1801 - West Indies, Coast of Africa


 
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Naval History of Great Britain - Vol III
1801 Colonial Expeditions - West Indies 162

West Indies.

England had taken from Holland all her possessions except Dutch Guiana, and gave them all back to her. From Spain she had taken Trinidad ; and Buonaparte, as a declared punishment to Spain for having made peace with Portugal without his privity, allowed England to retain that fine island. Portugal so far benefited by the treaty of Amiens, that the boundary line between the two Guianas was brought much nearer to its ancient limit, than it was by the treaty which her fears had just before induced her to sign with France at Madrid. Denmark had lost, but now regained her three islands. Sweden, also, got back St. Bartholomew. France had lost all her sugar islands but Guadeloupe and its dependencies, and got them all restored to her.

Coast of Africa.

Holland had lost the Cape of Good Hope, but got that important settlement restored to her. To Portugal, Madeira was of course restored ; and France got back Gorée.

East Indies.

Holland had lost Malacca and the islands of Amboyna, Banda, and Ternate ; also Trincomalé and the remaining Dutch settlements in the island of Ceylon. The latter were retained by Great Britain ; but all the former were restored to Holland. Spain's East-Indian territories had remained unmolested; and such of Portugal's, as had been recently garrisoned, were restored. Denmark still held Tranquebar. France had lost Pondicherry, Chandernagore, and other settlements up the Ganges ; also Foul-Point on the island of Madagascar. The whole of these were restored to her by the treaty of Amiens.

Whatever grounds politicians might have for auguring, from the terms of this solemn compact, a short-lived peace, certain it is, that the activity which reigned on the ocean, an activity much greater than any which had been witnessed during the last two or three years of the war, gave to the treaty the air of a truce, or suspension of arms, in which each of the belligerents, some of whom signed it for no other purpose, was striving to gain an advantageous position, in order, when the tocsin should again sound, to be ready for the recommencement of hostilities. French, Dutch, and Spanish fleets were preparing to put to sea; and English fleets, to follow them and watch their motions: who, then could doubt that, although the wax upon the seals of the treaty concluding the last had scarcely cooled, a new war was on the eve of bursting forth ?

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