Kingstown and Fort Charlotte were now rendered perfectly secure by the arrival of the 42d regiment, in two government transports under convoy. At the same time, a Liverpool ship arrived at Calliaqua; and nine of the crew were landed to avoid being impressed by the men of war. A large party of Charaibs observing the sailors in Greathead's Bay, surrounded and took them prisoners. A small detachment, from Sion Hill, was sent to their assistance; but, unhappily, failed in the rescue.

To prevent a repetition of such an occurrence, as well as to cut off supplies from the enemy, forces were despatched at midnight, to take possession of Calliaqua. They consisted of a party of grenadiers and light infantry under Captains Hall and Campbell, with a few men of the 60th regiment headed by Lieutenant Farquason.

After a sharp action, they succeeded in dislodging the enemy, who made great resistance, and in taking possession of the several posts; they also recovered the nine sailors, whom the Charaibs had not yet destroyed.

The Charaibs left behind them twenty killed; although, from their practice of bearing their dead from the field, it was impossible to ascertain the exact number destroyed in the action. The English party also lost a few men. Whilst they were in possession of the Charaib camp, the son of Chatouay was taken prisoner and butchered by the negroes.

In the meanwhile, Reader, a sheep hath been butchered in the market-place, and a prime leg

thereof hath been superbly cooked for your poor book-maker; and Lieutenant S of the engineers, hath promised to dine with me tête à tête,—so I will leave thee for a while, to eat my dinner, and listen to my worthy guest's account of his last trip in the Tropics.

CHAPTER XXXI.

DOMINICA.

"We next morning found ourselves under the lee of the high “ land of Dominica; and by midday were at anchor in the road “of Roseau, the chief town of the island, one which at this period "was rich and flourishing, possessing great beauty of situation, "but considered, as was the island, one of the most unhealthful "in the West Indies.”—Sketches and Recollections of the West Indies, by a Resident.

SCENE. The hall of a West Indian dwelling-house, a small dining-table in its centre, Lieutenant S of the Royal Engineers, and the Author reclining on a sofa.

Enter Mat with the dinner.-Mat rings the bell, and the gentlemen take their seats at the dinner-table.

Author. ALLOW me to send you a little turtle soup. Lieut. S. By all means. Turtle is the soul of a West Indian dining-table.

Author. You say well; yet it is nothing without the punch. Turtle without punch is like roast beef without mustard, very bad for the digestion.

Mat [aside]. Begar, my massa one pig self. If eber he marry, he go lobe e belly better dan e wife.

Lieut. S. Granted; yet good punch is not always to be got. On my trip in T's little schooner we had the vilest stuff imaginable. Some of our poets

talk of "the bowel-racking pains of emptiness."— Egad, you have no idea of the bowel-racking pains of bad punch.

Author. A propos of that trip of of that trip of yours; where have you been to? What have you seen? Let me hear something of your peregrinations.

Mat [aside]. Me bin tink dat long word mean fireflies.

Lieut. S. I have been to Martinique, Dominica, and Montserrat, and seen, I believe, all that was worth seeing in those places. In the latter island my servant was careless enough to leave my portmanteau; but those black fellows are all scamps. Mat [aside]. He be dam.

Author. That's true enough; but how did you find Dominica, they tell me it is a dirty hole?

Lieut. S. So it is; and I was glad to get out of it. It is a great pity that so beautiful an island should be so unhealthy, for the scenery is really delightful. The mountains and valleys are of a different character from those of this island; and I hardly know whether to give the preference to the cane fields that flourish here, or to the coffee plantations that cover the hills of Dominica.

Author. I am told the troops die off very fast there. Lieut. S. They do; and not only the troops, but also the inhabitants of the town. The fact is, the valleys are exceedingly deep and marshy, and not being well drained, are probably the chief cause of the prevailing sickness.

Author. How do you like this Madeira?

S

very faithful allegiance; yet they declared, that they were obliged rather than inclined to join the Charaibs in their insurrection. Their assertion, however, met with little credit, for it was shrewdly, and I believe justly, suspected, that they not only manifested their readiness to join the Charaibs, but that they were the principal instigators of their revolt.

The army of rebels having left Chatteaubelair, proceeded towards Kingstown, either setting fire to the estates on the road or seizing them in the name of Chatouay, their chief and commander, or some other person of consequence in their tribe.

It appears that they fell in with their companions in the windward part of the island on the following Friday, when Chatouay took the command of the whole body, consisting of about four hundred and sixty persons, including the French and colored people, and marched it to Dorsetshire Hill, in the fortifying of which, they displayed much activity.

With the assistance of the negroes, whom they had taken, and whom they compelled to work, and the oxen, of which they had pillaged the estates, they contrived to get two pieces of cannon up the hill, which they mounted in a very advantageous position, and gave the inhabitants of Kingstown and Fort Charlotte no little alarm for their capital.These, in their turn, made every exertion for a brave defence, and being joined by a detachment from Martinique, consisting of one company of the 46th regiment, under the command of Captain Campbell, commenced operations.