DOMINICA IN 1804.

Ar Christmas, the St. George's regiment of militia took the town's duty. It had made considerable advances in discipline, notwithstanding the loss of some of its best officers and men. Lieutenant Colonel Wallace, long the main-spring of the corps, had lately died; but his successor was equally fond of shewing off the regiment, and was unremitting in his endeavours to keep it effective. The holidays passed over very quietly. The Governor inspected the St. George's, and all the other companies; and, to accustom them to act with the regular troops, the whole garrison of Morne Bruce was reviewed with them.

The imposing attitude of General Erneuf, the Governor of Guadaloupe, rendered the utmost vigilance necessary. Several vessels from France had arrived, with reinforcements of troops and supplies of warlike stores; and provisions in abundance had been received. Aware of Erneuf's desire to pay him an unfriendly visit, General Pre

vost was constantly on the alert. The arrival of the fleets from Portsmouth and Cork afforded two opportunities of calling out the regulars and militia on the shortest notice. Each of these fleets happened to be descried during the night, coming down between the islands; and, on both occasions, the troops were promptly under arms. As every successive arrival of neutrals, from Guadaloupe, brought accounts of General Erneuf's active preparations, it was not doubted that the French had actually landed, when the second alarm, coming so soon after the first, again called forth the military at the dark hour of midnight. At sunrise, however, the sight of the richly laden fleets of Britain, proceeding under convoy to their respective islands and ports of discharge, afforded a glad relief. The enemy came not yet, but appeared, ere long, when less expected.

In the ships for Dominica, which arrived in these fleets, came many passengers, and reinforcements of men and officers for the 46th regiment, again in garrison on Morne Bruce. It was greatly reduced in number, by the ravages of disease; but the esprit de corps remained in full vigour.

The earlier months of this year passed away tranquilly and pleasantly; but the approach of the rainy months reminded us of last year's sufferings, and induced gloomy anticipations of the future. Nor were our apprehensions without cause; for,

in September, we were again visited by a gale of wind, which destroyed the chief part of the shipping, consisting mostly of American and other neutral vessels. The destruction of other property was also considerable, and several lives were lost from the vessels driven ashore.

The neighbouring colony of Guadaloupe suffered severely from this gale: other islands felt it, but in a less degree: Dominica and Guadaloupe, lying in the vortex between Martinico and Antigua, seemed devoted to its fiercest rage.

During the two preceding months, the town of Roseau had been more than ordinarily sickly; many persons, long resident in the West Indies, had been carried off; and few of those newly arrived, whether residing in town or country, had escaped an attack. On the estates, the mortality had been so great, that several of them were left without any white person to manage them, until the places of those who had died were filled from other colonies, or by new arrivals from Europe.

The garrison at Prince Rupert's had suffered severely, especially the officers of the 1st West India regiment, and a detachment of the York light-infantry. I was sent to that garrison on public duty, and, on my arrival, I found only the commanding officer, the officer of artillery, and one officer of the York, able to mount guard, which the two latter did in turn. The garrison consisted

of seven hundred men, nominally, but many of them were in the hospital. Of thirty officers, three only were in health, and four or five convalescent, six dangerously ill, many had died, and the rest had been allowed to go to Barbados, or return to Europe, for the recovery of their health. The detachment of the York light-infantry, which had landed one hundred and fifty strong, a few months before, had now only eighty men remaining, and scarcely a sufficient number fit for duty to mount a serjeant's guard, at their own barracks.*

* The fate of one of the officers of the York was very melancholy, shewing to what an extent the spirits may be depressed under such circumstances. This young gentleman, of an ancient and noble Dutch family, and particularly handsome and accomplished, had obtained leave of absence to Roseau, for change of air. He had been attacked by fever, but had got easily over it. The want of officers, however, compelled the commanding officer too soon to apply for his return. On receiving this order, he affirmed that he should not survive a fortnight at Prince Rupert's. General Prevost, with whom he was a favourite, hearing of his depression of mind, sent him an invitation to spend some days at Government House, before rejoining his corps; but nothing could arouse or divert his attention from the presentiment of his fate. Before leaving Roseau, he solemnly bade adieu to his friends, convinced that he had only a few days to live, and that he should never see them again. Under these impressions, he returned to Prince Rupert's, in company with a medical officer, two young officers of the 46th regiment, and myself. During our continuance together in the garrison boat, from sunrise to sunset, this unfortu

Nor were the black troops without some share of the prevailing disease. While fever, acute and intermittent, was carrying off numbers of officers and men of the York, dysentery prevailed amongst the men of the 1st West India regiment. The latter, however, was checked by the skilful and anxious exertions of Dr. Hartle, now deputy inspector of hospitals. His duties were, at this time, very laborious; as, in addition to the care of his own regiment, he had that of the whole garrison, every other medical officer having fallen sick, almost as soon as ordered hither.

Though the state of the garrison of Prince Rupert's was most distressing, the safety of the colony obliged General Prevost to keep it entire,

nate young man, though studiously polite, and able to converse in English, scarcely uttered a word. He would partake of no refreshment: he read with earnest and undivided attention, in a book of prayer; his mind appeared centered on another world, unconscious of what was passing around him in this. He had no sooner landed, than he sent for the serjeant of his company, a carpenter; directed him to make a coffin, and bring it to his quarters. He then settled his affairs, ordering his watch and other valuable tokens of affection, received from his friends in Holland, to be carefully transmitted to them. He was anxiously attended by the medical officers; but, though his fever was not of that acute nature, as to carry him off rapidly, he died at the end of ten days; the doctors declaring that he had so little disease, that, but for the state of his mind, he would certainly have recovered.