He had a large monastery [28] the ruins of which still stand near the old rummary. In its garden were carried on experiments in agricult- ture and gardening as well as horticulture. One of the products was a delicious white, slip-skin grape similar to the Niagara grape of western New York state. Pirates infest- ed the Caribbean Sea in Pere Labat's time, hence the good missionary had to erect a tower of defense near his monastery and distillery for their protection. The old Monastery's fields estate lay upon an low angled volcanic slope of ash coming down.