| Description | London, since the last peace has been employed about Inagua and Turks Island, and from observations he made Mr Gambier, who commanded at Providence in the absence of Mr Shirley, gave him a commission to take possession of Inagua, which, before he could do so, was seized by the French by orders of D'Estaing the French Governor of St Domingo, who immediately gave up possession on seeing Symmer's commission saying "He never would dispute his Britannick majesties right to these islands"
Enclosure, Andrew Symmer to Lord Dartmouth, remarks on Inagua and Turks Island, "Turks Island and Inagua are the Southermost of the Bahama and Lucayos Islands, the importance of their situation to the French appears from their repeated attempts to get possession of them which if they had effected, would not only have secured their own trade, but would likewise have had our Jamaica trade at their command, the great quantity of salt, capable of being made on Turk's Island is an object which cannot be, too much attended to, on account of our fisheries, the other conveniences attending a settlement from their neighbourhood to the rich and opulent islands of Porto Rico, Hispaniola and Cuba, I shall not point out" |