detachment of one hundred and fifty men, out of the Antigua regi ment, was sent under the command of Major Gunthorpe, to gain and secure a pass, which was thought to be possessed by the enemy, lying in the way to the English fort; but, when they came, they found it quitted.

Monday, the twenty-third, we continued all day in the town; and in the evening the country was in flames all round, being fired by the English negroes who came from the mountains, where they had lain since their masters the English were beaten off the island.

On Tuesday, the twenty-fourth, we began our march towards the fort, and that night incamped about three miles from it, having the like fortune of rainy weather, without any means to avoid it. This day the frigates weighed from Basterre, and fell down to Old Road, where they came again to an anchor.

Wednesday, the twenty-fifth, we continued our camp at Old Road, and the wheelbarrows, shovels, pickaxes, &c. were brought on shore.

On Thursday morning, the twenty-sixth, we marched within a mile of the fort, and incamped under the covert of a high hill, a detachment out of Colonel Earl's regiment being sent under the command of Captain William Butler, to secure the top of it.

On Friday, the twenty-seventh, the Mary's two chace-guns, six pounders, were brought on shore, in order to be drawn up to the top of the hill, and the marine regiment under the command of Colonel Kirkby, commander of the Success. Colonel Kegwin, being dead of his wound he received in landing, was employed in cutting and clearing a path for the drawing them up.

On Saturday and Sunday, the twenty-eighth and twenty-ninth, the marine regiment so vigorously pursued their business, that they had drawn the guns to the top of the hill, and planted them upon a platform they had laid for them, with baskets of earth thrown up for a covering from the enemies shot, it lying open to the fort.

On Monday morning, the thirtieth, powder, shot, &c. being car ried up, they began to play upon the fort, the very first shot doing execution, and the frigates also, weighing from Old Road, stood down to the fort, and battered against it; the whole army at the same time marching into a deep and wide ditch, between the hill and the fort, within musket-shot of it. In the afternoon, the frigates stood up again to Old Road, but the guns from the hill kept playing incessantly till night, at which time we began our intrenchments, running, from the ditch where we lay incamped, a trench, with a half-moon at the end, capable of holding four-hundred men.

On Tuesday the first of July, one of the Nevis regiments and part of the Antigua regiment, were sent under the command of Colonel Charles Pym, to take a small fort of the enemies about three miles distant from the camp, which they successfully surprised, taking about fifty prisoners in it.

This evening, lieutenant-general Holt having given orders to the out-centries that were placed towards the fort, to fire, without chal lenging, at any who should come that way; himself afterwards, rid

ing by them in the twilight to view the works, was shot into the body, by one Gibbons, an Irishman, who was one of the centries. He returned to the camp and languished long of it with little hopes of recovery; Gibbons was afterwards tried by a court-martial, but after a full hearing acquitted.

On Wednesday, the second, those guns on the hill proving so serviceable, there were four more of a larger size drawn up; but, one of them splitting at the first time of firing, and the rest being incommodiously planted, they were no more made use of. This day four companies of the enemy marched out of the fort, and drew up before the gate, but in a quarter of an hour they marched in again. The half-moon being now finished, we run another trench about a quarter of a mile below it, able to contain the like number of men; and, at the like distance below that, we began another, wide enough to draw the carriages of the great guns through.

The third, fourth, fifth, and sixth days, we continued in the day. time quiet in our trenches, in the night running on with our works; the enemy firing day and night upon us with great guns and small arms, but doing us little damage; but the guns on the hill galled them exceedingly, leaving no corner of the fort unsearched.

Some hundreds of the enemy being out in the mountains, headed by one Monsieur Pinelle, parties were sent daily abroad, commanded by the officers in their turns, to scour them out; and on Monday, the seventh, the major-general, his wound being well healed, went himself at the head of two-hundred men, upon the same design; but could not meet with the enemy to engage them, they lurking sometimes in one place, and sometimes in another.

On Wednesday, the ninth, he returned to the camp, with some prisoners, many negroes, and great store of cattle. After the major. general's return, proclamation being made, by beat of drum, in several places of the island, by the command of the captain-general, that all,. which would come in within three days, should receive his pro. tection, to secure their persons from the outrages of the soldiers; several families surrendered themselves, to many of which was also granted liberty to return to their houses, and keep some small stock till farther orders.

Monsieur Pinelle, also, sent in a flag of truce from the moun. tains, to acquaint the captain-general, that he could not come in without leave from the governor; but, however, he assured him, he would remain quiet, and give free passage to any of our men he should meet with.

The tenth and eleventh, we continued in our trenches, we which had now run within pistol-shot of the fort.

Over-against the gate we had an half-moon, on which we planted several colours. On the left hand of the half-moon was a battery raised for six great guns, two eighteen pounders, and four twelve pounders; but, before they were mounted, on Saturday, the twelfth, about one in the afternoon, the drums beat a parley in the fort, and four persons marched out with a flag of truce. They were met in the pasture between our trench and the fort, by Major Legard, and

by him conducted to the captain-general; and, after some treaty, hostages were given on both sides, one of the majors continuing with us, and Lieutenant-colonel Nott was sent to them; Captain Hamilton also going with him as an interpreter. But, notwithstanding the treaty, the captain-general continued his works, joining our trench to the enemies trench, through which they used to come from the fort to the well; our centries were placed under the walls, and at the gate of the fort, and that evening our guns were also mounted upon the battery.

About twelve of the clock in the night, there was a canoe let over the fort-walls, it being situated by the sea-side, which run on board a sloop that came close in with the shore, under the covert of the dark night; our men let fly a whole volley upon them, which made them hasten away. Captain Hamilton came to the centry at the fort-gate, and ordered him to acquaint the major-general, that there was a ship seen off; upon which this relator was dispatched away to Old Road, to give Admiral Wright notice of it, but, in the interim, a brigantine was sent in pursuit of the sloop; the admiral immediately ordered two frigates to weigh, and put out in search of the said ship and sloop; which they did, and the next day, the thirteenth, returned without seeing any vessels.

During the whole action upon this island there were two frigates that cruised about, to take any French vessels which might arrive there, either by design or chance, but they met with none.

On Monday, the fourteenth, the fort was surrendered to the captain-general, upon the same articles that it was before delivered up to the French. After the enemy marched out, and the English flag was put up, the king's and queen's healths were drank, and the great guns three times fired, three vollies being also made by the whole army. The fort was quadrangular, consisting of four flankers with a curtain between each; on each flanker were mounted five guns; the walls were of stone, about twenty feet high, surrounded with a deep ditch twelve feet wide, over which was a narrow wooden bridge. In the middle of the fort were two mounts thrown up for batteries; there was also a well, but, upon firing the guns, the water would instantly dry away. There was store of provision, liquors, and powder, but they wanted shot.

In retaking this island, we had about an hundred men killed and wounded; the island in general is very strong, there being several small fortifications and breast-works all around, except where it is naturally fortified with hills or shoals. The inhabitants were about eighteen-hundred men, besides women and children, and negroes, all which, except the negroes, which were to be divided as plunder, were transported to the island of Hispaniola; only some particular persons had the favour granted them to be carried up to Martinico.

After a week's refreshment, the major-general, on Sunday, the twentieth of the said month of July, embarked with his own re. giment in the sloops, and the marine regiment on board the frigates, and set sail for the island of St. Eustace; and the same evening, lying

VOL. IX.

M m

before the said island, he sent Captain Hamilton on shore, with a flag of truce, to summon the island to surrender, who returned with an answer from the governor, that he would defend it to the utmost.

The next morning, the twenty-first, the frigates began to batter against the fort, and the major.general landed at the same time with his men under a high cliff, which they ascended; being got up, they had not marched far, before they perceived some Dutch colours in the woods; upon which a party was sent to discover them, who returned with an account, that it was Colonel Scorer, the governor of the island for the Dutch, when the French took it, with one-hundred men under his command, who came from Saba, and landed there three days before; but, not having strength enough to take the fort, into which the inhabitants were fled, he designed to get what plunder he could, and so go off again. He refused to join with the major-gene. ral, because he was first landed, and so accordingly went off the next day. The major-general proceeded in his march towards the fort, and incamped within musquet-shot from it, under the rising of a small hill.

The next day the marine regiment landed, and, the shovels, pickaxes, &c. being brought on shore, they began their intrenchments, running their trench along by the fort, within musquet-shot from it.

After five days siege, the enemy sent out a flag of truce, with articles; but they were so high in their demands, that the major-gene. ral refused them, and returned an answer, if they did not descend to more reasonable terms, within three days, he would grant them no quarter. Within the prescribed time, they came out again with a flag of truce, and surrendered themselves and their fort upon quarter for life, and to march out with their baggage. Their fort contained sixteen great guns; it was surrounded with double rows of stakes, the intervals filled with earth, and without that strong palisadoes, and on the outside of them a deep ditch, over which was a narrow bridge leading into the gate, admitting but one at a time; the besieged were about sixty men, the women and children being sent off some time be. fore; they had a well for water, and about twenty barrels of flour, some salt fish and pork, and a small quantity of ammunition; they behaved themselves very briskly, during the siege, especially the governor, who was very active in firing the great guns, &c.

In taking this island, we had not above eight men killed and wounded. The major-general, leaving one company upon the island, under the command of Lieutenant John Mac-Arthur, returned to St. Christopher's with the whole fleet, carrying the inhabitants prisoners thither, and afterwards transporting them to Hispaniola. Lieutenant Pilkinton was afterwards sent down with a company out of the Duke of Bolton's regiment, to relieve Lieutenant Mac-Arthur, and he still continues there, for the defence of the said island.

The inhabitants of the island of St. Bartholomew's who were brought up prisoners from thence to Nevis, being sent down to St. Christopher's, before that island was retaken, there met with their wives and families; and, after that island was retaken, they were de sirous to live under an English government; upon which the captain.

general gave them liberty to return to their island, transporting them thither, and granting a commission to one Captain Le Grand, a former inhabitant among them, to be their governor, and to keep and defend the island in the name and behalf of their majesties, King William and Queen Mary, under which government it still continues.

In the latter end of October, this relator's concerns calling him home to England, he left the Caribbee islands; the captain-general having then issued out orders for the mustering their majesties forces, and getting them in a readiness to embark upon a farther expedition, against Guadalupe, and other French islands, leaving a garison upon St. Christopher's under the command of Lieutenant-colonel Nott.

Thus you have a brief and plain relation of the success of the English arms in the Caribbee islands, and it may reasonably be concluded, that, as the English affairs there have hitherto been happily prosperous, so, being under the management and conduct of such prudent and active generals, and promoted by the forwardness of the soldiery, but principally by a divine blessing attending upon their endeavours, they will soon put a successful period to those troublesome wars, and root the French interest out of that part of the world.

A

LATE VOYAGE TO HOLLAND,

WITH

BRIEF RELATIONS OF THE TRANSACTIONS AT
THE HAGUE;

ALSO REMARKS ON THE MANNERS AND CUSTOMS, NATURE,
AND COMICAL HUMOURS OF THE PEOPLE;

THEIR RELIGION, GOVERNMENT, HABITATIONS, WAY OF LIVING, AND MANNER OF TREATING STRANGERS, ESPECIALLY THE ENGLISH. Written by an ENGLISH GENTLEMAN attending the Court of the KING of GREAT BRITAIN.

[Printed in 1691. Duodecimo, containing forty pages.]

The Contents or Table of General Matters.

The Accidents that fell out in our Voyage, with a more particular respect to his Majesty; also of his Treatment and Reception at the Hague, &c. Sect. II. Containing a Description of the Hague, and the King's Palaces, with the Nature, Humours, and Treatment of the Inhabitants. Sect. III. Some further Relations on the Af fairs and Transactions at the Hague, with respect to his Majesty,