The projects of Mr d’Esnambuc
Monsieur d’Esnambuc had been meditating on living on the island of Guadeloupe for a long time, as the next one to the one where he commanded which was more to his propriety and of which he knew the quality and the advantages perfectly: but seeing himself supplanted by Monsieur de l’Olive his Lieutenant, to whom he had communicated his design and who had obtained from it the government of the Lords of the Company, apprehending that someone else did not do the same for him on the island of Martinique, he resolved not to delay any longer taking possession of it and inhabiting it under the name of his Majesty and under the authority of the Company.
To succeed in this endeavor, he took about a hundred men from the old inhabitants of the island of Saint-Christophe, all goons, accustomed to the air, to work and to the fatigue of the country, and who were very adept at clearing the land, to cultivate it and to plant food there, and very skilful to erect dwellings there.
Each of these inhabitants stockpiled good weapons, powder, bullets, all kinds of tools, such as billhooks, hoes, axes, turntables and other utensils. They obtained cassava and potato plants for planting, peas, beans and other seeds for sowing. Monsieur d’Esnambuc having left the island of Saint-Christophe at the beginning of July in the year 1635, went down to Martinique five or six days later. He promptly built a fort on the seashore, which he equipped with cannons and all that was necessary to defend it well. The fort was named Fort Saint-Pierre, either to satisfy the particular devotion with which he honored this Prince of the Apostles, or because he had dismounted and had taken possession of the island, the day from the Octave of the Holy Apostles, Saint Peter and Saint Paul. Then having made work in his presence at a large house, after having planted potatoes and cassava, he returned to Saint Christophe, leaving Sieur Dupont, a man of merit and courage, to command under him. quality of Lieutenant, with express order to preserve as much as he could peace with the “Savages.
