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the British in one, and the French in another. They were in motion before daylight; but some alarm taking place among the royalists, they began in mistake, firing on one another. Their commander was wounded, and they retreated to the post from which they had marched. As no dependance could be placed upon these troops, and the British were too few, the attack was given up, and the troops reimbarked.

The assembly at St. Vincent's passed an act, declaring," that no person in the island should in future preach, without first obtaining a licence; and no person was eligible to a licence, but those who had actually resided twelve months on the island." This militated entirely against the itinerant plan, which had been pursued among the Methodist missionaries who had been established by that sect in the islands. Though they should continue idle for one year, at its expiration there was no certainty of procuring a licence.

The penalties for breaking this law were-for the first offence, a fine of ten johannes, or imprisonment for not more than ninety days, nor less than thirty; for the second offence, such corporal punishment as the court should think proper to inflict, and banishment; and lastly, on return from banishment, death.

On the Sunday following the passing of this act, Mr. Lumb preached, as usual, in the Methodist chapel, which had been built by their own money, and to which no other person presumed to lay the most distant claim. On the ensuing Thursday, he was committed to jail. Through the iron gratings of his window, he repeated the crime which had brought him to that condition; and the Negroes thronged round the prison, "to receive his instructions, and weep over his calamities." To prevent this, the magistrates ordered him to be closely confined, and none but white people were allowed to visit him. From this place Mr. Lumb was released, upon his promising to quit the island.

Dr. Coke says, "before the above iniquitous law was enacted, no island afforded a more pleasing prospect of the prosperity of religion than that of St. Vincent's. Above 1000 of the poor slaves were already stretching forth their hands unto God; and multitudes more attended constantly the preaching of the word. The Negroes throughout the island appeared in general ripe for the gospel, but the door was shut against it."

Dr. Coke returned to London, and waited upon Mr. Dundas, one of the secretaries of state; who, upon the 31st of August, informed him," that his Majesty in council had been graciously pleased to disannul the act of the assembly at St. Vincent's;" and "that his Majesty's pleasure should be notified by the first packet that sailed to the West Indies.-Thus was liberty of conscience again restored, by the best of monarchs, to his loyal subjects."

The repeal of this law opened a new epoch in the religious history of St. Vincent's.

In February, the number of Methodists in society at St. Christopher's amounted to thirty-two Whites, and 1522 coloured people and Blacks. Dr. Coke calls it a "happy island, in which genuine religion flourished like an olive-tree in the house of God."

The number of Methodists in society at Tortola and the adjacent islands amounted to about 1400 souls.

Le Golan, of fourteen guns, was taken, the 16th of April, by his Majesty's ship Penelope, thirty-six guns, B. S. Rowley, on the Jamaica station.

Le Curieux brig, of fourteen guns, was taken by his Majesty's ship Inconstant, Captain A. Montgomery, the 3d of June.

La Convention Nationale schooner, of ten guns, was taken by Commodore Ford's squadron, in September, at St. Domingo.

Le Vengeur of twelve guns, La Revolutionaire of twenty, Le Sans Culottes, twenty-two, were taken by Captain C. Parker, in the Blanche, the 30th of December.

His Majesty's ship Hyæna, twenty-four, Captain Hargood, was taken by La Concorde, of forty guns, off Española, in May.

His Majesty's cutter, Advice, of fourteen guns, Lieutenant E. Tyrrel, was lost in the Bay of Honduras crew saved.

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1794.

Upon the 6th of January, Sir John Jervis, with the fleet under his command', arrived at Barbadoes from England. On the 5th of

Coke's West Indies, vol. iii. pp. 61. 114.

Steele's Naval Chronologist.

Edwards, vol. iii. pp. 444, 445.

1 The following ships composed the naval force under Vice-Admiral Sir J. Jervis : —

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February, they approached the island of Martinico, in three divisions, having on board 6085 soldiers, including a detachment of Negro dragoons.

Commodore Thompson, with his squadron, and the detachment under Major-General Dundas, arrived in Gallion Bay in the evening. Captain Faulknor, in the Zebra, drove the enemy from a battery on Point à Chaux, and the troops disembarked without further opposition. They halted for the night, and the next morning took possession of Morne le Brun. Lieutenant-Colonel Craddock was then sent to attack Fort Trinité: it was abandoned upon his approach, and the troops took possession of it, with the cannon and stores. At the same time, Commodore Thompson took possession of the vessels in the harbour. Bellegarde, the Mulatto chief, being obliged to evacuate a fort bearing his own name, set fire to the town of Trinity as he retired. Most of the houses, and a quantity of stores, were destroyed by the flames.

On the evening of the 7th, Major-General Dundas left Major Skirrett to command in Fort Trinité, and proceeded to Gros Morne, a strong fortification, commanding the principal pass between the north and south parts of the island. The French retired at his approach.

On the 9th, the major-general advanced to Bruneau, from whence he sent Lieutenant-Colonel Craddock to seize Fort Matilde: the place was abandoned upon his approach. On the night of the 10th, they were attacked by 800 of the French, under the command of Bellegarde, who was repulsed, and compelled to retreat to Fort Bourbon. In the attack, the English had eight killed and nineteen wounded.

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And the Tickler, Venom, Teizer, Vexer, Spiteful, and Tormentor, ġun boats.

Colonel Sir Charles Gordon, with his brigade, was not able to make good their landing at Case des Navires: but on the morning of the 8th, he landed at Cape Pilotte, a few miles to the N.W. The French were masters of the heights above the road; he, therefore, marched round through the mountains, and by day-break on the 9th had gained, unmolested by the enemy, the most commanding post in that part of the country, from whence Colonel Myers took possession of La Chapelle.

On the 12th, the French abandoned their works at St. Catherine, and the posts that guarded the first ravine. Colonel Myers took possession of them, crossed four ravines higher up, and seized the batteries which defended them. The French fled in all directions, and the troops took possession of the five batteries between Case des Navires and Fort Royal. They proceeded within a league of Fort Bourbon, and occupied the posts of Gentilly, La Coste, and L'Archet.

Lieutenant-General Prescott, with the other division, landed at Trois Rivieres, from thence he marched to Salee. On the march, Brigadier-General Whyte was detached to force the batteries of Cape Soloman and Point à Burgos: he stormed them, and afterwards, with a reinforcement of 200 seamen, took possession of Mount Matharine. Here batteries were erected against Pigeon Island, which surrendered in two hours after the fire was opened upon it, after losing fifteen killed and twenty-five wounded. This island is a steep rock, accessible only by a ladder fixed against a perpendicular wall the summit is ninety feet above the level of the sea. There were found on it eleven forty-two pounders, six thirty-two pounders, and fourteen thirteen-inch mortars, with one howitzer, and an immense quantity of ammunition.

The ships now took possession of the harbour of Fort Royal, and the transports went to Cohee, from whence they had communication, by a chain of posts, with Bruneau.

On the 14th, Sir Charles Grey, the commander-in-chief, marched to Bruneau, and from thence to Gros Morne, from whence he detached Colonel Campbell through the woods to attack Montigne, proceeding himself to Capot and Callebasse. Colonel Campbell was attacked and killed; but the detachment being reinforced by the Honourable Captain Ramsay, they drove the enemy before them, and took possession of Montigne. The major-general now took post on Morne Rouge. During the night the French abandoned Morne Bellevieur, of which the English took pos

session.

At daylight on the 16th, the French sent a flag of truce from St. Pierre, requiring three days to consider of a capitulation. Sir Charles Grey returned for answer, that he would allow them only three hours, and immediately advanced towards the town. At the

same time a squadron, with a detachment under Colonel Symes, stood for the bay.

Captain Harvey, in the Santa Margaritta, silenced a battery from which the French were firing hot shot; and at four in the morning of the 17th, the troops landed, and marched towards St. Pierre. The French seeing the foes approach both by sea and land, evacuated the town, leaving their colours flying. By ten o'clock Colonel Symes's detachment marched into the town, and soon afterwards General Dundas and his army joined him. No outrage was offered to the inhabitants - the women and children sat at their doors to see the soldiers pass. One instance occurred. of an attempt to pillage: the offender was immediately hung at the gate of the Jesuits' college. Lieutenant Malcolm, of the 41st, was appointed town major.

On the night of the 18th, Sir Charles Grey intended to attack General Bellegarde, on the heights of Sourier. A few hours previous to the time fixed, Bellegarde descended to attack the general's left, intending to cut off the communication between the British army and navy. Lieutenant-General Prescott kept Bellegarde in check, while Colonels Buckeridge, Coote, and Blundell attacked his camp on the left. The post was carried, and his own guns turned against him he fled with great loss, and in a few days surrendered himself, with his second in command and 300 followers, promising never to serve against his Majesty again, if he might be sent to North America. His request was granted.

On the 20th of February, Forts Bourbon and Louis, with the town of Fort Royal, were closely invested. The division under General Prescott broke ground on the 25th, when a change took place in the mode of attacking Fort Bourbon, at the suggestion of M. de Sansi, and it was determined to cut off the communication between Fort Bourbon and the town of Fort Royal. Two batteries were formed, under his direction, by the seamen, which dismounted the guns of Fort Louis, on the front attacked: another battery of five twenty-fours was raised on Mount Tortueson. The heavy work of dragging up the cannon was done by the seamen, under the command of Captains Nugent and Rogers their merit was acknowledged by the commander-in-chief: and another battery was raised near Prince Edward's quarters, which dismounted the guns upon the upper batteries of Fort Louis.

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On the 17th of March, the advanced batteries were within two hundred yards of the redoubt of Fort Bourbon, and five hundred from the fort itself. Arrangements were made for storming the fort. On that night, Lieutenant Bowen of the Boyne, with the night guard and gun-boats, pushed into the Carenage, and captured the

Edwards, vol. iii. pp. 452, 453, 454.

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