alongside of her, as a sort of fend-of; two large merchant: vessels, whose hulls received the greater part of the shot.

In this way passed a number of successive days, the force of the British gradually decreasing, not merely by loss from the cannon of the forts and in the different skirmishes, but from fatigue and sickness. At length not an officer was left at the advanced battery but Lieutenant Willoughby and Midshipman Eaton Travers ; and 63 of the men had been obliged to be re-embarked owing to an attack of dysentery : a circumstance not to be wondered at considering that both officers and men lay upon the ground, without any of those conveniences deemed, indispensable in the encampment of an army. The force of the, Dutch too, instead of amounting to only 160 regulars, consisted of 250 effective men, besides a body of local militia, and the crews of the vessels in the harbour. In addition to all this, the Dutch learnt by deserters, nine of whom quitted in one night, the weak state of the British force, and that the squadron must soon raise the blockade for the want of provisions.

In this state of things Captain Bligh, on the morning of the 23d, despatched the Gipsy to apprize Sir John Duckworth of his intention, unless any thing favourable should happen, to re-embark his people on the 4th of March. In the course of that same 23d, the Dutch received a reinforcement ; and in the evening the Pique was obliged to bear up for Jamaica, on account of having damaged her rudder.

Nearly one half, or 30 out of 67, of the Hercule's marines were Poles, part of the prisoners taken at St:-Domingo ; and who, most inconsiderately, had been allowed to enter. On the 24th these " volunteers," very naturally, evinced so clear an intention of going over to the enemy, that they were obliged to be sent on board their ship with all haste. The re-embarkation of the whole remaining force could now no longer be delayed ; and on the 25th, by 9 p.m., every person was on board an American schooner and one or two other vessels of a light draught, except Lieutenant Hills and a small party left to destroy Fort Piscadero. At 11 p.m. this was effectually done, and the lieutenant and his men soon joined their companions afloat.

The loss of the British, in the different skirmishes that had taken place, amounted to one midshipman (Joseph Palmer), eight seamen, two sergeants and seven privates of marines killed, and three lieutenants of marines (Messieurs Harwood, Cahuac, and Perrot, the latter with the loss of an arm), 16 seamen, two sergeants and 21 privates of marines wounded ; total, 18 killed and 42 wounded. The whole of the guns, that had been landed from the ships, were also left behind, except, we believe, two 3-pounder field-pieces; but the abandoned guns were all rendered unserviceable, and the carriages, platforms, &c. destroyed.

The circumstances, under which Lieutenant Perrot received

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