him of our arrival in the West Indies, and of likewise ascertaining the actual state of affairs upon the Main. Colonel Wilson, immediately after performing the object of his mission, was to return to Saint Bartholomew's, where our ulterior proceedings were to be finally arranged. This scheme, however, was unfortunately found impracticable, in consequence of the impossibility of procuring boatmen sufficiently daring to risk their lives in so dangerous an enterprise.

The extreme difficulty and hazard attendant on any attempt to communicate with the Continent, was this day further evinced, by an account received at the island of the indiscriminate massacre of the entire crew of a vessel which had been captured by a royalist brig. The unfortunate ship had, it appears, been concerned in mercantile intercourse with the Independents, whom they had supplied with a quantity of provisions in exchange for a cargo of mules then on board. She was proceeding from the Main to Trinadad, when she fell in with the Spanish cruizer; and, on inspection of

her papers, the nature of the traffic in which she had been engaged being unhappily discovered, the sanguinary captain of the royalist brig considered the offence of sufficient magnitude to justify the above barbarous proceeding.

To devise some other mode of effecting this important communication, now became the primary object of consideration; but, after much anxious consultation and debate, it was not found possible to discover any channel through which an intercourse could be opened with the Independent Govern

ment.

The general feeling of dissatisfaction and uneasiness now became more manifest; and we began seriously to apprehend, that the ideas we had been originally induced to entertain of the nature of our enterprise, were founded upon false or visionary representations of the actual state of affairs in South America.

Every information we could obtain, either from the inhabitants of Saint Bartholomew's, or individuals who had recently arrived from the Main, was of the most dishearten

ing description; all concurring in portraying the state of the Continent in terms directly contrary to the representations made to us previous to our departure from England: and these statements were doubly dispiriting, inasmuch as they proceeded from persons who were avowedly the friends and well-wishers of the Independent cause; by one and all of whom we were advised in the strongest manner to relinquish the idea of personally engaging in the conflict.

Our situation, in itself sufficiently distressing, was rendered still more critical by the spirit of dissension and jealousy which now subsisted amongst the officers commanding the different corps, who had become so perfectly disunited as scarcely to observe towards each other the common forms of personal recognition. This want of harmony among the superior officers destroyed all exertions for the general cause; and the Colonels, instead of evincing a solicitude to forward the views and realize, as far as lay in their power, the expectations they had excited in the minds of their followers, appeared to be influenced solely by an

anxiety for personal precedency. The spirit of jealousy and disunion soon extended amongst the officers in general; private pique and quarrelling were the results, more particularly on board the Prince and Emerald. Colonel Hippesley, on his arrival in the West Indies, assumed the rank of Brigadier-general, and had, during the passage, caused every individual, under his command, to take an oath of allegiance to the Independent Government. This usurpa

tion of rank was ill calculated to restore amity or concord; and the general spirit of dissension still continuing, the Governor manifested his displeasure by withdrawing his former attention, and even prohibited several of Colonel Wilson's officers from again proceeding on shore; actually posting sentries upon the beach, for the purpose of enforcing due obedience to his commands.

The Colonels now became desirous of proceeding to the Continent at all hazards, without permitting any further time to elapse for the arrival of information from the seat of hostilities. To this proposal, however, the Supercargoes of the different ships

They

positively refused acquiescence. were very properly tenacious of the property intrusted to their care, and would not, on any account, hear of departing for the Main, without being first perfectly convinced that the finances of the Patriots were in such a state as to enable them to pay, either in money or produce, for the military stores embarked on board their respective vessels. In order to obtain, if possible, satisfactory information on this particular point, as also to learn how far the various unfavourable rumours, so confidently circulated, were or were not well founded, our Supercargo determined on proceeding to Saint Thomas's, for the purpose of having a personal communication with Mr. Molony, an Agent of the Independents, resident at that island. Mr. Ritchie accordingly, at considerable expense, engaged a sloop, and sailed on the 4th or 5th of February. The period which elapsed between Mr. R.'s departure for, and return from, Saint Thomas's, was, as may be well conceived, one of anxious suspense; the fate of the expedition proba