being carried by that excellent officer, a sufficient number of men were ordered to act as light troops, and to pursue the enemy, whilst the third column, with part of the reserve, advanced against the fourth and fifth batteries, la Piere and la Caserne, which fell into our hands without opposition, and whose entire fire was immediately directed against the enemy’s shipping. By half-past eight o’clock, the town, batteries, magazines, 8 brass field-pieces, 117 new and heavy iron guns, and all the public stores, were in our possession, with several prisoners. The instant the squadron perceived that the object in landing had succeeded, and that they could, with safety to the troops, stand in effectually, they immediately anchored close to the enemy’s shipping, which after a short firing surrendered. The entire of the batteries being destroyed, and the town completely commanded by our squadron, the troops were re-embarked by eight o’clock the same evening. * * * *.
“On the 22d, late in the evening, the enemy appeared in some force upon the bills, and a heavy column was observed advancing from St. Denis, which I since understand to have been under the immediate command of General Des Brusleys: the commodore and myself now agreed upon the propriety of landing a sufficient force to destroy all public property; and accordingly the marines, with a few sailors, under Captain Willoughby” (who again volunteered), “were ordered upon this service, when I had an opportunity of again witnessing the steadiness and good conduct of the seamen and royal marines, who effectually burnt an extensive government store of considerable value; the remaining stores were only saved from some doubt existing respecting their being public property[1].
“On the following morning, the entire force was put in boats to reland and attack the enemy; whose retreat, however, to St. Denis, during the night, prevented the necessity of any further debarkation.”
On this latter occasion, the boats containing the troops, armed seamen, and marines, pulled in shore and reached the intended landing place, to the eastward of St. Paul’s, facing the position in which Des Brusley’s army was supposed to have encamped in the night of the 22d.
After waiting some time for Lieutenant-Colonel Keating to arrive and give the necessary orders, Captain Willoughby, anxious to ascertain if the French were really there, and having taken proper precautions for ensuring a speedy retreat if necessary, landed with two of his gig’s crew, all the boats anxiously watching his motions, particularly when he disap-
- ↑ Mr. James states, that the government store, destroyed by Captain Willoughby, contained all the raw silk which the enemy had found on board the Streatham and Europe, East Indiamen, and that it was valued at more than half a million sterling.
