nd
this put her in a situation to possess positions of greater importance.
Spain, however, got nothing by her taking up the quarrel, for her trade
was absolutely swept from the seas, and communication with America
almost cut off. This state of things became so troublesome that for the
first time in her history neutral vessels were permitted to trade in her
American colonies. She also lost the island of Trinidad, which had
remained in her possession since the days of Ralegh.

Soon the whole of the West Indies and Spanish Main were virtually under
the control of Great Britain, little opportunity being given to her
enemies of crossing the Atlantic. No longer could the Caribbean Sea be
the scene of the great struggle--the forces of the combatants were
wanted nearer home. Now again came the harvest of the little island of
St. Thomas, until Denmark was also numbered among the enemies of the
"Queen of the Seas." Then the United States came to get her pickings as
a neutral, which gave such an impetus to her ship-building and commerce,
that later the seamen trained under such auspices became formidable
rivals to the British.

The colonists did not altogether dislike this great war. True, freights
and insurances were very high, but then the prices of produce were high
also. There was a spice of danger in every voyage, but after all the
risk was not so very great until the vessels came into the Channel. Then
there was a convoy to protect them, and they might even get prize money
by capturing traders of the enemy. Every vessel went armed, and many a
privateer of the enemy got severely beaten by a gallant body of merchant
seamen and passengers. This was a glorious time for the British navy,
but the fleets in the West Indies had little to do after the beginning
of the war. There was a great disturbance on the island of Hispaniola, a
riot in Grenada, troubles in the French islands, and a few skirmishes
here and there, but nothing of much consequence to the British.

There were many small difficulties of course, and the navigation laws
had to be relaxed generally in favour of neutrals, as otherwise
provisions would have been scarce. The Dutch were not altogether
displeased with British rule, for Curacao, which had not been conquered,
was captured from its French garrison in 1800, at the request of the
inhabitants, whose trade had been entirely stopped. Then the Spanish
colonies came to an arrangement by which much of their produce we