The History of the Island of Dominica: Containing a Description of Its Situation, Extent, Climate, Mountains, Rivers, Natural Productions, &c. &c

In Short

Published in London in 1791, Thomas Atwood’s study presents Dominica as a crucial yet neglected British asset in the West Indies. Writing after years of residency, Atwood blends natural history, colonial geography, and political history into a singular survey. He detailedly charts the island's landscape, flora, fauna, and economic potential while documenting its 1778 capture by the French and its return to Britain. Marked by the racial biases of its era, the work offers an illuminating, first-hand look at imperial rivalries, plantation agriculture, and the mechanics of 18th-century colonial rule.

The Story

Atwood begins with an earnest appeal to the British public and government, arguing that Dominica is the vital key to maintaining naval dominance in the Caribbean. Positioned between French-held Martinique and Guadeloupe, the island offers strategic harbors, fertile soil, and abundant fresh water, yet it remains under-settled and underutilized. To prove its immense value, he guides the reader through a systematic tour of the island’s physical environment. He describes a mountainous terrain cooled by river breezes, rich in natural timber, farinaceous roots, and an incredible variety of fruits and wildlife, from delicate whistling birds to immense snakes.

The narrative shifts from natural history to recent geopolitical turmoil, detailing the French invasion during the American Revolutionary War. Atwood recounts the sudden arrival of the French fleet under the Marquis de Bouillé, the defense mounted by local forces, and the eventual surrender of the island. He paints a bitter picture of the foreign occupation, detailing the economic hardships, the destruction of livestock, and the heavy-handed governance under French rule. Intertwined with this military history is a local account of internal conflict, specifically the friction between British residents and local French collaborators who profited from the turnover.

Following the restoration of British control via treaty, Atwood focuses on the internal security challenges facing the island. He outlines the threat posed by runaway slaves who established armed strongholds in the dense interior woods. He records the military and civilian efforts to suppress these uprisings, highlighting local plantation managers who organized armed counter-attacks to secure the island’s borders and plantation economy.

In its final movement, the book examines the social and civic infrastructure of Dominica. Atwood details the civil government, the legal system, tax structures, and the daily operations of the Roseau market. He discusses the customs of the inhabitants, offering observations on the Creole and African populations while lamenting the lack of proper educational institutions for youth in the West Indies. He closes with practical proposals for future settlement, urging the construction of better interior roads to unlock the full economic and strategic potential of the colony.

How It Unfolds

The island introduced Atwood establishes Dominica’s crucial strategic position between Martinique and Guadeloupe, lamenting that British neglect has left such a valuable territory largely undeveloped.

A natural inventory The narrative explores the island’s landscape, describing its rivers, mineral springs, diverse wildlife, and the unique properties of its native insects and reptiles.

Agricultural capability Atwood surveys the rich variety of crops, detailing the spontaneous abundance of plantains, wild yams, introduced grains, and imported European garden vegetables.

The French conquest The book shifts to history, describing the sudden French invasion during the American War, the surrender of Roseau, and a tense near-miss shelling during capitulation negotiations.

Life under occupation Atwood details the oppressive conditions under French rule, including the destruction of livestock, economic stagnation, and the misdeeds of local opportunists who betrayed British neighbors.

Conflict in the woods The focus turns to internal security, outlining the raids by runaway slaves and the organized armed expeditions led by colonists to dismantle their mountain encampments.

Civil administration and future The work concludes with an overview of the legal system, tax structures, local markets, and a call to build better public roads to advance settlement.

The People

• Thomas Atwood: The author and former colonial official who advocates passionately for British investment in Dominica, drawing on years of personal observation to document its strategic and natural resources.
• Marquis de Bouillé: The French governor-general of Martinique who leads the swift invasion of Dominica, securing its surrender and establishing French military rule over the territory.
• Marquis Duchilleau: The French governor assigned to rule Dominica after its capture, remembered by Atwood for arbitrary decrees, severe game laws, and the heavy requisitioning of British livestock.
• Thomas C----d A----t, W----m R----d, and M----r C----r: A trio of local French inhabitants accused by Atwood of defrauding British merchants, acting as guides for the invaders, and exploiting the occupation for personal gain.
• Mr. John Tombs: A British plantation manager who successfully defends his estate against runaway slaves by training his workforce and using intelligence gathered by a trusted spy.
• Mr. Richardson: A colonist who leads a decisive expedition into the mountain forests to destroy a major runaway encampment and restore security to the island's plantations.
• Balla: A prominent chief of the runaway slaves who leads raids on local plantations before his camp is destroyed and he is eventually killed by colonial forces.

In Its Own Voice

"The serpentine windings of the rivers in some parts; in others, the waters wide, deep, and silently flowing along; and in many places, numberless falls of water, tumbling down the sides of steep precipices, or rushing over the tops of huge stones in the beds of the rivers, at once charm both the sight and hearing."

Atwood captures the vivid physical beauty of the interior while advocating for the therapeutic benefits of the island's mountain climate.

"This unexpected salute exasperating the militia, they immediately returned it with a forty-two pound cannon-ball, which, however, fell wide of its mark, the gun, in the hurry they were in to shew their resentment at so flagrant a breach, as they supposed, of the Truce, being ill-pointed."

He describes a tense, chaotic moment during the 1778 surrender, where miscommunication almost broke the fragile capitulation agreement.

"One walks or rides there at a height far exceeding that of the monument in London; so that a person’s head turns giddy on casting a view to the bottom, as he passes along."

Atwood illustrates the daunting, precipitous mountain roads that hampered internal trade and island communication.

What It's Really About

At its core, the book is a defense of British colonial utility, arguing that geography and natural resources make Dominica indispensable to the empire. It examines the vulnerabilities of colonial outposts during transatlantic conflicts, exposing how quickly local commerce collapses under military occupation. The text also serves as a document of colonial anxiety, detailing the constant effort required by European settlers to maintain control over both foreign rivals and the enslaved populations who resisted plantation rule in the dense mountain interior.

Why Read It Today

This volume offers readers a direct, unmediated window into 18th-century imperial geography and natural history. Atwood’s writing is unpretentious and detailed, blending the curiosity of an amateur naturalist with the pragmatic focus of a colonial administrator. Readers interested in Caribbean history, military strategy, or environmental studies will appreciate the concrete descriptions of island life, from market prices in Roseau to the construction of mud nests by local wasps.

Modern readers must navigate the unabashed colonial mindset and racial prejudices of the period, particularly in Atwood’s observations on enslaved people and the suppression of maroons. Yet these very passages make the text an invaluable primary source. It reveals the exact mechanics, fears, and economic motivations of the British colonial enterprise during a turbulent era of West Indian history.