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A few days prior to the Emerald's departure from Grenada, a detachment of Colonel Hippesley's regiment, consisting of a few officers and about twenty men, under the command of Lieut.-Col. English, sailed for Angustura, taking with them a considerable proportion of the officers' baggage. This party proceeded for the Oroonoco, with orders to provide quarters for the corps, which it was then intended should immediately follow; but although the detachment arrived in safety, a considerable number shortly afterwards fell victims to severity of suffering, and it is to be feared that few survived to rejoin the main body of the regiment.

The propriety of this measure was at the time strongly canvassed, and conjectures of a very free nature were insinuated as to the motives which prompted its adoption; but notwithstanding the deprivation of their baggage (to the disposal of which only they could look for relief) several of the officers subsequently threw up their commissions, and thus forfeited their property rather than proceed on an enterprise so unquestion

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ably impolitic; and many were probably induced to continue with the regiment, in preference to encountering, in the West Indies, distresses and mortifications, from which they were thus rendered totally: unable to secure themselves even a temporary alleviation.

To return to the Britannia:-The brigade had been for a considerable time disbanded; but a few officers and men still continued on board. With Colonel Gilmore's conduct personally to myself I had not heretofore any reason to be dissatisfied; great as were our disappointments, we considered him a fellow-sufferer, and that the distressing measure of disembodying the corps was the result of a necessity which he had no means of controlling. We indeed concurred in one strong feeling of dissatisfaction and displeasure, but our indignation was exclusively directed against that individual in London, by whose hollow and faithless engagements we had been all equally ensnared. The occurrences subsequent to this period were, however, of a nature badly calculated to preserve mu

tual feelings of friendly regard between our late Colonel and the officers on board the Britannia; for, although no longer actually under the command of Colonel Gilmore in a military point of view, yet considering the peculiarity of our situation, and his professions at the time of disbanding the brigade, we were not altogether without hopes of receiving from him whatever protection his own situation enabled him to afford. These expectations I shall merely observe were not in any particular realized.

The only events of any importance that occurred during the remainder of our stay at Grenada, were the transactions in which Mr. Hudson was concerned. The intercourse between this person and Colonel Gilmore was constant, and appeared manifestly connected with some enterprize on which they intended jointly to proceed.

To this project, which originated with Mr. Hudson, Colonel Campbell's union had been obtained, (doubtless under a misconception of its real nature), and we were

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induced to consider it in a very mysterious light, from the extraordinary caution and secrecy observed by the parties, who declined divulging the nature of their scheme, even to the individuals whose assistance would be absolutely necessary for carrying the plan into effect; but to all those whose alliance was solicited, the value of the enterprize was portrayed in the strongest colours, with assurances that the short period of two months would terminate an affair which could not possibly fail of enriching them beyond their most sanguine expectations. Amongst others to whom Colonel Gilmore applied for co-operation I and my friend Captain were in

cluded, and on our expressing our determination not to engage in any scheme of the nature of which we were ignorant, and consequently unable to form any opinion of its propriety or policy, Colonel G. with much warmth observed that he could contrive to dispense with our services. This observation, and a circumstance which had Just then come to our knowledge, at once

occasioned a mutual coolness, and a rupture of that social intercourse which had heretofore subsisted. Although we were not positively acquainted with the nature of this scheme, yet every circumstance conspired to induce a conviction of its adventurous character, and the correctness of this opinion was, it will be seen, fully confirmed on our subsequent return to Saint Bartholomew's. To all appearance every arrangement had been perfectly completed between the Colonels and Mr. Hudson, previous to our departure from Grenada; and I likewise understood that Mr. H. had intimated to our Supercargo that he would, on the Britannia's arrival at Saint Bartholomew's, treat with him for the purchase of a large portion of her stores. We left this island on the 10th of March, having now remaining on board only five officers and three privates of our late brigade, together with Mr. Hudson as passenger. The Dowson likewise sailed from Grenada on the same day.

The night previous to our arrival at Saint Bartholomew's, we encountered the most

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