The third and last of these ships with which we are at present
concerned was an English man-of-war, which on the date I have given
was at anchor in the French port of St. Nicholas on the northwest
coast of Hispaniola. She was on her way from Plymouth to Jamaica,
and carried on board a very distinguished passenger in the person
of Lord Julian Wade, who came charged by his kinsman, my Lord
Sunderland, with a mission of some consequence and delicacy, directly
arising out of that vexatious correspondence between England and
Spain.
The French Government, like the English, excessively annoyed by the
depredations of the buccaneers, and the constant straining of
relations with Spain that ensued, had sought in vain to put them
down by enjoining the utmost severity against them upon her various
overseas governors. But these, either - like the Governor of Tortuga
- throve out of a scarcely tacit partnership with the filibusters,
or - like the Governor of French Hispaniola - felt that they were
to be encouraged as a check upon the power and greed of Spain, which
might otherwise be exerted to the disadvantage of the colonies of
other nations.
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