dined with the officers of the 80th West India Regiment. None of us had been in the West Indies before, so that everything was new to us. ”

“ They were cured with cold things.” This fruit is supposed to have been the manchireel, which is known to produce such effects.
They found no inhabitants on this island and went on to another, now called Guadeloupe. It received this name from its resemblance to a province of the same name in Spain. They drew near a mountain upon it which “seemed to be trying to reach the sky,” upon which was a beautiful waterfall, so white with foam that at a distance some of the sailors thought it was not water, but white rocks. The Admiral sent a light caravel to coast along and find harbor. ”

“ It is the only island in the Antilles owned by two European powers; 17 sq. m. in the N., belonging to France, form a dependency of Guadeloupe, while the rest of the island, belonging to Holland, is a dependency of Curaçao. Sugar, formerly its staple, has been succeeded by salt. ”

“ Economy Guadeloupe Economy - overview: The Caribbean economy depends on agriculture, tourism, light industry, and services. It also depends on France for large subsidies and imports. Tourism is a key industry, with most tourists from the US ”

“ Everything, however, was in readiness in case the men should have to go to quarters. Although the ports were open the guns were not run out, nor were their tompions withdrawn. The French captain, standing on the quarter-deck in his uniform, was easily recognizable.
The beautiful harbor of Guadeloupe, with its circlet of warlike forts, looked peculiarly attractive to the eyes of seamen who had been cruising for many long months. “Old Wagoner” had been newly painted, and as she stood in the Roads, under all her square canvas, she was a perfect picture of a ship. ”

“ Its excellent harbour has made it the chief port and commercial capital of the colony. Le Moule (10,378) on the east coast of Grande-Terre does a considerable export trade in sugar, despite its poor harbour. Of the other towns, St Anne (9497) , Morne à l’Eau (8442) , Petit Canal (6748) , St François (5265) , Petit Bourg (5110) and Trois Rivières (5016) , are the most important.
Round Guadeloupe are grouped its dependencies, namely, La Desirade, 6 m. E., a narrow rugged island 10 sq. m. in area; Marie Galante 16 m. S.E. Les Saintes, a group of seven small islands, 7 m. ”

“ The chevalier saw in the colonies a veritable Eldorado. He had heard of the magnificent hospitality of the colonists, who were only too happy, he had been told, to keep the Europeans who came to see them as guests, for months, and he drew this very simple deduction: there are about fifty or sixty rich plantations at Martinique and Guadeloupe; their proprietors, bored to death, are delighted to keep with them men of wit ”

“ The wide waters which are banked up to the windward of the West India Islands, and cause the wide tide-rips, set mostly to the westward48 into the Caribbean Sea through the passages south of Guadeloupe, while the northern portion of the raised waters set mostly toward the north, and thus form the eastern boundary of the Gulf Stream, and comprise the inner circle of the great current that encircles the Sargasso Sea. ”

“ Basse-Terre is supremely beautiful, its cloud-capped mountains being clothed with a mantle of luxuriant vegetation. On Grande-Terre the highest elevation is only 450 ft., and this island is the seat of extensive sugar plantations. It consists of a plain composed mainly of limestone and a conglomerate of sand and broken shells known as maconne de bon dieu, much used for building. The bay between the two sections of Guadeloupe on the north is called Grand Cul-de-Sac Marin, that on the south being Petit Cul-de-Sac Marin. ”

“ Once out upon this half of the island, the traveler finds it has a few low hills and ridges, but they are so slight that a bicycle affords easy means of communication, which can be said of few West Indian islands. Along the mangrove-lined coast are many shacks almost as carelessly thrown together as those of Haiti, yet all over Guadeloupe there is patent evidence that the negro is a far different fellow when directed by the white man than when running wild. ”

“ To-day the inhabitants live for the most part in abject poverty, getting most of their sustenance from the neighboring islands and emigrating to Guadeloupe, where they are noted for their excellency as servants, despite their unfamiliarity with the native “creole.” ”

“ Other vegetables and root crops are cultivated for local consumption, although Guadeloupe is still dependent on imported food, mainly from France. Light industry features sugar and rum production. Most manufactured goods and fuel are imported. Unemployment is especially high among the young. Hurricanes periodically devastate the economy. ”

“ I took my leave of him, and went again upon the roaring Ocean, seeking after the fortune of this World: on our way we cast anchor at Desirada, an Island not far from Guadeloupe, and stay'd there only a few days. After we departed from the Island forementioned, we were some time without seeing any vessel, but one morning we saw a large Ship, which we soon perceived was an English Frigate; we lost no time, but put all the sails out to make our escape if possible. ”

“ So far as I have been able to ascertain, the first capture of the Island of Guadeloupe took place in the year 1702, when the Yorkshire Regiment lost 2 officers killed and 3 wounded; the 20th (Lancashire Fusiliers) 3 officers killed and 5 wounded; and the 35th (Royal Sussex) , 2 killed, 3 wounded, and no less than 16 by disease.
Then came the expedition of 1759, with which I deal at length, and for which a battle honour was granted.
[99]
In the year 1794 we once more captured the island, the losses being:
For this expedition no battle honour was granted. ”

“ That portion of the high sea-level south of Guadeloupe receives considerable assistance as a feeder for the Gulf Stream through being connected on the south by the great high sea-level abreast Brazil and the great high sea-level of the equatorial calm belt. The latter high level is caused by the trade winds, which generally blow briskly down the coast of Sahara, and also further off shore, and ending south of the Cape Verde Islands somewhat abruptly in the equatorial calm belt. ”

“ Among colonial possessions England took from France the Mauritius, Tobago, and Saint Lucia, but she returned Martinique and the Isle of Bourbon, and forced Sweden and Portugal to restore Guadeloupe and French Guiana. With regard to Holland, England retained Ceylon and the Cape of Good Hope, but she restored Java, Curaçao, and the other Dutch possessions. In the West Indies also, she retained, as has been said, the former Spanish island of Trinidad. ”

“ Generally speaking, the methods of cultivation in the Dominican Republic are somewhat crude as compared with the practise in the larger countries of production in Central America and South America.
Guadeloupe. Guadeloupe has an area of 619 square miles, and about one-third of this area is under cultivation. About 15,000 acres are in coffee, giving employment to upward of 10,000 persons. The average yield of a plantation of mature trees is about 535 pounds to the acre. ”

“ Pierre it would still be necessary to take Fort Royal before they could be masters of the island, it was resolved rather to attempt the reduction of Guadeloupe. On 22 Jan. the fleet was off Basseterre. During the early morning of the 23rd the ships took up their assigned positions, and at seven o'clock opened fire on the sea defences. ”

“ As British vessels began to prey upon Spanish colonies, France followed their operations with keen interest and at opportune moments managed to acquire a slice of territory in the New World. In the year when the British had taken possession of Barbadoes, France took half of San Cristobal; when the British settled on the other half of that island, the French took possession of Martinique, Guadeloupe and other small islands. They founded a colony in Cayenne and assisted by corsairs got a hold on the western part of Santo Domingo. ”

“ This is the reason why countermarked Spanish "Pieces of Eight" or fractions of them were the regular currency in these islands during English and French occupation even so late as the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. English settlement in the West Indies began with Drake, Hawkins and Raleigh and continued through the first half of the seventeenth century; in many cases (e.g., St. Lucia, Dominique and Guadeloupe) their possession was long disputed with France and was not finally settled before the Napoleonic wars. ”

“ Kitts (St. Christopher) . During the same period Barbados was settled by the English, and Santa Cruz by English and Dutch. By 1632 English settlements had been made at Nevis, Barbuda, Antigua, Providence Island, and Montserrat. By 1634 the Dutch had established trading stations on St. Eustatius, Tobago, and Curaçao, while in 1635 the French West India Company began the settlement of Guadeloupe, Martinique, and other Windward Islands.
Privateers.—Meanwhile French, Dutch, and English privateers swarmed the Spanish waters. Early in the century Dutch ships harassed the coasts of Chile and Peru. ”

“ Before leaving the West Indies, I would wish to draw attention to the fact that, whilst the defence of the Island of Dominica in 1805 is inscribed on the colours of the Cornwall Light Infantry, no recognition is made of the capture of that island by the troops under Lord Rollo in 1762, yet surely the one feat is as worthy of remembrance as the other. The appended table may not be without [441] interest to the regiments concerned in the two transactions:
Guadeloupe, 1702, 1794, and 1815, are also battle honours well worthy of remembrance. ”

“ Spanish Government.
Ginger.
Gold, in Puerto Rico; early search for; first discovery; gold-bearing streams; production of gold.
Government of Puerto Rico, instructions by the King of Spain.
Guadeloupe, discovery of; Caribs in, aid Puerto Rico Indians against the Spaniards.
Guaybána, cacique in Puerto Rico; death of.
Guaybána second, heads revolt against the Spaniards; massacres Spaniards; is defeated; killed. ”

“ Kitts and Guadaloupe, are seen faintly exhibiting their outlines on the horizon, and the whole forms a striking and not uninteresting picture.
A few more days and we had passed the south side of the island of Jamaica. Its appearance from the sea is singularly romantic: blue mountains encircled by clouds and clothed with verdure to the very summits form the back ground, while richly cultivated sugar plantations interspersed with the cedar and cocoa nut, line the hills and spread along the shore. Nature here at once presents herself in her forms of wild sublimity and luxuriant beauty. ”