Near it was the trading station of Cape Negro, which was first founded by private French merchants. It was subsequently taken by the Spaniards, was for a short time occupied by the English, but from 1686 till its destruction it belonged to the French. At first there was a separate company charged with its concerns, called La Compagnie du Cap Nègre, but it eventually merged into the Compagnie d’Afrique, which established its head-quarters originally at the Bastion de France, in 1609, and moved to La Calle in 1681. The establishment at Cape Negro consisted of a director or governor, four or five assistants, a chaplain, doctor and about eighty subordinate employés. The principal trade consisted of cereals, wax, oil and hides.
Large quantities of wheat were exported to France, especially when there was a failure of crops in that country, and in consequence this establishment was regarded as of the greatest national importance.[239]
In 1728 the Lomellini family ceded the full sovereignty of the island to one of its members, Jacques de Lomellini, for 200,000 livres, and a branch of coral every year, valued at 50 piastres.
In 1741, during the war which M. Gautier, the Consul of France, brought about between his country and Tunis, the latter took possession of the island.
The Consul had incurred the displeasure of the Bey on account of a scandalous affair in which the former was mixed up, and on the occasion of a public audience he was openly insulted by the Bey, who said: ‘I am the friend of your master, but not of bullies like you—leave my presence!’[240]
While war was impending between France and Tunis, on account of this outrage, a rumour reached the Bey that the Genoese were in treaty to cede Tabarca to the French Company, which very naturally viewed with jealous feelings the possession by any other nation of so important a trading post between its two factories. He therefore determined to take it himself, before it should pass into the hands of his enemy, and for that purpose despatched a force of eight vessels to attack it by sea, while his brother Yoonus co-operated by land.
The Governor of the island was induced to venture on board the ship of the Tunisian commander, when he was at once arrested, and this spread such a panic amongst the garrison that they did not even attempt any serious resistance.
A part of the inhabitants, about 500 in number, effected their escape to La Calle, and thence proceeded to the island of San Pietro to the south-west of Sardinia, then uninhabited, where their descendants exist to the present day under the name of Tabarcini, and still pursue the coral fishery, as well as aid in loading vessels arriving at their port of Carloforte for minerals.
The Tunisian historian, Hadj Hamouda ben Abd el-Aziz, says that 900 men, women and children were taken as slaves to Tunis,[241] and their descendants still form an intermediate population between the Christians from Europe and the native Mohammedans.
After the capture of the island, Sidi Yoonus caused the defensive works to be destroyed, with the exception only of the castle built by Charles V. He also connected the island to the mainland by means of a causeway,[242] but this has long since disappeared, though some of the masonry can still be seen under water when the sea is clear.