Notwithstanding all the fecurity that was taken, the embarkation could not be regulated as could have been wifhed, though ten days were spent in the carrying it intò execution; many diforders and fome lofs happened through hafte, precipitation, and hurry. It refembled more the emigration of a nation, and the breaking up of a camp, than a fimple embarkation.-Fifteen hundred of the inhabitants, whose attachment to the royal caufe had rendered them obnoxious to their countrymen, incumbered the tranfports with their families and effects. The officers were great fufferers on this occafion; they had laid out their mo ney upon furniture, and fuch other conveniences as were neceffary to render their fituation agreeable; but no purchasers could be found for thefe effects, and it would have been extreme cruelty to many of them to have been under the neceffity of leaving their whole fubftance behind them. The foldiers were embarraffed with continual duty, and all carriages and labourers that could be procured in the town were of courfe monopolized by the emigrant inhabitants.―― Every perfon had fome private concern which was fufficient to employ his time and thoughts. The fick and wounded, women and children, called for every care and attention; and of course encreased the embaraffinent and diftrefs. It will be eafy to fuppole fome part of the confufion incident to fuch circumstances.

The General was in a pitiable fituation; but he bore it with great fortitude, and conducted the whole with great temper and addrefs. Some difcontents appeared, which were to be endured and allay ed. Scarcity of provisions and ill fuccefs always breed difcontents in camps, and as many, both officers and H

feldiers,

foldiers, were not altogether hearty in the war, they were on that account more ready to complain. This was in fome measure the cafe upon this occafion. The General having received no advices from England fince the preceding month of October, they confidered themselves in a great meafure abandoned, and left to extricate themfelves as they could out of the unfortunate fituation in which they were involved. Mutual difcontents and jealoufies prevailed between the army and navy; each attributing to the other the cause of some part of that uneafinefs itself felt. Dif contents are exceedingly fruitful; one generates many others in a very fhort space of time: The intended voyage to Halifax was fubject to circumstances of a very alat ming nature. The coaft, which is at all times. dangerous, was dreadfully fo at this tempeftuous equinoxial feafon, and the multitude of fhips, which amounted to 150, increased the difficulties and appre henfion. As the high or h-eat winds now prevailed, they were alfo liable to be blown' off to the Weft Indies, without a stock of provifions in any degree fuffi, cient to fubfift them in fuch a paffage. And what rendered matters ftill more irkfome, they were going to a barren miferable country, which was incapable of affording thofe reliefs which they fo much wanted. It could not escape the obfervation, and was highly vexing to the military, that all this dangerous voyage when compleated, was directly fo much out of their way. They were going to the northern, extremities of the continent, when their business lay in the fouthern, or at least about the centre.

The neceffity of their prefent fituation left no choice of measures, and regret was ufelefs. Upon March 17, as the rear embarked, General Washingson marched into the town with drums beating, co

lours

And.

lours flying, and in all the triumph of victory. indeed it was a compleat victory for the prefent, feeing he had made troops that were reckoned invincible, abandon a town which they had fortified as well as they could, with all the precipitation that usually happens in fignal defeats. The evacuation of Bofton which in the ftile of the day was called only a change of pofition, was certainly a flight under as great apprehenfions of fear and deftruction as ever happened to any army. The marks of fear and hurry were vifible in what they left behind them. They left a confiderable quantity of artillery and stores upon Bunkerhill and Boston-neck, which they had not time to carry off, through hurry and fear; and though they attempted to render the cannon unferviceable, the hurry which than prevailed prevented that defign.--They threw fome mortars and cannon into the watér, which were afterwards weighed by the people of the town. But, all circumftances concur to fhew what influence panic and dread had upon them in the ́› embarkation.

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When General Washington entered the town, he was received, by the remaining inhabitants, and acknowledged by the refugees, who now recovered their ancient poffeffion with every mark of gratitude and respect that could be poffibly fhewn to a deliverer. The affembly of the province were not lefs zealous in their public acknowledgements. His answer was proper, modeft, and Lecoming his fituation.-He fpoke like a man that did not pufue vain glory, but fought the welfare of his country, and maintained the natural rights of mankind. tain had made him a rebel, but his on him as a faviour and deliverer.

The policy of Bricountry looked upWhat is the genu

ine character of the parties concerned, time and after ages will declare better than the prefent can do.

Thus was the long contefted town of Boston at length given up, the colony of Maffachusetts-Bay freed from a war, and left at liberty to adopt every measure which could tend to its future ftrength and fecurity. It was above a week before the weather permitted the fleet to get clearly out of the harbour and road; but they were afterwards well compenfated in their paffage, their voyage to Hallifax being fhorter and more happy than could have been reasonably expected. Several fhips of war were left behind to protect the veffels which fhould arrive from England; in which they were not perfectly fuccefsful. The great extent of the bay, with its numerous creeks and iflands, and the number of finall ports that furrounded it, afforded fuch opportunities to the provincial aṛmed boats, and privateers that they took a number of those which were ftill in ignorance that the town had changed its mafters.

Upon the British forces leaving Boston. it might 1:ave been expected, that they would have left agarrifon in Cafle William to have kept the command of the harbour; but this was not thought a fafe measure. By the motions of the colonists, and particularly their taking their stations on the neighbouring islands, it was conjectured that they intended to attack CastleWilliam, the poffeff on of which would have been a Taeans of fhutting up the fhips of war in the harbour. General Howe before he left the place blew up the fortifications to render it unferviceable for the time. It argues that he was afraid of the expedition of the provincials, that they should even take the castle before he got the thips out of the harbour; this does

not

not say that he put much truft either in the valour of his troops, or the naval force he had in Boston harbour. Of all the defeats that have been given to the colonists fince the beginning of this difmal war, there does not appear to have been either as great figns of hurry or fight in any of them, as happened to the British forces in this change of their pofition.

General Washington was now in poffeffion of the capital of Maffachusetts Bay; but being ignorant of the deftination of the fleet, and apprehenfive of an attempt upon New York, he detached feveral regiments for the protection of that city, on the very day upon which he took poffeffion of Boston. The royal army were not as yet in a fituation which admitted of their undertaking any expedition. They wanted both provifions and refreshment before they undertook any expedition of confequence. They did not, it was faid, exceed nine thoufand effective men, and were in other refpects very ill provided. This army, which was three times more numerous than was thought fufficient to conquer America, was now, like the Trojans, fent to traverse the lea to feek new habitations, with a number of the inhabitants of Boston, who had carried all they could along with them, in hopes of better times. This was a mortifying blow to the fchemes of the ministry, who had given out that the fight of a few grenadiers would frighten the whole colonies into a compliance with their measures. Their invincible troops were now obliged to abandon Boston before a new raised militia, who were cowards accounted at home, that neither would nor could fight.

The eftates and effects of thofe emigrants who accompanied General Howe to Halifax were ordered

to