Page 927 - Visitor Guides

Judd successfully warded off this assault. But only barely. He’d previously received supplemental Into the 19th century conflict continued. Eventually France ceded Saint Lucia to England in the
arms and men from Barbados. However, later that same year, the Carib population became 20th century. Along the way the warrior Caribs were lost. Their vicious fighting and ferocious
infuriated over a trick played by an Englishman on one of their men. Caribs came armed from spirits were no match for the advancement of modernity, disease and gunpowder.
Dominica, Martinique and St. Vincent to raid Judd’s settlement. Helpless against the onslaught
the village was burned and massacred, almost everyone, including Judd, was killed.

The British temporarily abandoned any plans to settle the island. Meanwhile, the French king
ceded all the islands of the Antilles, in 1642, to the French West India Company.

This provoked Governor Du Parquet of Martinique to attempt a settlement. He purchased Saint
Lucia, Martinique, and Grenada from the French West India Company for 4500 livres, or about
$3000. In 1651 the governor dispatched a convoy to Saint Lucia. Led by Frenchman De Rousselau
who had married a Saint Lucian woman, the settlement flourished.

De Rousselau established a fort near what is now Castries. Installing a moat he mounted the
fort with cannons and advised the settlers not to stray from the fort’s protected walls. A large
plantation was established and tobacco, cotton and ginger thrived.

Sadly, less than four years passed when De Rousselau died and the amicable relationship
between settlers and Caribs came crashing down. Three successive French governors were
brutally murdered. Still, the settlement remained for another 13 years, until in April 1663. The
island was up for sale again.

In 1660, the Caribs and the English had signed the Treaty of St. Christopher. Accordingly the
Caribs shed their claim to the Lesser Antilles, with the assurance that they’d be left alone with
St. Vincent and Dominica. However, the Caribs sold Saint Lucia to some Barbadians in 1663,
although through the treaty they had forfeited their rights to the island.

The Barbadian’s purchased Saint Lucia in return for “goods, wares and merchandises” according
to the contract. When French authorities learned of the exchange they informed the Barbadians
that Saint Lucia was property of France. Barbados replied that, no, Saint Lucia was now property Slavery
of the King of England. They also promised that soon Barbadians would proceed to physically Sugar plantations thrived on the island throughout the conflict from the mid-1700s to mid-1800s.
claim the land as such. African slaves provided free labor. Some slaves escaped into the mountains; being a volcanic
island Saint Lucia had few animals or insects to harm them. They lived rather well on the land,
June 1664 was the final effort for De Rousselau’s settlement. Martinique sent order to resist the eating fruits and vegetables growing in the lush rainforests.
Barbadian invasion with all necessary force. The settler’s constructed a second fort at Choc Bay,
but it was futile. With 5 British men-of-war and 17 Carib pirogues from Barbados carrying 1500 Slave owners were angered by the loss of labor and sent for remedies to keep the slaves or kill
Barbadians and 600 Caribs, the French surrendered without a struggle. them. They brought the fer-de-lance, a poisonous snake, from abroad to kill the runaway slaves.
What the owners did not know was that the slaves were very adept at curing snake bites. Soon,
The Barbadians had Saint Lucia. Presumably since they’d purchased it from and the owners themselves were suffering from the importation of the snake and sent for help.
fought for it with the Caribs the island would be secured for the British crown. They
proceeded with development of their settlement and plantations. They then imported the mongoose to keep the snakes at bay.

However, the Barbadians underestimated the Caribs, who were opportunists. The Again, the importation lacked judgment. While the mongoose killed and ate the snakes they
British settlement was hit with a barrage of Carib incursions and by the end of 1665 also ransacked chicken coops, killing chicken and roosters and devouring eggs.
the population of 1500 had decreased to 89. January 6, 1666 the Barbadians set
fire to their own forts and abandoned the island.

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