164. Suggestions as to plundering Hispaniola.[1]
The Tradeing Vessells from France that comes to Highspanyola puts in At St. marks where They Sell Some part of their Cargo payeble in Indego from thence they go to Lugan, Pettygouas, and queldesack[2] to Sell The Remainder of their Cargo and Load with Sugars and then Return to St. Marks, to Take in their Indego. their is a plain that is Called Lertibonnee[3] adjoyning to St. Marks. The Inhabitants have Two or Three Hundred negros a peice. The plantations Lye near the water Side and it is Very Easey Landing and no fortafacations. in Sending of a man a Shore That can Speak french to the negro Houses to ask to Speak to the negro Commander promise him his freedom and a Little money. by that means he will Bring all the negros to the water Side. If your Intent is to Cruce off Cape francoy,[4] Mr. Granshon merchant Their Expects a Sloop from Portobello[5] The Latter End of august or the Begining of Sepr. which went from their Richley Loded aboute Three months ago, and is Expected Home with one Hundred and fifty Thousand Peices of Eight on Board. Their is allways Vessells comeing to Buy Goods at the Cape from the Havannah, Carthagena and Portobello, which bring their money to buy the Goods.
and If you are Desirous to know how affairs are at the Cape you may put a man ashore that is quallafyed at the poynt above the Fort at the mouth of the Harbour which is called Laurosh Uptecoly[6] where their is a Very good Landing place and where he will find a main Road four mile Distance from the Cape. If it should be Demanded of Him who he is and where he came from, That he is a Conotur[7] and that he comes from Dechonse and is a Seeking to put himself In partnership with Some person to go a fishing. If you are Intended to Cruce off St. Luce[8] you may be sure that their will Sail Eight or Ten Ships from thence the Latter End of august or the Begining of Septr. which Some of them to my Certain Knowledge will Have a Considerable Quantaty of money on Board. aboute the middle of Lillavash[9] Steering towards the Shoar Between a Small Town Called Lacoy[10] and another Town Called Turbeck their is a Landing place called Levieuxbourk where you will See a Single House by the water Side where their Lives a Cooper that has told me Several Times that he was Very Desirous to go and Live among the English. address your Self to Him and He will Direct you how to get the negros off the Neighbouring plantations which Lye near the water Side and no fortefacations. Inquire their for Mr. Kennotts House who Trades Largly with the English and Tell him that you Have got Flower, Beef and negroes to Sell on Board. you anchoring at Lillavash, He will Come and Bring other Inhabetents on Board to Trade with you and by that means you may Keep them and make them Pay a good Ransome for their Visitt.
[1] Massachusetts Historical Society. Inserted as a specimen of a kind of information, useful to marauders, which privateers often brought home. The fragment is undated, but it is one of the papers of the Revenge, presented to the society by Professor Norton, and is no doubt of the same period as those which precede. It relates to the French or western part (now Haiti) of the island of Hispaniola; for the war with Spain which had begun in 1739 had widened in 1743 into a war with France also, the "War of the Austrian Succession", which continued till 1748.
[2] St. Marc is in the middle coast of Haiti, at the east side of the great bay that indents the island from the west. Léogane and Petitgoave lie at the south side of that bay. The Cul-de-Sac is the great plain, then famous and rich for sugar, which lies north of Port-au-Prince, at the southeast corner of that bay.
[3] L'Artibonite.
[4] Cap François, now Cap Haïtien, on the north coast of Haiti. It was the capital of French St. Domingo.
[5] At the Isthmus of Darien.
[6] La Roche au Picolet.
[7] Canoteur, canoe-man.