was retaken by the French, under the command of the Marquis de Bouille, though their force confifted of only three frigates, fome finall craft, and about three hundred men. CURAS SOU. THIS ifland is fituated in twelve degrees north latitude, nine or ten leagues from the continent of Terra Firma, is thirty miles long, and ten broad. It feems as if it were fated, that the ingenuity and patience of the Hollanders fhould every where, both in Europe and America, be employed in fighting against an unfriendly nature; for the ifland is not only barren, and dependent on the rains for its water, but the harbour is naturally one of the world in America; yet the Dutch have entirely remedied that defect; they have upon this harbour one of the largest and by far the most elegant and cleanly towns in the Weft-Indies. The public buildings are numerous and handfome; the private houfes commodious; and the magazines large, convenient, and well filled. All kind of labour is here performed by gines; fome of them fo well contrived that fhips are at once lifted into the dock. Though this island is naturally barren, the induftry of the Dutch has brought it to produce a confiderable quantity both of tobacco and fugar; it But has, befides, good falt works, for the produce of which there is a brifk demand from the English iflands, and the colonies on the continent. what renders this island of most advantage to the Dutch, is the contraband trade which is carried on between the inhabitants and the Spaniards, and their harbour being the rendezvous to all nations in time of war. The Dutch fhips from Europe touch at this ifland for intelligence, or pilots, and then proceed to the Spanish coafts for trade, which they force with a frong haud, it being very difficult for the Spanish guarda coftas to take thefe veffels; for they are not only flaut fhips, with a number of guns, but are manned with large crews of chofen feamen, deeply interefled in the voyage. They have each a fhare fafety of the veffel and the fuccefs of the in the cargo, of a value proportioned to the flation of the owner, fupplied by the merchants upon credit, and at prime cofl. This animates them with an uncommon courage, and they fight bravely, because every man fights in defence of his own property. Befides this, there is a confiant intercourfe between this island and the Spanish continent. Curaffou has numerous warehouses, always full of the commodities of Europe and the Eafl-Indies. Here are all forts of woollen and linen cloth, laces, filks, ribands, iron utenfils, naval and military flores, brandy, the Spices of the Moluccas, and the calicoes of India, white and painted. Hither the Dutch Weft-India, which is alfo their African company, annually bring three or four cargoes of flaves; and to this mart the Spaniards theinfelves come in finall veffels, and carry off not only the best of the negroes, at d very high price, but great quantities of all the above forts of goods; and the feller has this advantage, that the refufe of warehouses and mercers' fhops, and every thing that is grown unfashionable and uníaleable in Europe, ga off here extremely well: every thing being fufficiently recommended by is. being European. The Spaniards pay in gold and filver, coined or in bars, cocoa, vanilla, jefuits bark, cochineal, and other valuable commodities. The trade of Curaffou, even in times of peace, is faid to be annually worth to the Dutch no less than five hundred thousand pounds; but in time of war the profit is fill greater, for then it becomes the common emporium of the Weft-Indies it affords a retreat to fhips of all nations, and at the fame time refufes none of them arms and ammunition to deftroy one another. The intercourfe with Spain being then interrupted, the Spanish colonies have fcarce any other market from whence they can be fupplied either with flaves or goods. The French come hither to buy the beef, pork, corn, flour, and Jumber, which are brought from the continent of North America, or exported from Ireland; fo that whether in peace or in war, the trade of this ifland flourishes extremely, The trade of all the Dutch American settlements was originally carried on by the Weft-India company alone; at prefent, fuch fhips as go upon that trade, pay two and a half per cent. for their licenfes; the company, however, referves to themselves the whole of what is carried on between Africa and the American islands. The other iflands, Bonaire and Aruba, are inconfiderable in themselves, and should be regarded as appendages to Curaffou, for which they are chiefly employed in raifing cattle and other provifions. The ifland of Saba, fituated at no great distance from St. Eustatius, is fmall, and hardly deferves to be mentioned. DANISH WEST-INDIES. ST. THOMA S. AN inconfiderable member of the Caribbees, fituated in fixty-four degrees weft longitude, and eighteen degrees north latitude, about fifteen miles in circumference, and has a fafe and commodious harbour. ST. CROIX, OR SANTA CRUZ. Another fmall and unhealthy ifland, lying about five leagues caft of St. Thomas, ten or twelve leagues in length, and three or four where it is broadeft. These islands, fo long as they remained in the hands of the Danish WeftIndia Company, were ill managed, and of little confequence to the Danes; but that wife and benevolent Prince, the late king of Denmark, bought up the company's Rock, and laid the trade open; and fince that time the ifland of St. Thomas, as well as this, kas been fo greatly improved, that it is faid to produce upwards of three thoufand hogheads of fugar, of one thoufand weight each, and other of the Weft-India commodities in tolerable plenty. In time of war, privateers bring in their prizes here for fale; and a great many veffels trade from hence along the Spanish main, and return with money in fpecie or bars, and valuable merchandise. As for Santa Cruz, from a perfect defert a few years fince, it is beginning to feule fall; several perfons from the English iflands, fome of them of great wealth, have gone to feule there, and have received very great encouragement to do so. The Dutch and the Danes hardly deferve to be mentioned among the proprietors of America; their poffeffions there are comparatively nothing. But notwithstanding they appear extremely worthy of the attention of thefe powers, as the fhare of the Dutch only is worth to them at least fix hundred thousand pounds flerling a year. No. 28. NEW DISCOVERIES. OUR knowledge of the globe has been confiderably augmented by the difcoveries of the Ruffians, and British and American navigators, which have been numerous and important. Befides thofe defcribed in Vol. II. there are in the Northern Archipelago, four groups of iflands, lying between the caftern coast of Kamtfcatka and the western coaft of the continent of America. The firft group, which is called by fome of the islanders Sefignan, comprehends, 1. Breering's ifland. 2. Copper ifland. 3. Otma. 4. Samyra, or Shemiya. 5. Anakta. The fecond group is called Khao, and comprifes eight iflands, viz. 1. Immak, 2. Kifka. 3. Tchetchia. 4. Ava. 5. Kavia, 6. Tfchangulhk. 7. Ulagama, 8. Amtchidga. The third general name is Negho, and comprehends the islands known to the Ruffians us der the name of Andreanofffki Oftrova: fixteen of which are mentioned under the following names; 1. Amarkinak. 2. Ulak. 3. Unalga. 4. Navotfha. 5. Uliga. 6. Anagin. 7. Kagula. 8. Illafk, or Illak. 9. Takawanga, upon which is a volcano. 10. Kanaga, which has also a volcano. 11. Leg. 12. Shefhuna. 13. Tagaloon. 14. Goreloi. 15. Otchu. 16. Amla. The fourth group is called Kavalang, and comprehends fixteen iflands, which are called by the Ruffians Lyfe Oftrova, or the Fox Islands; and which are named, 1. Amuchta. 2. Tchfigama, 3. Tfchegula. 4. Uniflra. 5. Ulaga. 6. Tauagulana. 7. Kagamin. 8. Kigalga. 9. Skelmaga. 10. Umnak. 11. AgunAlafhka, 12. Unimga. 13. Üligan. 14. Anturo-Leiffume. 15. Smidit. 16. Senagak. Some of these islands are only inhabited occafionally, and for fome months in the year, and others are very thinly peopled; but fome have a great number of inhabitants, who conftantly refide on them. Copper Island receives its name from the copper which the fea throws upon its coafts. The inhabitants of these islands are, in general, of a short ftature, with ftrong and robuft limbs, but free and fupple. They have lank black hair, little beard, flattifh faces, and fair skins. They are, for the most part,, well made, and of frong conftitutions, fuitable to the boisterous climate of their ifles. The inhabitants of the two firft groups, called the Aleutian ifles, live upon roots which grow wild, and upon fea-animals. They do not employ themselves in catching hfh, though the river abounds with falmon, and the fea with turbot. Their clothes are made of the fkins of fea-otters and birds. The Fox iflands are fo called from the great number of black, grey and red foxes with which they abound. The dress of the inhabitants confifts of a cap and a fur coat, which reaches down to the knee. Some of them wear common caps of a party-coloured bird-fkin, upon which they leave part of the wings and tail. On the fore part of their hunting and fishing caps, they place a fmall board, like a fcreen, adorned with the jaw-bones of fea-bears, and ornamented with glafs beads, which they receive in barter from the Rufhans. At their festivals and dancing-parties, they ufe a much more showy fort of caps. They feed upon the flesh of fea-animals, which they generally eat raw. But when they drefs their victuals, they make use of a hollow flone; having placed their flefh or fifh therein, they cover it with another, and clofe the interflices with lime or clay. They then lay it horizontally upon two flones and light a fire under it. The provifions intended for preferving, are dried without falt in the open air. Their weapons confill of bows, arrows, and darts; and for defence they use wooden fhields, Vol. IV. |