count of their assistance to the colony.
When that great corsair, Jacques Cassard came out, he was therefore
enabled to supply him with as much help as he required.

Cassard, in 1712, was supplied by the merchants of Marseilles with a
large fleet, with which he sailed to the West Indies, beginning, as Du
Casse had done, with Surinam, where he arrived on the 8th of October,
with eight large and thirty small vessels. The Dutch were not so
fortunate this time, for he sailed up and down the river for three
weeks, burning, pillaging, and carrying off slaves, until most of the
inhabitants took to the bush. Among other exploits he is said to have
broken open the Jewish synagogue, killed a pig within the sacred
precincts, and sprinkled its blood over the walls and ornaments. He was
ultimately bought off for over L50,000, which, in the absence of enough
coin, was paid in sugar, negro and Indian slaves, cattle, merchandise,
provisions, stores, jewellery, and a very little cash.

While remaining in Surinam Cassard sent three vessels to Berbice, which
was easily captured, and for which a ransom of three hundred thousand
guilders (L25,000) was demanded. But this settlement was far worse off
than Surinam, and had neither goods nor money to pay such a large
amount, which was out of all proportion to that of her neighbour. After
raising 118,000 guilders in various ways, the balance was accepted in a
bill of exchange on the proprietors, two of the leading planters of the
colony being taken as hostages and security. Not satisfied with this,
the corsairs insisted on a further sum of ten thousand guilders in
cash, as ransom for the private estates, on the ground that they had
been paid only for the fort and properties of the Government. There was
not so much money in the whole river, and after collecting every bit of
plate and jewellery they possessed, to the value of six thousand
guilders, the enemy had to take the balance in sugar and stores.

Now came the most curious part of this transaction. The two hostages
died, and the proprietors refused to pay the draft--in fact, they said
Berbice was not worth so much. Nevertheless the colony could not be
taken over as a French possession, and even when the peace of Utrecht
was signed in 1713, nothing could be done. Here was an anomaly--a Dutch
settlement in the hands of French merchants as security for a debt. On
account of trade restrictions its produce might not be brought to
France, and th