plan of future proceedings, and their uneasiness was daily increased by witnessing numbers of the men falling victims to the virulence of the fever. Brion at length made his appearance, after a lapse of upwards of six weeks, but his return proved altogether unimportant; for, notwithstanding the difficulties under which the Patriots laboured for want of military stores, he was unable to conclude any agreement with the Supercargoes for those under their care; and they were ultimately compelled to deposit them with merchants in Saint Bartholomew's, to be disposed of on the best terms

they could procure. The Britannia and Dowson afterwards took in sugar-freights, and are now (if not arrived) on their passage home.

These circumstances fully prove the fallacy of the statements which have lately been inserted in some of the public papers, of the Patriot admiral having effected the purchase of the stores forwarded from England, on board the different merchant vessels; as I know from indisputable authority, that the only articles of any importance ob

I

tained by him were a few heavy guns for his new ship the Victory.

Various other accounts, which have at different times been published, are equally unfounded; and were manifestly framed for the purpose of carrying on the system of misrepresentation, to which the partisans of the Patriots in England have so long and disgracefully had recourse, and which in its effects have proved so pregnant with misery and destruction to the unfortunate dupes of this unworthy principle.

I shall not presume to suppose that any of the respectable editors of the daily papers, would wilfully contribute their sanction and support to the dissemination of falsehood; but most certainly a great proportion of the information contained under the head "Private Correspondence" is so utterly inconsistent with every information I procured, and in numerous instances, so directly at variance with my own personal knowledge, as naturally to induce the supposition of its being fabricated on this side of the Atlantic.

It was very recently asserted in one of

the morning prints, that nearly two thousand British troops were collected at Saint Bartholomew's, enthusiastic in favour of the Patriot cause, and only waiting the arrival of Admiral Brion to convey them to the scene of action. This statement can only be exceeded in falsehood by another which appeared about the same period, announcing the actual junction with the Independents of the Artillery Brigade, raised in England for their service. With respect to the first of these articles, I will, without hazard of contradiction, affirm, that at no period whatever did the total force which rendezvoused at that island exceed five hundred, officers and men; that of this body not one hundred and fifty ever actually proceeded to the Main; and that even of this small proportion, probably nine out of ten were impelled by desperation and necessity, to persist in their original intention of joining the Patriot armies. The enthusiasm in favour of the enterprise was certainly warm and universal previous to our reaching Saint Bartholomew's, but these feelings rapidly subsided

after our arrival in the West Indies, and yielded its cheering influence to wide-spread gloom and dissatisfaction. The real cha

racter of the service into which we had been inveigled soon became but too manifest, and there were few who would not most gladly have retraced their passage to Europe had any opportunities occurred of which they could avail themselves.

The Artillery Brigade, referred to in the second article, could only have been that which proceeded from England, under the command of Colonel Gilmore, as no other regular organized corps, of a similar nature, was raised in this country for the South American service. The incorrectness of the newspaper accounts of its having actually landed on the Main cannot require refutation, the fate of this body having been already fully unfolded in the preceding part of this narrative; and I can, with confidence, assert that of Colonel G.'s late brigade, none ever actually landed on the Continent, with the exception of two officers, and about fifteen or twenty men, who joined Colonel Wilson's

corps, on the disembodying of that to which they had themselves been originally attached.

In numerous other respects the intelligence conveyed through the daily papers, of the proceedings of the British Auxiliary corps, is equally unfounded and absurd; but it cannot be necessary to particularize more minutely the gross impositions which have been practised by both sides on the Editors, and consequently through them, on the public credulity. The instances already enumerated are sufficient to prove the extreme caution which should be observed in perusing the conflicting statements of the opposite parties, and their respective literary supporters.

To return from this long digressionThe ultimate fate of Colonel C's corps was particularly distressing; and this officer, whose exertions in support of the cause had been indefatigable, was (I have been informed by a friend just arrived from the West Indies) preparing to return to Europe, having resigned the command of his brigade; and in addition to his nu