from Martinico the preceding evening, in three frigates, one forty-gun ship, and thirty small craft, but were detained in the channel by a calm until that hour.

Some of the French inhabitants, the preceding evening, had insinuated themselves into the fort, made the few soldiers on duty drunk, and filled the touch-holes of the guns with sand: so that the fort was taken without loss. Two of the English soldiers were driven over the ramparts, and dashed to pieces on the rocks. The first intimation the inhabitants of the island had of the attack, was the French letting off rockets from the fort as signals to their friends.

At this time, there were only ninety-four soldiers, including officers, upon the island. The gun carriages were all rotten, and in Melville's battery they were obliged to load the guns with loose powder.

About noon, the French landed near Roseau took possession of the fort at Loubiere, and made several attempts to enter the town. They were driven out three times from the fort at Loubiere, by the fire from Melville's battery. Upwards of forty were killed: their commissary-general was killed; and the Marquis de Bouille had his dirk (couteau) torn from his side by a splinter. They evacuated the fort with precipitation, and retreated out of the line of fire. Two thousand of them, however, gained the heights above Roseau. Upon this the lieutenantgovernor, by the advice of the privy council, sent a flag of truce, with offers to capitulate. The marquis returned with the flag of truce to the government-house to sign the articles. This being done, he returned to his troops, marched them into Roseau, and took possession of the island for his sovereign, the soldiers wearing boughs and flowers in their hats by way of laurels.

The English troops and inhabitants, with two field-pieces in their front, and lighted matches, their muskets grounded, were drawn up in two lines, while the French passed. The regulars were sent off the island next day. The militia were allowed to

retire to their homes, with their arms.

The capitulation contained twenty-seven articles, signed by the Marquis de Bouille and Governor Stuart, countersigned by General Double and the Lieutenant-Governor Hawkes, and dated September the 7th. The terms granted were exceedingly favourable, as far as the capitulation went. The change of sovereignty was the only change to be made in the condition of the inhabitants; but widely different was their state when governed by a Frenchman. It is probable that the Marquis de Bouille had two reasons for granting such terms. policy, that

Atwood's History of Dominica, pp. 109. 117. 119. 122, 123. 137.

the other islands might make less resistance, and apprehension of Admiral Barrington, who was with a superior force at Barbadoes.

The French found 164 pieces of cannon and twenty-four brass mortars, with a great quantity of military stores and ammunition.

Thus was Dominica lost to the English, before it was known in the English islands that hostilities were commenced between the two nations!

A contribution of £4400, current money, was levied upon the inhabitants, and distributed among the French troops, a few days after the surrender of the island.

Three Frenchmen who had resided upon the island, one of whom held an appointment under the English government, accompanied the marquis on this expedition, and served as guides to the troops.

The Marquis de Bouille returned to Martinico, as soon as he had settled the new form of government, leaving the Marquis Duchilleau commander-in-chief of the island, with a garrison of 1500 men. This nobleman issued a proclamation, forbidding more than two English inhabitants to assemble in a place. He ordered that no lights were to be seen in their houses after nine o'clock - that no English person should be out after that hour in the streets, without a candle, or a lighted pipe in his mouthand that no servant of theirs was to go out at night, without a ticket from his master, under a penalty, to white people, of being shot or imprisoned, or sent off the island. The servants were to be whipped in the public market, and a fine imposed on their

masters.

Robert Thou was shot by a centinel, for attempting to go on board his vessel after nine o'clock: he died a few days afterwards, and his murderer was promoted for the deed. All letters to the English were opened and examined by the governor.

Many circumstances concurred in rendering the loss of this island grievous. Large sums had been expended upon its fortifications. Rear-Admiral Barrington, with two sail of the line, and some frigates, was at Barbadoes waiting for instructions. A French document, published at Martinico in the middle of August, amounting in effect to a declaration of war, gave him the first information of hostilities; and the capture of two of Sir P. Parker's frigates, off Española, was also the first information of the war to that admiral and the government of Jamaica.

Upon the 10th of December, Commodore Hotham, with five

Annual Register, 1779, pp. 38. 43.

sail of the line, some frigates, and a bomb vessel, with 5000 troops, under the command of Major-General Grant, joined Admiral Barrington at Barbadoes. Without allowing the troops to land, the expedition sailed to attack St. Lucia; and on the evening of the 13th, after Captain Ferguson, in the Venus, had silenced a battery of four twelve-pounders, the reserve of the army, under Brigadier-General Meadows, were landed at the Grand Cul de Sac, in that island. That officer immediately pushed forward to the heights on the north side of the bay, which were occupied by the Chevalier de Micoud, with the regular forces and militia of the island. These posts, although very difficult of access, he soon forced, and took possession of a four-gun battery, and a field-piece which had greatly annoyed the shipping.

Brigadier-General Prescot landed with five regiments, guarded the bay, and at the same time pushed on his advanced posts, to preserve a communication during the night with the reserve. At daylight, the reserve, supported by General Prescot, took possession of Morne Fortune. The French made an able defence, but were compelled to retire from one post to another. As the reserve advanced, General Prescot took possession of the posts and batteries in their rear.

General Meadows pushed forward and took possession of the important post of the Viergie, which commanded the north of the Carenage; and Brigadier-General Sir Henry Calder kept up the communication with the fleet, and sent detachments to occupy several posts upon the mountains, which commanded the south side of the Grand Cul de Sac a measure which soon contributed to the preservation of the fleet and army from a danger then unexpected. No enemy was apprehended, yet every measure of security was taken which the presence of a superior foe could have induced. The event proved the wisdom of the conduct.

The last French flag in sight among the neighbouring hills was not struck, when M. d'Estaing, with a large force, hove in sight. Besides his original squadron of twelve heavy line-ofbattle ships, he was accompanied by a numerous fleet of frigates, privateers, and transports, with 9000 troops on board. As the day was far advanced, D'Estaing deferred his operations until the ensuing morning.

Admiral Barrington, with two seventy-fours, two sixty-fours, two fifty-gun ships, and three frigates, was in the Grand Cul de Sac: these, during the night, were formed in line across the entrance of the bay, and all the transports were warped as far into the bottom of the bay as possible.

Beatson's Memoirs, vol. iv. pp. 44. 389.

Admiral Barrington, in the Prince of Wales, took the post of honour and danger, on the outward and leeward extremity of the line. The Isis, supported by the frigates, who flanked the passage between her and the shore, was stationed in the opposite and interior angle to windward.

It appears that Count d'Estaing did not expect that the British had extended their operations so far as to have taken possession of the Viergie, and the posts adjoining the Carenage; for in the morning he stood in with his fleet for that bay, until his own ship, the Languedoc, received such a salute from one of the batteries, as convinced him of his mistake. The whole fleet immediately bore up, and seemed for some time at a loss how to act. After much evident hesitation, the count, with ten sail of the line, bore down upon the British squadron. They were gallantly received by the ships and batteries, and obliged to haul off. At four o'clock, Count d'Estaing, with twelve sail of the line, renewed the attack: he now directed his efforts upon the centre and leeward part of the British line. This attack continued longer than the first; but the French were again obliged to retreat, in evident confusion and disorder.

On the following day, December the 16th, Count d'Estaing, after several motions indicating his intention to renew the attack, abandoned the design, stood off to windward, and anchored in the evening off Gross Islet, two leagues to the northward.

That night and the following morning were spent by the French commander in landing his troops in Choc Bay, which lies between Gross Islet and the Carenage. The country is a confused congeries of abrupt hills, scattered among greater mountains, every where intersected by deep defiles.

General Grant, with the bulk of the forces, consisting of Prescot's and Calder's brigades, occupied all the strong holds among the hills, on either side of the Grand Cul de Sac, and commanded the ground from thence to the Carenage, a distance of about two miles. A battery on their side, and at the south point of the Carenage, with another on the opposite point of the Viergie, defended the entrance into that bay. The brigades were also possessed of two more batteries near the bottom of the bay, where it narrows into, or is joined by a creek, which, passing Morne Fortune, cuts the country for some way farther up. These batteries were covered in front by the creek, and commanded, in a considerable degree, the land approaching the Viergie.

Thus General Meadows, who, with the reserve, was stationed in that peninsula, was, by his situation, and the superiority in numbers of the enemy, totally cut off from the support of the main body, except what might be derived from the batteries already

Annual Register, 1779, p. 46.

mentioned: but he was in possession of very strong ground; and his men, though only 1300 in number, were veteran troops, who had distinguished themselves in America.

The French commanders determined to attack the peninsula by sea and land at the same time. On the 18th, about 5000 of advanced in three columns to attack the British The right was led

their best troops
lines, which were drawn across the isthmus.1