Welcome History Activity Getting There Photo Album About GREAT

Population: ~15,000
Area: 16km (length) by 8 km (width)
Climate: Temperature between 26°C (79°F) in the winter to 30° (86°F) in the summer. Water Temperature is around 27°C (80°F). Light rain in Mai and September/October. Hurricane Season between August and October.
Map: Map of the island,1700 (larger version, click here)

Two major personalities bring Ile-a-Vache to the forefront of History: Sir. Henry Morgan and Bernard Kock

Cap. Henry Morgan was a British privateer of Welsh birth, who made a name in the Caribbean as a leader of buccaneers and roughnecks. He set Ile-a-Vache as a base in 1668 to attack the Spaniards fearing an attack upon Jamaica. His main ship the Oxford exploded killing 300 of his 900 men. A privateer was a private ship (or its captain) authorized by a country's government to attack and seize cargo from another country's ships.

Bernard Kock, a British citizen had the grand plan for colonizing Ile-a-Vache (Cow Island), Haïti with 5000 black american slaves.

Ile-a-Vache Currency (2 gourdes and 5 gourdes) under Bernard Kock

We gratefully acknowledge Ponterio & Associates, Inc. for permission to use the above banknote photos