colours, and hoisted the English in their stead. Even the admiral himself appears to have been subsequently aware that this was the case, as he appointed Captain Nugent, by the consent of the general, to the command of the captured fort.

Before we proceed further in the narrative, justice to the memory of a slandered British officer requires that we should do our best to refute a statement which appears in the work of a contemporary. " As soon as the Asia," says Captain Brenton, " was within reach of grape, she put her helm up and came out. The vice-admiral, supposing that Captain Brown was killed, or that some very serious accident had happened, sent Captain Grey to ascertain the cause of this extraordinary proceeding. Captain Grey returned and informed the admiral that not a man was hurt on board the Asia, and she again stood in, and again came out. This unusual act of a British ship of war was attributed to the pilot, and being admitted was no palliation, since the ship had actually got within reach of grape, whence her lowerdeck guns must quickly have driven the enemy from the fort. It was the duty of the captain to have anchored, and to have remained there till the service was completed, or until recalled by his superior officer, who was present." * The best answer that can be given to the above statement is an extract from the public letter of Sir John Jervis himself. "This combination," says the vice-admiral, "succeeded in every part, except the entrance of the Asia, which failed for the want of precision in the ancient lieutenant of the port, Monsieur de Tourelles, who had undertaken to pilot the Asia." As a further proof of the vice-admiral's opinion of the conduct of the captain of the Asia in this attack, "Captain Brown," is the first in the list of officers, to whom Sir John, at the end of the same public letter, declares that he is "greatly indebted."

The unparalleled exploit of Captain Faulknor produced an immediate effect upon M. Rochambeau at Fort Bourbon ; and he requested that commissioners might be appointed to discuss the terms of surrender. These were presently arranged ; and, on the 22d, the British colours were hoisted on Fort Bourbon : the name of which was changed to Fort George, and that of Fort Louis to Fort Edward.

The gallant defence made by General Rochambeau and his garrison, amounting at first, as the British were led to believe, to 1200 men, but, as the French themselves say, to only half that number, and reduced at the surrender to about 200 men, including the wounded, was strongly manifested on entering the fort, there being scarcely an inch of ground untouched by the shot and shells of the Bntish. †

* Brenton, vol. ii., p. 23.

† In his details of the military operations at this island, Captain Brenton (vol. ii., p. 19). says : "General Bellegarde moved his whole force upon our position at Cohée, but Sir Charles Grey, perceiving his design, attacked him with great fury and compelled him to retreat." Who the "general" was, and of what description his "whole force;" may be pretty well imagined from the following account of both. "Un colon nommé Bellegarde, à la tête d'un corps de chasseurs volontaires, aprês plusieurs actes de lâcheté, finit par trahir ses concitoyens, en les menant aux Anglais, sons la prétexte de fare une sortie. Cefélon passa ensuite à 1'Amérique septentrionale, Sur un bâtiment Anglais."- Victories et Conquêtes, tome iii., p. 251.

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