a post called La Brune, situated on an Whyte's marching to attack it, the enemy eminence over the town of Trinitié, and landed troops for the purpose of cutting took possession of it after an action of off the communication between him and about fifteen minutes. They soon after the head-quarters at Salée: they were captured Fort Louis, and a fort com- however dislodged by the 70th regiment, manding the harbour of Trinitié, which under the command of Colonel Dundas the enemy evacuated, after setting fire and Lieutenant-colonel Johnson. Geneto the town. The flames, however, were ral Whyte having been in the mean time soon extinguished, and a great part of strengthened by a supply of soldiers and the town saved, by the gallant exertions ordnance, Colonel Symes, with a detachof the seamen attached to this division, ment of the 15th regiment, and two hununder the command of Captain Salisbury dred seamen armed with pikes, swords, of the Beaulieu. This fort bore the name and pistols, under the command of Lieuof Bellegarde, its commander, the general tenants Rogers and Rutherford, ascended of the negroes and mulattoes; who, after the heights on the 9th, and got possession firing the town, retired to the mountains. of Mount Matharine, which entirely comGros Morne, a post strongly fortified, mands the island. Batteries were soon and the key of the principal pass between erected, which, in the space of two hours, the northern and southern parts of Mar- obliged the enemy to strike their colours, tinique, was also deserted by the enemy. and surrender at discretion. About this Morne Bruneau, about two leagues to time, the 15th regiment, led by Major the north-east of Fort Bourbon, Fort Lyon, and commanded by Capt. PauMatilda, and Colon, fell soon afterwards. | mier, surprised and defeated several hunBellegarde's troops made an attempt to dreds of the enemy strongly posted on recover Fort Matilda; but were, after a the heights of Grand Bouclain. In the sharp conflict, repulsed by the bayonets interim, the sole impediment to the adof the grenadiers of the ninth regiment, miral's co-operating effectively with the headed by Colonel Craddock. The post of general being removed by the capture of Colon was also ineffectually attacked three | Pigeon Island, he sailed with the rest of times by the enemy on the night of the the fleet from Ance L'Arlet, and anchored 11th. This day the strong post of Le Mai- in Fort Royal Bay. tre had also been occupied by the British. The part of the army which landed under Sir Charles Grey, near Trois Rivieres, was not less vigorous in its progress. Having proceeded to Riviere Salée, about two leagues distance from Trois Rivieres, a detachment under the command of Brigadier-general Whyte, carried the two batteries of Cape Solomon and Pointe à Burgos. These facilitated the taking of Pigeon Island, the possession of which was necessary to secure a safe ingress for our shipping into the harbour of Port Royal. This island is situated on the south side of the bay of Fort Royal, at two hundred yards distance from the shore. It is a steep rock about thirty yards above the level of the sea, and three hundred paces round, accessible only on one side by a ladder fixed against a perpendicular wall. On the north side of the bay is Fort Louis and the town of Fort Royal, and immediately behind it Fort Bourbon, situated on a steep hill. The island was defended by seventeen large pieces of cannon, four thirteen-inch mortars, and a howitzer. On General The column commanded by Sir Charles Gordon, which landed to leeward, on the side of Cas de Navires, was covered by a division of the fleet under the command of Captain Rogers of the navy. This column found the enemy in possession of the great road leading into the country, and the heights above it. A part of the troops, however, made an unperceived movement towards the mountains, and gained the most commanding point in the vicinity by day-break on the 9th. The English pushing on through a most difficult country, carried all the batteries between Cas de Navires and Fort Royal: they then seized the posts of Gentilly, La Coste, and L'Archet, which are within a league of Fort Bourbon. The division under Sir Charles Grey now moved forward to Bruneau, and joined Lieutenant-general Prescott, who had reached this place; a plan for the attack of St. Pierre having been previously concerted between the commander-inchief and General Dundas, who put himself in march towards the town. The general having detached Colonel Camp bell from Gros Morne, through the woods by Bois le Duc, to Montigné, with the second battalion of light infantry, and the 56th regiment, himself proceeded towards Morne Rouge, driving the enemy before him, and repulsing them wherever they attacked him. He had during this march a very narrow escape from assassination: as he was one day writing in his tent, a man presented himself at the door and demanded to speak to him. Wishing to frighten away the intruder, he called out to the sentinel to bayonet him. The villain, conscious of guilt, conceived the order given in earnest, and dropped an oiled dagger. On being seized he was proved to have been the assassin of a French royalist. The general now gained Morne Rouge: from thence he saw Colonel Campbell, who was within half a mile of Montigné, | warmly pressed by the enemy, who had the advantage of a strong position. He immediately pushed forward his advanced guard, consisting of sixty-three men, commanded by Capt. Ramsay of the Queen's regiment, to his assistance: these gaining the summit by extraordinary exertions, attacked the enemy, then engaged with Colonel Campbell's party, silenced their fire, and soon afterwards took possession of Montigné. Their assistance was unfortunately too late to save the gallant Colonel Campbell, who fell within twenty yards of the enemy, rushing on at the head of the light company of the 40th with bayonets fixed. General Dundas had not been long here before he was attacked by five or six hundred men. These gave way after about twenty minutes' hard fighting, and abandoned a redoubt they had taken possession of in front of the general's post during the night. While the general continued successfully advancing, Colonel Symnes, who, according to a concerted plan, had embarked with Major 'Maitland and a detachment of soldiers and seamen, landed, and carried the town of St. Pierre. The enemy had previously sent to General Dundas, who was advancing against theown, to demand an interval of five days to consider of a capitulation. The request was refused, and a flag of truce despatched, limiting them to as many hours. This messenger found the general anticipated in his attack, and the English flag already flying on the walls. St. Pierre being taken, the enemy's chief strength was concentrated in Forts Louis and Bourbon. Fort Louis, the ancient strong hold of the island, is situated on a neck of land running into the sea, which forms one side of the careenage, an excellent harbour. Fort Bourbon, built under the direction of the Marquis de Bouillè, is situated on a hill, at the bottom of which, in low and swampy ground, lies the town of Fort Royal. From the moment of the admiral's anchoring in Fort Royal Bay, he had bombarded the fort and harrassed the garrison by constant nocturnal attacks with gun-boats. More vigorous operations were soon commenced, and additional bodies of seamen landed under the command of Captain Rogers of the Quebec: these occupying the posts at Cas de Navires, which had been relinquished by the troops, formed a camp near Point Negro. Most of the transports, protected by some ships of war, got up into the Cul de sac de Cohee, a harbour at the north-east end of the bay, from whence they had a communication with Sir Charles Grey's army, secured by a chain of posts established between a landing place lately formed, and the heights of Bruneau. Fort Bourbon, where Rochambeau commanded,could not be closely invested without the possession of the heights of Sourier, occupied by Bellegarde, who was still at the head of a considerable force. It was now determined to attack him; but his own rashness accelerated his ruin. Descending the heights with a party of his troops, he fell upon Sir Charles Grey's lef towards the landing place, in the hope of cutting off the communication between the army and the fleet. He was checked in his career by a reinforcement brought up by General Prescott. While he was thus held in play, Sir Charles Grey detached the third battalion of grenadiers, commanded by Lieutenant-colonel Buckeridge, supported by the first and second battalions of light infantry, under Lieutenant-colonels Coote and Blundell, who attacked his post, weakened by his sally, and got possession of his artillery and camp, where they found an excellent dinner, which was of course considered as lawful spoil. Sir Charles Grey, in the mean time, supported General Prescott by a connonade from his camp at Bruneau. The general of the blacks, unable any longer to make head against General Prescott, and sustain Sir Charles Grey's fire, gave way and retreated to the heights of Sourier, which he had recently quitted. Instead, however, of finding an asylum there, he had the mortification of seeing his post occupied by the English, and was driven, by the fire of his own guns, under the walls of Fort Bourbon. The British, pursuing with great impetuosity, were exposed to a heavy fire of grape from the fort, which compelled them to retreat, with loss, to their new acquisition. Though his pursuers were repulsed, Bellegarde was unsuccessful in his attempt to seek shelter in the fort : Rochambeau, who commanded there, shut the gates against him, and left him to provide for his own safety. Immediately after forcing Bellegarde's camp, and getting possession of the height of Sourier, the general received a message from Rochambeau, who offered to deliver up the island on condition of its being restored to France, in the event of royalty being re-established, or the republic acknowledged; which proposals were peremptorily refused, and the seige commenced; but the making a road from the wharf to Sourier, the constructing batteries, the dragging of artillery up the heights, and other necessary preparations, delayed the opening of the first parallel for some time. The road, nearly five miles in extent, part of which was cut through a thick wood, and part through an acclivity, which a loaded mule could not ascend in a direct line, was made in the space of three days by only three hundred men, principally seamen. Cannon were also lodged on the heights by the exertions of the navy, a work, which even excited surprise in those who had often witnessed their efforts on similar occasions. Forts Bourbon and Louis, and the town of Fort Royal, were completely invested on the 20th of February. General Prescott broke ground on the north-east side on the 25th, and fascine batteries were erected on the west, towards La Coste, by Sir Charles Gordon. Bellegarde, whose situation had become desperate, now surrendered on conditions, and was suffered to retire to America, where he had previously taken care to lodge a considerable treasure, the fruits of plunder and confiscation. On the 4th of March, Prince Edward | arrived from Canada, and immediately took the command of Sir Charles Gordon's brigade. On the 17th of this month, new batteries opened on Fort Louis from Point Carriere, a neck of land which forms the south-west side of the entrance of the careenage, about two hundred yards across the harbour; while the batteries on the heights played on Fort Bourbon. A most gallant action, performed about this time by the gun-boats, stimulated the courage of the besiegers, and hastened the fall of the forts. A report had been spread that a great number of British prisoners were confined on board a French frigate, called the Bien Venüe, anchored in the careenage, and consequently exposed to the fire of the English batteries. Lieutenant Bowen of the Boyne, who had for a considerable time commanded the night guard and gun-boats, entered the careenage with his row-boats, and boarded and carried the frigate, and absolutely for a short time turned her guns upon the fort. As the enemy's bullets flew thickly round them, he suffered his prisoners to lie down at the bottom of the boat that they might not suffer by their fire. The English prisoners were unfortunately confined in another ship farther up the harbour. The naval and land commanders were, according to their own account, encouraged by this gallant enterprize to attempt Fort Louis and the town by assault. Ladders of bamboo and cordage were constructed for the escalade, and the Asia of 64 guns, and Zebra of 16, where ordered to hold themselves in readiness to enter the careenage, in order to batter the walls and cover the approach of flat-bottomed boats collected in the bay round Point Carriere, in which men were to be embarked for the assault, under the direction of Commodore Thompson. The grenadiers and light infantry were to advance with fieldpieces from the camp of Sourier, along the side of the hill under Fort Bourbon, and take a position commanding the bridge, which connected the town with the road leading up to Fort Royal. An incessant connonade was kept up against the two forts during the whole night and day of the 19th, and the morning of the 20th till about ten o'clock; when the Asia and Zebra got under way. The former, either from the unskilfulness or treachery of the pilot, baulked the ex pectations of the besiegers; when just was made, and the boats seemed to fly at the entrance of the careenage, she hove towards the fort. Captain Faulknor, in about, then again stood for the mouth of the mean time, in a most spirited and galthe harbour, and a second time retired. lant manner, entered the harbour, through Captain Faulknor of the Zebra, who had the fire of all their batteries, and laid his in the mean time been exposed to an in- sloop alongside the walls, there being cessant shower of grape, despairing of deep water close to; when the enemy assistance from his consort, determined terrified at his audacity-the flat boats to make the attempt alone. Running his full of seamen, pulling towards them— sloop close to the wall of the fort, he and the appearance of the troops from all drove the enemy from their works by the quarters, struck their colours to the Zebra. closeness and rapidity of his fire, then A well-directed and steady fire from the landed, scaled the ramparts, at the head gun-boats under Lieutenant Bowen, as of his ship's company, before the flat- also from our batteries, was of great serbottomed boats could land, and hoisted vice. The alacrity and steadiness of the the British colours, which were immedi- officers and seamen in general under my ately saluted by three cheers from the fleet. command was such, that I had not the The detachment of seamen in the flat-least doubt of success against the whole bottomed boats approached the breach in force of the enemy, had they disputed front, and took possession of the town of our entrance. Fort Royal, assisted by a battalion of grenadiers and light infantry from Prince Edward's camp at La Coste. The loss of Fort Louis soon induced Rochambeau to surrender Fort Bourbon; and the whole of the island, by the reduction of these places, fell into the possession of Great Britain. The loss sus tained by the navy at Martinique was fifteen killed and thirty-two wounded. The squadron now sailed from hence to attempt the reduction of St. Lucie, which surrendered after the semblance of a defence. Sir John Jervis, in his dispatches, adds as follows:-" No language of mine can express the merit of Captain Faulknor upon this occasion; but, as every officer and man in the army and squadron bears testimony to it, this incomparable action cannot fail of being recorded in the page of history." In addition to this, we give the copy of a letter from Commodore Thompson, on the same subject : "Fort Royal, March 20th, 1794. "SIR-I have the pleasure to acquaint you, that the only loss we have sustained in the capture of Fort Royal is, the pilot of the Zebra killed, and four seamen belonging to the same ship wounded. So soon as I perceived she could fetch in, I gave orders to Captains Nugent and Riou, who commanded the flat boats, which, with the men embarked in them, were lying upon their oars, to push in, and mount the walls; when every exertion | "The fort is full of ammunition and stores of all sorts, but the buildings are in a miserable condition from the effects of our bombs, and gun-boats, and batteries "I have the honour to be, Sir, "Your most obedient humble servant, "J. THOMPSON." Sir Charles Grey, in his dispatches, highly commended Captain Faulknor, and the exertions of the navy:-"The navy acquitted themselves with their usual gallantry (particularly Captain Faulknor, whose conduct justly gained him the admiration of the whole army), carrying the fort by escalade, about twelve o'clock on the 20th instant, under the able conduct of Commodore Thompson, whose judicious disposition of the gun and flat boats, assisted by that spirited and active officer, Captain Rogers, contributed materially to our success.' STRIKING INCIDENT IN THE LIFE OF A MIDSHIPMAN. ABOUT the middle of the last war, the Polly tender, commanded by Lieutenant Watts, came swooping up one evening to the small town of Auchinbreck, in Scotland, and, resolving to pounce, without warning, upon her prey, as soon as she had anchored in the roads, sent on shore the press-gang to pick up as many of the stout boat-builder lads as they could catch. The towns-people, however were not so unprepared as the captain of the tender imagined; some of those, indeed, who were fit for sea, ran up into the hills, but by far the greater number collected about the corner of a building-shed as you go on to the main street, and, when the signal of hostility was given, by the capture of a man by the press-gang, they rushed down upon them in a body, every one with his axe on his shoulder, like a troop of Indians with their tomahawks. It had now become so dark that the sailors had much to do to keep their footing upon the loose stones of the beach, which was just at this time rendered a still more troublesome passage by the scattered materials of a pier, then beginning to be built; and, besides, their number was so small compared to the towns-people, that, after a few strokes of the cutlass, and as many oaths as would have got a line-of-battle ship into action and out again, they were fain to retreat to their boat, pursued by the boat-builders, young and old, like furies. A midshipman, sitting in the stern, whose name was William Morrison, a fine lad of fifteen, observed the fate of the action with feelings in which local and professional spirit struggled for the mastery. One moment he would rub his hands with glee, and the next unsheath his dagger in anger, as he saw the axe of a fellow-townsman descend on the half-guarded head of a brother sailor; but, when the combatants came within oar's length of the boat, and the retreat began to resemble a flight, the esprit de corps got the upper hand in the Auchinbrecken midshipman's feelings, and, unsheathing his dagger, he jumped nimbly ashore and joined in the fray. At last the sailors got fairly into their boat without a single man being either missing or killed, although the list of the wounded included the whole party; and the landmen, apparently pretty much in the same circumstances, although unable, from their number and the darkness, to reckon as instantaneously the amount of the loss or damage, after giving three cheers of triumph, retired in good order. William Morrison, after discharging his duty so manfully, was permitted to go on shore the same evening, to visit his friends; and, indeed, the captain could not have known before that he belonged to the place, as he surely would not have confided to the lad so unpopular a task as that of kidnapping his own relations and acquaintances. He was landed at the point of Scarlough, to prevent the necessity of going through the streets, which might have been dangerous in the excited state of the people's minds; and, stretching across the fields, and along the side of the hill, he steered steadily on in the direction of his paternal home, which was about a mile and a half from the Point, but only one mile from the town. The moon had now risen, but was only visible in short glimpses through the clouds that were hurrying across the sky; and the tall, strange shadows of the willows and yews that skirted the churchyard, appearing and disappearing as he passed, probably by recalling the associations of his earlier years, made William shrink, and almost tremble. His own shadow, however, was a more pleasing thing to look at. The dress, which, grown familiar by usage, he would not have noticed elsewhere, was here brilliantly contrasted in his recollection with the more clownish and common garh of his boyhood-for he already reckoned himself a man; and the dagger, projecting smartly from his belted side, gave, in his opinion a finish quite melo-dramatic to his air. He drew out the tiny blade from its sheath, and its sparkle in the moonlight seemed to be reflected in his eyes as he gazed on it from hilt to point; but the expression of those eyes was changed as they discovered that its polish in one place was dimmed by blood. This could easily be accounted for by the affray on the beach-and at any other time and place it would have been thought nothing of;-but at this moment, and on this spot, he was as much startled by the sight, as if his conscience had accused him of a deliberate murder. The impressions his mind had received while passing the church-yard, now returned upon him with added gloom; a kind of misgiving came over him; and a thousand boding thoughts haunted him like spirits, and hanging, as it were, on his heart, dragged it down farther and farther at every step. He bitterly regretted that he had not remained in the boat, as he had at first resolved, a neutral spectator of the strife. How did he know that his hand had not been raised against the life of his own brother? As far as he could see or learn, indeed, no fatal accident had occurred; but there have been instances of people walking cheerily off the field of |