here and maintained a line of ships trading between
Stettin, the Gold Coast and St. Thomas.[368] This arrangement
seemingly worked satisfactorily for a while, but finally caused such
discontent that it was discontinued.

In 1684 the Danes took possession of St. John, the smallest but the
most fertile of these islands. It was colonized about two generations
later by some inhabitants who had the courage to leave St. Thomas. At
this period the colonists were fearful not only of depredations of
pirates or of the settlers of neighboring islands but they dreaded the
attacks of the maroons and uprisings among the slaves. When in
February, 1697, after a severe hurricane the force of the garrison was
reduced to one lieutenant, one ensign, one drummer, and five privates,
a number of maroons gathered in the western part of the island were
considered a menace but no outbreak occurred. For a period of about
sixty years afterward prosperity reigned in the islands.[369] Sugar,
molasses, rum, tobacco and spices were the principal exports and
wealth brought to the master class leisure, luxury, and refinement.

In 1733 the island of St. Croix, after continuously passing from the
control of one proprietor[370] to another, was purchased by certain
merchants of Copenhagen and later was bought from them by King
Christian VI of Denmark. The land was then divided into estates and
sold to various planters, some of whom came from St. Eustatius,
Virgin Gorda, and Tortola. Being thereafter under more stable
control, the island made progress, becoming, like the other Danish
West Indies, a sugar colony. The seat of government was then
transferred from St. Thomas to St. Croix.

The outstanding fact in the history of this group in the eighteenth
century is the insurrection of 1733, which took place on the island of
St. John. Because a large number of slaves had just been brought in
from Africa there had been urged by the masters and later enacted by
decree of the Royal Council certain additional tyrannical regulations
which doubtless caused this trouble. Instead of increasing the number
of armed men necessary to keep order the planters resorted to
legislation.[371] At that time at the west end of St. John stood the
only fort which was garrisoned by eight soldiers under a lieutenant
and a sergeant. These men had to be depended upon to handle thousands
of discontented slaves.[372] The insurrection, on the other hand, was
well planned. Governor Philip