The Wilmingtonian, and Delaware advertiser., 1826-07-27
A WEST INDIA PARsoN.

"A " A6 AxN 0Ak4 AAAAS - 49,
From Coleridge's six months in the w. Indies,
The church in Roseau is we'll situated, and
tolerablv finished without, but the interior Is
in miserable state. The common pitch pine,
when unpainted, has particularly unpleas-
ant effect in a hot climate: it always oppress-
ed me in a remarkable manner. About
hundred persons, chiefly colored, attended
the morning service: they had few books,
and apparently came for the purpose OF see
ing the bshop-certainly with one or TWO
exceptions, they were entirely unacqualnted
with the ordinary ritual OF the established
religion. The church of England, indeed,
does not flourish in Dominica, which, consld-
ering the great capacity and spurious aiiec-
tions of the present worthy recunbent, is
matter Of some surprise. believe there are
1000 Protestants in this colony, of which
number, the Methodists form the larger part;
about 16 1000 are Papists, under the care OF
Spanish priests; SO that it is consolatory to
the sympathies Of obese and liqucscent men
to know that, if true religion thrive not IN
Dominica, at the least, its minister does, up
on an ample salary, and just SO much brea-
thing exercises o. Sundays as may conduce
to good digestion through the week. Not
that would be thought to impeach the zeal
of the rector of Roseau: very far IRON 1t; 1t
is too well known to be questioned and 1t
argues an unusual degree OF apathy OF stub
bornness in those who are the daily witness
es OF it that its effects arc not more percep>
tiblc.
Mr.. Newman is great and remarkable,
but he is not so great and remarkable as MS
predecessor, Mr.. Audain This Mr.. Audan
was patriot, few Of his cloth like him--he
CT
emies of his country, but he fought against
them also. ST. Peter certainly owned a-boat,
and the authorized translation MIR. fudaih
loved literal rthodoxy-intimates part
nership amongst some of the apostles in a
ship. So Mr.. Audain built schooner, and
carried on, for many wears, system OF prac-
tical polemics with the disputants OF the
French school, to his own abundant profit
and notoriety 1t is even yet fresh in the
fecollections of the inhabitants of Roseau,
with how joyful rapture this holy Domini-
can once broke off the service on a Sunday,
unable to repress the emotion of his triumph
on seeing the vessel of his faith sail into the
bay with dsmasted barque, laden with SUI
gar, rum, and other Gallo vanities, from
Martinique.*
It was shortly after this event, that the
star of Audain began to wax dim. His zeal
was equally great; his courage undaunted !;
but his evil destiny met him at every
turn. An acquaintance of mine met him
one day in the streets of Bassaterre, i'll St.
Kits, surrounded by negroes, to whom he
was distributing plaintains, yams. potatoes,
and other eatables. and holding private talk
with them all by turns Having caught my
friends eye, he came up to him and said,
II am going to smuggle all these ---
rascals this evening to Guadaloupe." He
did SO in his schooner, but remained himself
on shore. A privateer of Nevis captured
the snuggler before she could get to her
market. Autiain become furious, went him
self to Nevis, and challenged the owner of
the privateer to fight. The challenge was
not accepted, and Austain imm ediately post
ed the name of the rccusant, as that of a
scoundrel, OH the court house. He himself,
for two days, kept watch upon the platform,
with sword by his side, and four pistols
stuck in his belt. to see if any one dared to
touch his shields.
Audain fitted out another schooner, and
cruised in her himself. But fate was too
heavy for him, though he struggled against
it like a man. On the second day a large
vessel was seen to leeward; he ascertained
her to be a Spanish trader, and supposing
her to be wholly unarmed. bore down on her
as upon certain prey. When he came
within pistol shot, fourteen masked ports
were opened, and as many guns pointed at
him through them. Audain was obliged tt
strike in an instant, and with his carpenter
succeeded in secreting himself under some
water casks in the hold Of the schooner
The Spaniards came on board and cut every
man in pieces, except Audain and the car
penter. These two lay all night under the
casks. but in the morning, upon further
search, their asylum was discovered. They
were brought upon deck, and the Spaniard
were on the point ofEewing them by inches
when the captain exclaimed with rapidity
"Hod all this mans life is sacred, and tn,
others too, for his sake" Audain had for.
merly done the Spaniard great service at St
Thomas, and it now saved his own and hi.
carpenters life.
Up to this time, Audain, though occasion.
1ly nonresident for the aforesaid reasons
had continued the ministry of Roseau. Ht
was singularly eloqueut preacher in tn,
pathetic and suBory style, and he rarely
failed to draw down tears upon the cheeks O
most of those who heard him. His manner.
were fine and gentle, and his appearance e.
ven venerable. He was hospitable to tn,
rich, and gave aims to the poor. But hi
repeated losses were such as to bear roy
al merchant down, and the Dominicans be