merous disappointments and perplexities, sustained the irreparable loss of his eldest son, who had fallen a victim to the fever at Saint Bartholomew's. He was a young man of most amiable and gentlemanly manners, and universally respected and esteemed by his brother officers. This corps, originally the strongest and most effective, was, on my friend's departure, reduced by fever and resignation to ten officers and a proportionate number of men ; which small remnant intended proceeding for Angustura, under the command of Major P——t. Shortly after the return of the Victory to Five Islands, a premeditated mutiny on board that vessel was discovered, on the forenoon of the day on which it was intended to be carried into effect. The plan of the mutineers was to murder Brion and his officers, take possession of the ship, and afterwards carry her into a Royalist port. This project, with the intended hour of attack, were intimated to the Admiral in an anonymous paper which had been put into his hands by a black boy at Saint Bartholomew's..

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Brion, on receiving this alarming intelligence, forwarded the particulars to Captain Cowie; who immediately piped all hands upon deck, and began to single out the suspected mutineers, two of whom, finding their plot discovered, rushed through the guard of marines, and throwing themselves overboard were drowned; eleven others, having been fully convicted of the conspiracy, received sentence of death, and their execution was expected to take place on the day of my informant's departure.

Brion is a creole of Curazoa, rather advanced in years, of a commanding and stern deportment, dark penetrating eyes, and remarkably long black mustachios, which turn up behind his ears, giving him an air of much fierceness. He is said to be a steady, resolute character, well calculated for the peculiar duties of his command; in the execution of which, however rigorous and afflictive, he has been known on many occasions to exhibit proofs of a mind not destitute of feeling and generosity.

It is a melancholy truth, that the sanguinary and ferocious character of the war

fare, which has reflected lasting disgrace on the contending parties on the Continent of South America, also governs the proceedings of the hostile navies; the indiscriminate destruction of prisoners, is most generally accomplished by compelling the illfated captives, to pass through the ceremony, which is technically called Walking the Plank. For this purpose, a plank is made fast on the gang-way of the ship, with one end projecting some feet beyond the side; the wretched victims are then forced, in succession, to proceed along the fatal board, and precipitate themselves from its extremity into the ocean; whilst those who instinctively clinging to life hesitate prompt obedience to the brutal mandate, are soon compelled at the point of a spear to resign themselves to a watery grave, to avoid the aggravated cruelties of their inhuman conquerors.

The Independents, who (as has been before observed) impute the origin of this barbarous mode of warfare to the Royalists, resort for their justification in adopting a similar course of proceeding,to the necessity

of retaliation. How far this defence should be received, as a palliation of their conduct, I will leave others to determine; but although some may, perhaps, allow this argument, as applied to the Patriots themselves, to moderate the indignation and horror which such outrages against humanity and feeling must naturally excite; yet surely one undivided opinion must exist, of its being totally inapplicable to foreigners; who, although they may enter the Patriot service, warm with enthusiasm for their cause, confident in its justice, and zealous to promote its triumph, are still but volunteers, or auxiliaries, personally uninterested in the dispute, and strangers to the sufferings, embittered feelings, and reciprocal wrongs, which have tended mutually to exacerbate the hostility of the two parties.

Under such circumstances it may be asked, then, Can foreigners attach themselves even to the side of justice, without compromising every feeling of honour and humanity? The answer can scarcely be otherwise than in the negative; and this alone, without particularly enforcing the

impolicy of the speculation in various other respects, is, as I humbly conceive, conclusive. against British officers or British subjects identifying themselves with either of the parties engaged in the contest, which has so long ravaged and depopulated the fertile plains of the South American continent.

The occurrences at Saint Kitt's, during the interval between our agreement with Captain W and the departure of the Hornby, were totally destitute of either interest or importance. The difficulties with which the captain had to contend, occasioned a much longer delay in the West Indies than had been originally anticipated; but at length, on the 28th of April, having completed every arrangement, he in the afternoon came on board, and, to our infinite joy, gave orders to prepare for sailing.

The sails were soon unfurled, and I, for the first time, found myself attached to a handspike, going my revolutions round the capstan, assisting in weighing the anchor; but, however humble my situation, joy for my happy rescue predominated over every