[[7]] The proper appellation of this gentleman (according to the authority of E. S. B———, Esq.) is Colonel Luke Stokes; but, from an orthographical error of the French historian, Du Tertre, he has been handed down to posterity as Colonel Lake. He afterwards removed to Jamaica at the head of a small party of English settlers, where he died in 1659, universally esteemed for his virtues and honourable actions.
CHAPTER III.
Rupture between France and England—War in the West Indies—Loss of Lord Francis Willoughby—Colonel Carden—Capture of Antigua by the French forces under M. de la Barre—Colonel Fitche—Restoration of Antigua by the Treaty of Breda—Death of Colonel Carden—Biographical notices.
In 1665-6, England was engaged in a contest with Holland, Denmark, and France; and during that period, her colonies in the West Indies suffered greatly, particularly St. Christopher’s and Antigua.
St. Christopher’s being reduced by the French, Lord Francis Willoughby headed an expedition of 2000 troops, and sailed from Barbados (where he was then residing in preference to Antigua) with the hope of recapturing that island. On his passage to St. Christopher’s, he visited Martinique, with the design of surprising the place, and, after taking the French prisoners, to transport them to Antigua, Montserrat, and Nevis. The French, however, having received tidings of his movements, were accordingly prepared; and Lord Willoughby, finding himself baffled in his intentions, sailed for Guadaloupe, where he arrived on the 2nd of August. Before any success was effected against this island, a dreadful hurricane arose, which, raging with extreme violence for the space of twenty-four hours, entirely destroyed the fleet of Lord Willoughby, strewing the coast with its fragments, and every soul perished, with the exception of two seamen.[[8]]
Before embarking upon this expedition, this ill-fated nobleman appointed his nephew, Mr. Henry Willoughby, lieutenant-general and governor of these islands, who in his turn constituted Colonel Carden governor of Antigua.
Before the declaration of war between France and England was published, several Frenchmen had left the French colonies, from different motives, and settled in Antigua, where they lived sociably with the English, and prosecuted their respective professions. After the rupture between those nations was known in the West Indies, and the report of the intended attack upon St. Christopher’s by the French, reached the ears of Lord F. Willoughby, he dispatched his nephew, Mr. Henry Willoughby, to the relief of that place. Arriving, however, too late for the action, he was obliged to proceed with his ship to Antigua; and being (according to Du Tertre, the French historian) in “a burning rage” at the failure of his plans, he vented it upon the French settlers whom he found there—confiscating their property, forbidding them to quit their houses, or hold communications between themselves, under pain of death, and obliging them to swear allegiance to the English monarch.
“Many of them submitted, in a very cowardly manner,” remarks the above-named quaint author; “but others, whose heart was in a better place, refused to do so.”
Among these French settlers was a young surgeon, of the name of Grand-Maison, who had been formerly valet-de-chambre to M. de la Barre, lieutenant-general by sea and land of the French forces, and who was fully alive to the tyrannical manner in which himself and his countrymen had been treated. Having a little more liberty than the others, from the nature of his profession, Grand-Maison had an opportunity of entering into conversation with another young Frenchman, of the name of Baston, who, says Du Tertre, “was skilful by sea and land, courageous and brave, and an admirer of firmness and constancy.” Finding Grand-Maison entertained the same sentiments as himself, he proposed that they should steal a small shallop, which was attached by an iron chain to a post firmly planted in the beach, and taking advantage of the darkness of the night, effect their escape from the island. As, however, the oars had been carried away by the owner of the boat, they bribed a French carpenter, who was engaged working in some of the back woods of Antigua, to join them in their enterprise, and make them a pair in that retired place.
Grand-Maison, who served a very rich master,[[9]] took the charge of bringing a sufficient quantity of provisions from his home; and between them they procured five muskets, a few pairs of pistols, some cutlasses, twenty or thirty pounds of powder, and lead in proportion. But thinking themselves not strong enough to man the shallop, Grand-Maison, who was very much beloved by the negroes, engaged two of them, who were esteemed excellent rowers, to accompany him.