Page 544 - The Dutch Caribbean Isles

s an English admiral wrote, “This rock been enacted for the same purpose. In “One of my officers will wait upon you upon
revenge, Rodney rounded up the islands a very good affair. A Rascal of a Jew has his
A only six miles in length and three in
width has done England more harm that all approximately 110 Jews, strip searched chest with 5000 Joes (gold coins) in a cane

the arms of her most potent enemies, and them, and exiled thirty of them from the patch; a negro will shew the place upon a

alone supported this infamous rebellion.” island. The Chonen Dalim Shul was inciner- promise of Freedom and reward.” At a later

Another letter complained that “had it not ated together with some Jewish homes. stage, hordes of Americans, French and

been for that nest of vipers… this infa- A s a contemporary account reports, Dutch were also ordered off the island and
mous island, the American rebellion could “They were ordered to give up the keys reduced to poverty.
not possibly have subsisted.” This went on of their stores, to leave their wealth and
for five years and there was little England merchandize behind them, and to depart A dmiral Rodney and his officers were
could do about it. The English invaded in busy in the sales of confiscated prop-

the island in 1790 led by Admiral Rodney. the island without knowing the place of erty. His fleet was weakened by a large

English soldiers and sailors began pillaging their destination. From a natural wish to detachment sent off to convoy their booty

the storehouses and confiscating people’s be furnished with the means of supply- to Great Britain; while the French were

possessions. After the British invasion the ing their wants, in the place of their future silently executing a well digested scheme,

small Jewish community seemed to be hav- residence, they secreted in their wearing which assured them a naval superiority on

ing a disproportionate number of funerals, apparel, gold, silver and other articles of the American coast, to the total ruin of the

which was surprising as the island had been great value and small bulk. The policy of British interest in the United States.” Unable

captured without bloodshed. Determined these unfortunate Hebrews did not avail to march on empty stomachs or shoot with

to get to the bottom of this enigma his men them. The avarice of the conquerors, ef- empty muskets, the English forces under

stopped a funeral procession and pried fectually counteracted their ingenuity. They General Charles Cornwallis surrendered in

open the sealed coffin. Inside, they found were stripped, searched and despoiled of October, the first of a chain of defeats that

not a pale corpse but a glittering pile of their money and jewels.” The remaining led to the end of the American Revolution-

cash and jewels, and subsequent excava- Jews had their homes and fields ransacked. ary War.

tions revealed that the recent funerals had As Rodney wrote to one of his commanders,