1803. sions, that not a Frenchman was hurt after possesJune. sion of the place had been obtained.

Toba

go.

Deme

Esse

On the third day after effecting this capture, the Centaur, accompanied by some smaller vessels containing a division of the troops, sailed from SainteLucie to attack Tobago. On the 31st the expedition arrived off the island, and on the same day the troops, covered by a heavy fire from the ships of war, landed without loss. So rapid and so decisive were the movements of the British, that in the evening general Berthier commanding at FortScarborough proposed a capitulation; which, by half past four the following morning, was acceded to, and the island of Tobago again became a colony of Great-Britain.

Previously to the end of September the dutch rara, colonies of Demerara, Essequibo, and Berbice, had quibo, also changed masters, with equal facility, and Br. happily without bloodshed. In the river Demerara bice. was captured the batavian 14-gun corvette Hippo

and

Ber

St.-Do

menes.

About the middle of June, which was almost immedimingo ately after the intelligence of the recommencement of hostilities reached the island of Jamaica, a squadron of ships sailed from Port-Royal, to cruise in the neighbourhood of St.-Domingo, and cooperate with the black insurgents in freeing the island of the small remnant of French whom the scurvy and the yellow fever had yet spared, and who still retained possession of the line of posts on the sea-coast. Hitherto their ships had enabled the French to hold and provision these; but the british ships soon drove away or captured the former, and effectually shut up the ports against all succours and supplies from Europe or elsewhere.

By the end of October the only ports remaining in the hands of the French, in what was formerly the french part of the island of Saint-Domingo, were Cape-François and the mole of St.-Nicolas. the latter port general Noailles commanded, and at

At

the former general Rochambeau. Cape-François, 1803. besides being blockaded at sea by the British, was Nov. invested on land by the insurgents; and the french garrison had the additional misfortune of being reduced to a state bordering on famine.

ation of

çois.

Thus situated, general Rochambeau, on the 17th of November, proposed to commodore John Loring, the commanding officer of the british blockading force, to evacuate the Cape, provided he and his garrison were suffered to go to France on board one or more Evacu of the ships of war in port. Such terms were of Capecourse rejected. The general then concluded a Frantreaty with Dessalines, by which, in 10 days from the 20th of November, he was to evacuate the Cape and its dependencies, and to be allowed, himself, his troops, and their baggage, to retire on board the french ships lying in the harbour. By the fifth day general Rochambeau had embarked his garrison, and hoped to escape the english squadron; but the latter was too vigilant to afford the former even an opportunity of making the attempt. On the 30th, the day on which the truce expired, the negroes hoisted their colours upon all the forts, and began to prepare for sinking the french ships with red-hot shot, should they any longer delay their departure. To know the reason of this delay, captain Loring had sent in captain Bligh with a flag of truce; when, at a meeting between him and captain Barré, the french naval commanding officer, a rough sketch of a capitulation was drawn up and signed, and general Dessalines was induced to allow the french ships, with colours hoisted, to sail out of the harbour. They were then, after firing each a broadside in return to a shot discharged athwart their bows by one of the british ships, to haul down the french colours and surrender.

The 40-gun frigate Surveillante, accompanied by some smaller vessels, came out in this manner, and was taken possession of by the British; but the

Cap

Sur

veil

1803. Clorinde, another 40-gun frigate, in her way out, Nov. grounded upon the rocks under Fort St.-Joseph at the entrance of the harbour, and beat off her rudder. The ture of frigate, in short, was in so desperate a situation, that the british boats, which had been detached to assist lante. the french ships in getting out of the mole, were returning to the squadron, upon a supposition that no efforts of theirs could save the Clorinde. The ship, which was thus abandoned to her fate, had on board, besides a small crew of from 150 to 200 men, general Lapoype and 700 french troops, together with several of the officers' wives, their women-servants, and children; in all full 900 souls.

Lieu

Wil

Among the boats of the squadron, employed upon the tenant service just mentioned, was the launch of the Hercule, lough- manned with from 30 to 40 hands, under the command by and of acting-lieutenant Nisbet Josiah Willoughby. From rinde. slow-pulling, or from some other unexplained cause,

the Clo

retarded in her progress, the launch was among the rearmost of those boats. Anxious to rescue so many persons, as were evidently on board the Clorinde, from the certain death that awaitedthem, either by perishing in the ship, or by being massacred, as was the execrable practice, on the shore; feeling it to be almost a stigma upon the character of the british navy not to make an effort to save human beings, political enemies especially, so critically circumstanced, lieutenant Willoughby took upon himself the whole responsibility, and put back with his launch towards the grounded ship.

Finding, as he approached the Clorinde, that her side was crowded with men ready to spring into the first boat which came alongside, and knowing that his people, as well as those who entered the launch from the ship, would fall an immediate sacrifice, the lieutenant searched for, and with difficulty procured, a small punt. In this he embarked, directing the launch to lay off, and was soon on board the frigate; which he found heeling much and beating heavily,

Despairing now of saving the ship, lieutenant Wil- 1803. loughby yet resolved to put in practice every resource Nov. to save her numerous crew. As the most feasible plan which suggested itself, the lieutenant represented to general Lapoype that, as by the terms of the capitulation the french vessels of war were to haul down their colours when outside the harbour, it would not be a greater sacrifice of national honour, considering the situation of the Clorinde, if he did so immediately, and gave the frigate up to him. Lieutenant Willoughby would then, he said, hoist english colours, wait upon general Dessalines, and demand, not only that the british flag should be respected, but that, if assistance could not be procured from the shore, and the Clorinde should be lost in the night then fast approaching, the crew and passengers should be considered as prisoners to the British, and be protected until the commanding officer of the squadron had it in his power to send for them.

ture of

General Lapoype readily assenting to the terms Capproposed, the french flag was hauled down, and re- the Cloplaced by the british flag; and lieutenant Willoughby rinde. immediately hailed the haytian officer in command of Fort St.-Joseph, and expressed a wish to wait upon general Dessalines. Permission was granted, and lieutenant Willoughby, after experiencing some difficulty in landing, obtained an interview with the haytian general; who not only received the british lieutenant with great urbanity, but promised all that he requested. With the assistance thus obtained, and that of two or three more boats which had just joined from the squadron, and favoured by a sudden fall in the wind, lieutenant Willoughby succeeded in heaving the Clorinde off the rocks. Thus, "to the uncommon exertions and professional abilities," as rear-admiral Duckworth happily expresses it, of acting-lieutenant Willoughby, was owing the preservation of more than 900 people's lives, and the acquisition to the british navy of a frigate which, along with her late consort, the Surveillante, continued, for many years

1803. afterwards, to be one of the finest ships of the Dec. 38-gun class.

Evacu

Having now no french force to blockade at Capeation François, commodore Loring bore up for the mole of of Cape Saint-Nicolas, to treat with M. Noailles, the french

Nico

las

Mole.

general in command there. On the 2d of December a proposition to that effect was made; but the general declined acceding to the terms, alleging that he had provisions for five months, and would not surrender until the last extremity. The Bellerophon and squadron then proceeded with the prizes and prisoners to Jamaica. On the very night on which the blockade of the Mole was raised, general Noailles, having previously made his arrangements, sailed out of the port, with his garrison contained in seven small vessels, and arrived in safety at the island of Cuba. Among the french "Victoires et Conquêtes," recorded in a work bearing that title, is an extraordinary one performed by M. Noailles on his short voyage to Cuba. It seems that "une corvette anglaise," crossed the path of his brig, (on what day or night is not stated,) and hailed her, to know if general Noailles was on board. The french brig concealed her numerous crew, and, hoisting english colours, declared that she also had been sent to intercept the general and his garrison. The two vessels then steered in company; and, in the night, general Noailles, at the head of 30 grenadiers, leaped on board of, and after a short resistance carried, the "corvette anglaise." The conqueror proceeded with his prize to Havana, and died shortly afterwards of the wounds he had received in the action. Notwithstanding

the grave manner in which this story is told, the british navy lost no "corvette," or even 4-gun schooner, by capture in these seas, in the year 1803.

Thus, by the departure of the last european garrison from the french part of the island of Saint-Domingo, were the negroes, after a long and sanguinary struggle, freed from their invaders. A part of the latter had previously escaped to the spanish