CONTENTS

I
page
The Spaniards and their Victims 1-22
The native Americans—The Arawak and the Carib—Their independent spirit—Their country—The character of the Spaniard—He wants to convert the natives to Christianity—"A ton of gold"—First Spanish settlers in Hispaniola—They ravage the island and are entirely cut off—The second colony oppresses the Indians—Repartimientos—Cruelties to the Indian slaves—Decrease of the population—Slave-hunting in other islands and on the Main—Resistance of the cannibals—Decline of Hispaniola.

II
The Quest for "El Dorado" 23-47
Treasure-seeking and its dangers—Alonzo de Ojeda—The proclamation to the Indians—Disastrous voyage of Valdivia—A cannibal story—"El Dorado," the gilded one—The German knights—Ambrosio de Alfinger—George of Spires—Nicholas Fedreman and others—Pedro de Ursua and Lope de Aguirre—Pedro de Acosta—Diego de Ordas and Juan Martinez—The quest and its dangers.

III
Singeing the Spaniard's Beard 48-67
The Papal Bull of partition—English and French seamen in the Indies—Raids on the Spanish possessions—Master William Hawkins goes to Brazil—The Caribs friendly to the enemies of Spain—John Hawkins carries negroes from Africa—Francis Drake's attack on Nombre de Dios—The Simaroons—Drake captures the Panama train—John Oxenham—Andrew Barker—Drake's second voyage—He captures St. Domingo and Carthagena—Last voyage of Drake and Hawkins—Death of Drake—Exploits of other adventurers.

IV
Ralegh and the First British Colonies 68-89
"Letters Patent" to Ralegh—"El Dorado" again—Ralegh's first voyage to Guiana—Keymis and Berrie—The Dutch in Guiana—Charles Leigh founds a settlement—Robert Harcourt's colony—Ralegh's imprisonment—He is released to again visit Guiana—Disastrous results—Roger North's colony—King James's want of policy—Changes after his death—St. Christopher's and Barbados —North's colony again—The Bahamas—The French and Dutch settlements—Rise of the Dutch—The French and English at St. Christopher's.

V
Buccaneers, Filibusters, and Pirates 90-112
The buccaneers of Hispaniola—Tortuga—Bay of Campeachy—Privateers turning pirates—Pierre Legrand—Captains de Basco and Brouage—Captain Lawrence—Montbar the "Exterminator"—Lolonois—Morgan storms and captures Panama—He settles down in Jamaica—Van Horn—Raid on the South Sea—Lionel Wafer's journey across the Isthmus.

VI
War in the Young Colonies 113-136
Spanish raids—Effects of the "Great English Revolution"—The Caribbee Islands in revolt—Cavaliers and Roundheads in Barbados—Charles the Second declared king—Lord Willoughby arrives with a Commission from the fugitive—Persecution of the Roundheads—Sir George Ayscue sent out with a fleet to reduce Barbados—The island blockaded—Its surrender—Surinam held for the king—Cromwell and Spain—The Expedition to St. Domingo—Capture of Jamaica—Colonisation of the island—The Council for foreign plantations.

VII
The Planters and their Slaves 137-159
First adventurers not agriculturalists—Slaves wanted—Negroes imported—Sugar—Cotton—Tobacco—First plantations—Kidnapping—Prisoners transported—English slave-trade—Comparative cost of negroes and whites—Rebels—Story of Henry Pitman—Condition of the bond-servants—Life of the planter—Dangers of the voyage—Jamaica—Slavery in Africa—Treatment of the West Indian slave.

VIII
The Struggle for Supremacy 160-183
Trade disputes between England and Holland—War—The buccaneers employed—Repulse of De Ruyter at Barbados—Capture of Dutch colonies by English—The French drive the English from St. Kitt's—Abortive attempts for its recapture—Peace of Breda—The value of the buccaneers to Jamaica—Character of the three nations now contending for supremacy—Case of Surinam—English refused permission to leave with their slaves—War again—Peace of Westminster and the exodus from Surinam—Case of Jeronomy Clifford—Sir Henry Morgan represses buccaneering—Another war—Du Casse and the Corsairs—Jacques Cassard—Curious position of Berbice—Cassard takes CuraÇao—His downfall.

IX
The Struggle for the Darien Trade 184-206
Carthagena and Porto Bello fairs—The trade of the Isthmus—The joint-stock mania—William Paterson and the Darien scheme—Caledonia and New Edinburgh founded—Destruction of the colony—The Assiento contract—The Great South Sea Bubble—Vain attempts of the English to obtain free trade with the Spanish provinces—Attacks on the logwood cutters of Campeachy—War with Spain—Contraband traders and their losses—Captain Jenkins' ear—Another war with Spain—Admiral Vernon takes Porto Bello—His failure at Carthagena—English exploits.

X
Slave Insurrections and Bush Negroes 207-236
Sufferings of the planters from war—Barbados alone as having never fallen to the enemy—Internal difficulties—Ferocity of slaves and cruelty of their punishments—The Maroons of Jamaica and bush negroes in Guiana—Slave insurrections—Abortive plots in Barbados—Troubles in Jamaica—Revolt in Antigua—The great slave insurrection in Berbice—The whites driven from the colony—Haunts of the Guiana bush negroes—Surinam in continual
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

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