CHAPTER 4.


 CAPTAIN WILLIS


 The smaller of the Leeward Isles were classed by the Span-
iards as "Islas Inutiles," and so were left alone and more or
less vacant for a hundred years. The man-eating Canibs or
Caribs maintained an effective control. When in the early
years of the sevenetenth century the Dutch, French, and
English adventurers began to be attracted to them, the Span-
iards paid little attention to these few pioneers as they filtered
in. But when they began to plant colonies and invent reasons
for so doing Spain began to throw them out. Alas, it was
much too late, for these islands were lost when the Armada
under Medina Sidonia failed to join hands with the army of
the Duke of Parma in the Netherlands. Then Spain lost
prestige amongst the nations, lost it off the banks of Zeeland
when her ships stood into the North Sea.
 The French settlement in the Antilles were made at St.
Christopher in 1626 by Belain d'Esnambuc. On July 2, 1627
the English King created the Earl of Carlisle Lord Proprietor
of all the Caribbee Islands from Grenada northwards to St.
Christopher, which island was occupied by the French and
English jointly from 1627. Nevis was settled by the English
in 1628. Both islands, however, had been previously occupied
for short periods by wandering groups of English and French
adventurers. Sir Thomas Warner was in St. Christopher in
1623, the elder Powell touched there in 1625, and the "Hope-
well' was there in 1626. In 1626-1628 Sir William Courteen,
a British born subject of Dutch extraction, colonized Bar-
badoes. As the little island of St. Martin in the Lesser Antil-
les is still half Dutch and half French owned, so in this time