CHAPTER II.

THE COMMANDERS IN CHIEF PREPARE FOR THE EXPEDITION AGAINST MARTINIQUE ... GUN-BOATS CONSTRUCTED, AND DESCRIBED ... A SHORT ACCOUNT OF BARBADOES ... SALE OF SLAVES ... A LIST OF THE FLEET.

The first news we received on our arrival at Barbadoes was, that the yellow fever had, in the course of last year, carried off fifty-eight officers of the army in this and the neighbouring islands, and privates in proportion. It proved fatal to great numbers of the inhabitants also of Barbadoes; from fifteen to twenty whites died daily in the town of Bridgetown, and about half that number of blacks and people of colour. We were at the same time comforted with an assurance that the disease had entirely subsided; but the reader will soon see how fallacious were our hopes in this respect. Alas! too many families have to lament the fatal effects of this dreadful disorder; and the kingdom at large may attribute to it the losses we afterwards sustained, rather than to any other cause. But of this more hereafter.

His Excellency Sir Charles Grey landed at Bridgetown on the 7th of January, and resided at a house called the Government House, on Constitution Hill, a healthy situation, about half a mile out of town, where he was busily employed during his residence on the island in concerting plans for future operations, in reviewing the troops, and providing against those exigencies which in an enemy's country an army must be exposed to. A report was here circulated that General Rochambeau the commanding officer at Martinique, and Bellegarde the popular leader of the people of colour, were at variance; but this news by no means caused the least relaxation on the part of our commanders, who continued their preparations with as much ardour as before; and it is well they did so, as we afterwards found the enemy on their guard, and prepared to resist us with their united force.

The Admiral in the mean time was equally employed in preparing every thing in his department, and for that purpose remained on board (a conduct he invariably followed), by which every thing was carried on under his own inspection, and delay (the consequence of neglect) was thus prevented.--On our voyage, whenever the weather permitted, a certain number of seamen were exercised, and formed into companies, to be commanded by lieutenants of the navy, with the rank of captains on shore. While in Carlisle Bay these seamen were again exercised, and instructed in the use of small arms and pikes. This plan of training the seamen for more duty was highly beneficial on this expedition, as will hereafter appear.

Every exertion was now made both by sea and land. The gun-boats, which were constructed in England, then taken to pieces, and brought to the West Indies in storeships, were put together with as much speed as possible; yet, from the nature of their structure, could not be finished until a day or two before we sailed. There were six gun-boats, each carrying a twenty-four pounder in the bow, which moved backwards and forwards on a groove: round the whole on the gun-whale was a moveable barricade or breast-work, composed of several folds of bulls' hides, nailed to some boards of an inch thick in partitions, and capable of turning a musket ball. Each boat had two masts; the foremast inclined forward (to give more room for the gun to recoil), and had a latine sail and jib: the mizen was a lug-sail. Sweeps, or large oars, were also supplied, to be used when there was no wind, or when becalmed by the high lands near the shore. Each of these vessels was at first commanded by a midshipman, who, as his conduct merited, was promoted to the rank of lieutenant[2].

[2] I have given an exact representation of one of these boats in the view of the town and bay of St. Pierre.

In the mean time the troops were landed from the transports, the sick comfortably lodged in the hospitals, and every attention paid, to render the service complete. As the major part of our army consisted of the flank companies, great pains were taken by the commanding officers to train them for the most active service: the light infantry were exercised daily by Major General Dundas, who had, in America and on the continent, distinguished himself at the head of that battalion. Particular attention was paid to instruct the army in the absolute necessity of strict obedience to orders; for which purpose the Commander in Chief published in the general orders to the army such full and comprehensive instructions, as to preclude the necessity of multiplying them in future, and to take away the possibility of any one pleading ignorance of them[3].

[3] See in the Appendix, page 1.

Before we quit this island, it may be agreeable to the reader to have some account of it, and of the general appearance of the country. Barbadoes is situated in 13. 10. N. lat. and 59. W. long. from London. It is called one of the British Charaibé Islands, though at present none of those ancient inhabitants remain on it. The island has a flat appearance; but, from the variety of plantations, the beauty and freshness of the verdure, and the numerous houses, mills, and other buildings, scattered in great profusion, it presents a delightful prospect to strangers on their approach to it after a long voyage. I shall not pretend to give an history of the island, but must refer the reader to the elegant work of Bryan Edwards, Esq. whose account of the British West India Islands is written with every advantage to be derived from local residence and connections, as well as from the indefatigable attention and abilities of the author.

During our residence at this island curiosity led me to be present at a sale of slaves, just imported from the coast of Africa. As this horrid traffic in human flesh has been the topic of public investigation for some time past, and much learning and ingenuity has been displayed on both sides of the question, I shall not give any opinion on it, but merely state facts that came within my own knowledge. The sale is proclaimed by beat of drum, and is held (at Barbadoes at least) not in the open air, as I had been taught to believe, but in a commodious house appointed for that purpose. At the time I am speaking of, there were about forty men, women, and children, sitting on benches round a large room, with no other covering than a cloth round their waists. Some of them were decorated with beads, given to them by their captors, and bracelets round their wrists and ancles, and were much tattooed on their faces and breasts, which I understood from a seaman who came with them, was a mark of distinction in their own country. I was also informed that they had buried one hundred and forty-nine on the passage, having had a very bad and protracted voyage: the crew had suffered equally, and had buried one third of their original complement. As soon as the planter has fixed on a slave he retires with him and the salesman to another room, there concludes the bargain, and departs with his purchase to his plantation, where the newcomer, being clothed in a coarse jacket, and provided with a hat, knife, and other trifles, is placed with one of the old negroes, by whom he is instructed in his business. In regard to the severity exercised by the slave owners on their slaves, whatever may have been the case, I am well assured that now there are seldom instances of those cruelties which have been so feelingly described, at least in the islands we visited on this expedition. At Barbadoes they appeared to be in as comfortable a situation as the lower ranks of society generally are; and as the climate is peculiarly favourable to poverty (clothes and firing, the great articles of expence to the poor in other countries, being here hardly required), I may venture to affirm, that the slaves in the West Indies are in a better situation, _as to the necessaries of life_, than the labouring poor in England, or any other country in Europe. Far be it from me, however, to justify slavery in itself; it most certainly is an evil: but when a matter of great importance is in agitation, every information should be obtained, and both sides of the question ought to be strictly examined. Certainly the benevolent intentions of the friends to the abolition of slavery in the West Indies have, by their exertions in the cause of humanity, occasioned a more minute inquiry into the situation of the slaves than had ever been made before; and several excellent laws to regulate the treatment of that unfortunate class of human beings have in consequence been passed in the different islands. It is affirmed by many very humane people, that the entire abolition of the traffic _itself_ would not help the cause of humanity so much as was at first contended (for I believe the former plan of immediately emancipating those already imported, is allowed by all to be dangerous in the extreme); and it is the opinion of many writers, that the greater part of those Africans sold to our plantations would remain slaves in their own country, or be put to death by their captors. If so, surely it is better for them to be carried to a country where they have a chance at least of better treatment, and where many of them are instructed in their duty to their God, of which before they had no idea.

While we were lying in Carlisle Bay the fleet that sailed with us from Europe, and parted company on the voyage, came in, together with the transports, &c. from Ireland. The following is, I believe, a correct list of the men of war that composed our fleet at the commencement of the campaign. A few others that are hereafter mentioned joined us in the course of it.

Boyne 98 guns {Vice Admiral Sir John Jervis, K. B. { Commander in Chief of the naval { force in the West Indies. {Captain G. Grey.

Vengeance 74 {Commodore C. Thompson. {Captain Henry Powlett.

Irresistible 74 John Henry.

Veteran 64 Charles Edmund Nugent.

Blanche 32 Christopher Parker.

Terpsichore 32 Samson Edwards.

Blonde 32 John Markham.

Solebay 32 William Hancock Kelly.

Beaulieu 40 John Salisbury.

Quebec 32 Josias Rogers.

Rose 23 Edward Riou.

Vesuvius bomb Charles Sawyer.

Nautilus 18 James Carpenter.

Rattlesnake 18 Matthew Henry Scott.

Seaflower 16 William Pierrepoint.

Zebra 18 guns Captain Robert Faulknor.

Experiment 44 Simon Miller. } Woolwich 44 John Parker. } armed Dromedary 44 Sandford Tatham.} en flute.

These ships joined us in Fort Royal bay during the siege of Forts Bourbon and Louis.

Asia 64 guns Captain John Brown.

Santa Margarita 36 Eliab Harvey.

Assurance 44 Velters Cornwall Berkley.

Ceres 32 Richard Incledon.

Winchelsea 32 Lord Viscount Garlies.

Roebuck 44 hosp. ship Andrew Christie.

The land force employed on this expedition was as follows. A detachment of white and a detachment of black light dragoons, three battalions of grenadiers, three battalions of light infantry, the sixth, ninth, fifteenth, thirty-ninth, forty-third, fifty-sixth, fifty-eighth, sixty-fourth, sixty-fifth, and seventieth regiments, with detachments from the second, twenty-first, and sixtieth regiments. The troops were divided into three brigades; the first commanded by Lieutenant General Prescott, the second by Major General Thomas Dundas, and the third by Major General his Royal Highness Prince Edward (till whose arrival from Canada the command of this brigade was given to Lieutenant Colonel Sir Charles Gordon.) The total force that embarked for the attack of Martinique was six thousand and eighty-five, two hundred and twenty-four sick, and nine hundred and seventy-seven left sick at Barbadoes[4].

[4] An idea was started of raising four hundred white men in the island of Barbadoes to augment the army; but there was not time to arm and discipline them; therefore it was dropped. However, a certain number of negroes were provided to attend the army, four hundred of whom were sent from Dominica for that service; some more were brought from St. Vincent's; and the council of Barbadoes made an offer of supplying a large number of them to serve on very liberal terms; but when the matter came to be investigated, the terms were found to be far from equitable, and therefore were rejected.--Mr. Baillie and Mr. Monro, two planters of Grenada, were here introduced to the Commanders in Chief, and were received on board the Boyne as guests, and treated with the greatest hospitality; they proceeded with us on the expedition. Mr. Gibbs, one of the council of Barbadoes, also accompanied us.