114                  TRAVELS  IN  TRINIDAD.              [Let. 8.
demned, has put the aspiring Ruler of France in posses-
sion of a vast extent of sea coast jn this quarter of the
globe, we may say from the river Oronoko, lat. 8° 25' N.
long. 59' 26' W. to the river Amazon, lat. 0* 18' N. long.
51° 30 W. in which are included Cayenne, Surinam,
Berbice, Demerara, and Essequibo. The fruitful and ex-
panding mind of the Corsican will not be contented with
these bagafelle acquisitions,—-Spain, impotent Spain,
happy under his fraternal care, will not disoblige him, if
he demands the full sovereignty of South America. Por-
tugal will not disoblige him, by refusing her portion,—
he is only to ask for it, and he may have it, for those
powers are equally as much afraid of him, as the inhabi-
tants of this island are of Picton. The dollars of Peru
(which he greatly needs) would enable him to contend
with Britain in commercial and military advantages. In
absolute possession of the continent of Europe, from die
Adriatic Gulf to the German Ocean, it is in his power to
shut every port in that extent, not only against our manu-
factures, but our colonial produce. This is the situation
of Britain after a successful war,—a war unparalleled in
the history pf any country or nation whatever :—the
prospect is rather tenebrious------" Give us peace, and we
shall soon do for the British Government." This was the
boasting language of all the French generals in St. Do-
mingo. War, however horrible it sounds, with all its
concomitant train of evils, is, in our present predicament
better, for peace, under the circumstance of the treaty,
would paralise the fundamental principles of our com-
mercial relations. " French Guyana," says a Paris paper*,
" happily situated to tlie windward of the Island (Trinidad),
has been enlarged in extent by a cession of part of the ter-
* fournaliis Débats of the 26 Vendémďere, October 16,1801.