Alexandria Gazette & Advertiser

long digression, and shall again return to the effects, the opening of the British colony..

The first is the diminution of population, in whose visage despair is strongly portrayed already, and it is natural it should be so : as many of them, poor devils, are fugitives from justice. or men unfortunate in business; who have made this place a temporary residence, until some arrangement were made with their creditors! these must shortly have to leave the island or starve!!

But the greatest evil of all, and what gives me the most pain, as also all honest men, is, that in the event of the ports aforesaid being opened, the revenues of the island will not be sufficient to pay the salary of our virtuous governor, who. poor man, notwithstanding all the honorable and lucrative business carried on here, has not acquired more than about 120 or 130 thousand dollars, tho' some of his enemies think he has made much more, and that he is very indifferent as to what becomes of the island.

I am very glad that the facilities afforded to vessels engaged in the slave trade, out of St. Thomas, St Eustatia, and this island, have at length attracted the attention of the British government, so much so, that the governor read a letter from his Swedish Majesty, addressed to him (in the court) on the subject of French papers manufactured out of this place, for the purpose of trading to the coast ; and it was laughable indeed to hear him ask the members of the Royal Council, individually, if they knew any thing of the circumstance, most of whom being themselves agents for privateers are of course not very conscientious on matters of this kind, tho' they have not capacity enough to make French Registers, &c.!!!

Every honorable Swede in this island has felt mortified at the transactions which have been tolerated under his governor; but they are now consoled with the certainty (as was naturally to be expected when these things came before His Majesty in a proper manner.) that an investigation similar to that of the Danish Islands is to take place here! and when it does, if one is to form an opinion from the unyielding and rigid character of the king, who was never known to pardon a delinquent guilty of injustice or peculation, we calculate he will be severe indeed!!

*In one instance they and the agent, took from Commodore Daniels, 9 per cent. merely for landing 130,000 in specie, for the truth of which I refer you to Captain John Dieter and all his officers. !!