when the importations leapt up year after year, with a corresponding
increase in the export of produce. The property was valued at over
eighty-six millions sterling, Jamaica coming first, but nearly every
other island flourishing to an extent hardly credible to those who have
only seen them after their downfall.

What Jamaica was to the English, the western portion of Hispaniola
became to the French, and even Spain increased her productions, now that
things had become settled, and treasure seeking less remunerative.
Altogether, the period from this time, to the end of the century, may be
considered as the planter's best days, and the "good old times" of which
we hear so much but find it so difficult to precisely indicate.

On the 1st of February, 1793, peace was again broken by the French
Convention, the declaration of war being made against England and
Holland. Thus began that struggle which seemed interminable at the time,
and which actually lasted twenty-two years. As usual the West Indies
suffered, but this time they were not quite so much the scene of
contention as they had been formerly. Tobago was captured from the
French on the 15th of April, but during the remainder of the year little
was done. In January, 1794, however, Admiral Sir John Jervis arrived at
Barbados, and in the following month took Martinique after a severe
struggle. Then he went on to St. Lucia, which also surrendered, and
before the end of April Guadeloupe fell. Then came reverses; a French
fleet arrived, and all were recaptured.

Meanwhile France had invaded Holland, and established a sister republic
on her own lines, rendering it necessary for the Stadtholder, the Prince
of Orange, to fly off to England. From Kew, where the king had given him
a residence, he wrote letters to all the Dutch colonies, asking the
authorities to place them in the hands of the British, and treat people
of that nationality as friends and allies. With these despatches British
fleets were sent to all the possessions of Holland, but only one or two
obeyed the command, the result being that the others had to be taken by
force, until hardly a Dutch colony existed in any part of the world.

In October, 1796, Spain joined France on the ground that the British, in
their operations against the enemy, had injured her in several ways. One
of the reasons given was so absurd that we can hardly conceive it to
have been put forth seriously. Great Britain had captured Demerara, a