this expedition; which they eftimate at 160,coo bushels.

But the number of fruit-trees which they found and deftroyed, with the fize and antiquity of their orchards, afford an object of much greater admiration; as thefe circumstances not only fhew that cultivation was not of a late date a mong thefe people, but tend likewife to overthrow that opinion fo generally received, that the Indians are incapable of looking to futurity in their conduct, and confequently totally improvident with refpect to pofterity. Perhaps other inftances of this nature, and in a ftill higher degree, may yet be found, in more remote or hidden parts of America; and perhaps it may be discovered, that man, in what is called his favage ftate, like beavers, and fome other animals, becomes more favage, carelefs, and improvident, in proportion as he finds that his views are broken, and his fecurity leffened, by the near approach of the civilized part of his own fpecies.

Sullivan informs us, that they cut down 1500 fruit-trees in one orchard; and takes notice in different places, without the fmalleft obfervation on the fact, that many of the trees carried the appearances of great age. Neither the paft enormities nor cruelties of the Indians, the policy of the motives, the juftice of the refentment, or even the fuppofed neceffity of the act, can prevent the pain arifing to a fenfible mind, from fuch a haveck and deftruction of the labours and hope of mankind; it is not impoffible, that the very improvidence imputed to the proprietors, renders the blight which thus fell upon the fruits of their poor induftry the more afflicting.

The work of defolation was completed within the prefcribed time, and no more; there not be ing a day to fpare. In that time, the Americans had deftroyed forty Indian towns; of which, Chinefee, the largest, contained 128 houfes; but the others, bore no proportion as to fize. It feems, by a paffage in Sullivan's letter, as if they had already began to caft a witful eye towards the cultivation of that fine, and, until now, unexplored country. Sullivan gained great public applaufe by this expedition, and received teftimonials of the fulleft approbation and warmeft affection from his officers and army; but he purchafed thefe gratifications at the expence of a ruined conftitution, which has fince reftrained him from all active service.

It happened about this feafon. that the baymen on the Mufquito and bay of Honduras fhores, (as the logwood cutters are called) being hard preffed, and in great danger from the Spaniards, the governor of Jamaica had dispatched Captain Dalrymple, (commandant of a new corps raised in Ireland for the fervice of that island) with a small force and fome arms, to their relief. Admiral Sir Peter Parker had alfo detached a small squadron, confifting of the Charon, Loweftoffe, and Pomona frigates, with the Race-Horfe fchooner, under the conduct of Captain Luttrell, of the Charon, as commodore, to the bay of Honduras, in order to intercept fome Spanish regifter fhips; which, however, efcaped into the excellent harbour, and under the protection of the ftrong fortrefs of St. Fernando de Omoa, where they were found too well fecured for {*0] z

any

any attack by fea, which the prefent finall fquadron was capable of making.

In the intermediate time, five or fix hundred Spaniards had arrived in fmall craft at St. George's key, the principal fettlement of the baymen on the coaft of Honduras, which they plundered, and befides otherwife treating the people with great barbarity, fent numbers of them, with their families, as prifoners, to Merida. It happened, however, that by various fortunate accidents, by the arrival of fuccours, by the fpirit of enterprize, which feems in a particular manner to animate thofe who have any concern on that coaft, and the exertions of feveral bold and active officers of the army and navy, that the invaders were not only driven with precipitation, and without perfecting their defign of defolation, from St. George's key; but that the scattered baymen being collected, thofe who were lately refugees, or in circumftances of imminent and immediate danger, not fatisfied with an efcape, afpired to adventure and conqueft.

For upon the expulfion of the Spaniards from the coaft, the commodore had the fortune to fall in at fea with the Porcupine floop of war, with Captain Dalrymple, and his detachment of the loyal Irish, under convoy. Nothing could have been more importune. The commanders immediately determined to unite their forces, in an attack by fea and land upon Omoa; a bold attempt with their force, but in which fuccefs held out a profpect of throwing the galleons (which were ftill under its Thelter) into their hands.

The fortrefs at Omoa fhould have been exceedingly ftrong, if

ftrength were always the confe quence of labour and expence. The Spaniards had for many years been employed in the construction of the works. The walls, (the tones of which were raifed in the fea, at above 20 leagues diftance) were about 28 feet high, furrounded by a deep dry ditch, and the parapets, of folid ftone, were 18 feet in thickness. It was, however, to be confidered only as a fort or castle for the defence of the harbour, the town itself being entirely open. Its batteries fhewed about 40 pieces of artillery; but it feems to have been deficient in that refpect, as well as in point of garrifon,

The land force of the affailants, by the junction of the baymen, along with the marines, which were entirely given by the commodore to that part of the fervice, fomewhat exceeded 500 men; the defenfive force, without including the runaway inhabitants, was much inferior in number.

not

In advancing to O. 16th. the fort, the English were fo much annoyed by the fire from the town, on their left flank, that after deliberating an hour, in order if poffible to refrain from the meafure, they found themfelves at length under a neceffity of fetting it on fire. The commander of the expedition confidering, that any thing like a regular fiege would be totally befide his purpofe; that fuch a measure, befides a train of heavy artillery, would require a very confiderable force, as well to withstand the danger from without, as to conduct the operations against the fort; and that his mall party would moulder faft away, under the incommodities of climate and

conftant

conftant fatigue, determined to place his cruft in a coup de main, and to attempt the place by efcalade.

Measures being accordingly concerted with the commodore, the Pomona was towed in pretty clofe to the fort during the night, and the heavier thips took their proper ftations, fo as to be able to commence the attack on their fide about three in the morning; giving a fignal twenty minutes before, which was to direct that from the land. In the mean time, 150 men, in four columns in line, and carrying the fcaling ladders, were moved down the hill, where they lay waiting for the fignal. That being given, they advanced in the fame filence, and with trailed arms, under the fire of their own batteries; which, with the heavy cannonade from the fhips, ferved to deafen, as well as to diftract the enemy; fo that they paffed undiscovered by the Spanish centries, to the very entrance of the ditch.

There they were difcovered, and the columns feemed for a moment to hefitate; but inftantly recovering, they advanced to fix their ladders to the wall, immediately under a battery of five guns. The first ladder was demolished by the flank guns of another bastion, and a midshipman of the Lowestoffe killed, and feveral wounded; the other ladders were damaged, but fortunately were not rendered ufelefs. Two feamen having mounted the wall, levelled their muskets, without firing, at a body of above fixty Spaniards, and fuch was the panic and confternation that prevailed, that they kept them for fome moments in awe, and even motionless, while their friends

The

were afcending the ladders. garrifon, notwithstanding all the efforts of their officers, fed on all fides. Above a hundred escaped over the wall on the oppofite fide; but the greatest part took fhelter in the cafemates. In thefe circumflances, the governor and principal officers, making no request but for their lives, prefented their fwords and keys to the commandant, with a furrender of the fort, garrifon, and ships.

The prifoners amounted to 355, rank and file, befides officers and inhabitants. The treasure had been removed from the caftle on the approach of the British forces; but that on board the galleons, with the cargoes of other veffels in the harbour, and the value of the fhips themfelves, were estimated at about three millions of piatters, or pieces of eight. But of all this, nothing was fo feverely felt, or fo real a lofs to the Spaniards, as that of 250 quintals of quickfilver, newly arrived from Old Spain; a commodity to effential to the purification, and to the feparation of their gold and filver ores from other bodies, that the value of their mines muft depend upon its conftant fupply. This, therefore, they offered to raniom at almost any price; but the conquerors, preferring the public good to their own private emolument, would not part upon any terms with an article, which, though of no great value to themselves, was of fuch immenfe confequence to the enemy. Upon the fame principle, they refufed to ranfom the caftle, for which high offers were likewife made, and left a garrifon for its defence; although their generous views were frustrated in this re

fpect by its fubfequent lofs; arifing more from the unhealthinefs of the place, than from any power or vigour exerted by the enemy in its recovery."

The conduct of the commanders and officers by fea and land on this fervice was in all its parts exemplary. Like a well regulated machine, nothing was inert or deficient. The naval captains, Pakenham, Nugent, and Parker, had opportunities of being diftinguifhed in various cafes of difficulty and danger; and Captain Carden, of the 60th, who acted as engineer, acquired no lefs credit in his department. But nothing afforded more praife, or redounded more to the honour of commanders, officers, and even private individuals, than the humanity and generofity with which they treated the vanquished. This will appear ftill the more truly laudable, when the recent caufes of irritation and refentment which they had met with are taken into the account.

A convention was concluded, between the British commanders on the one fide, and the Spanish governor and officers on the other, which went happily to the redemption of the poor baymen and their families, who had been lately conveyed to Merida, as well as other English, and fome Mofquito Indians, who had for a longer or horter time been in a state of imprifonment or flavery. The governor and garrifon were enlarged for the prefent, as prifoners of war upon parole; but bound to return, and furrender themselves at a given time, if the conditions were not complied with. As the averfion of the Spaniards to the

baymen is well known, it was thought neceffary to retain hostages on this occafion. And as a farther fecurity, the church-plate and religious ornaments, for which all ranfom had been refufed, was retained as a depofit, to be returned freely as a prefent along with the hostages, upon the due per, formance of the conditions.

The recital of any act of mere courage, however extraordinary, in a British feaman, would appear rather fuperfluous. The following inftance of magnanimity, however fingular, is in its circumftances fo truly characteristic of the peculiar manners, ideas, and generous valour, of that invaluable order of men, that we cannot reftrain our inclination of endeavouring to preferve it from oblivion. A common failor, who fcrambled fingly over the wall, had, for the better annoyance, on all fides, of the enemy, armed himself with a cutlafs in each hand. Thus equipped, he fell in with a Spanish officer, juft roufed from fleep, and who, in the hurry and confufion, had forgotten his fword. This circumftance reftrained the fury of the feman; who disdain, ing an unarmed foe, but unwilling to relinquish fo happy an opportunity of difplaying his courage in fingle combat, prefented one of the cutl.fles to him, telling him "he fcorned any advantage; you are now upon a footing with me." The aftonishment of the officer at fuch an act of generofity, and at the facility with which a friendly parley took place, when he expected nothing lefs, from the uncouth and hoftile appearance of his foe, than that of being cut inftantly, and without pity or mercy,

into pieces, could only be rivalled by the admiration, which his relating the ftory excited in his countrymen.

It feems remarkable, that Rear Admiral Hyde Parker, who fucceeded Admiral Byron in the command on the Leeward Ifland ftation, should not have received any certain intelligence of d'Estaing's departure with his fleet to the coatt of North America, until fo late as the 24th of October, when he discovered it by the capture of the Alcmena, a French frigate of war, That vigilant commander, well feconded by Rear Admiral Rowley, preferved fo decided a fuperiority over M. de la Motte Piquet, during the latter part of that year, and the beginning of the enfuing, that they not only feverely diftreffed the French trade, and took and deftroyed the greater part of a convoy within his view 2 Fort Royal; but that he had

himself, at one time, a narrow efcape from falling into their hands. It is likewife to be obferved, in honour to the French commander, that by fuddenly flipping his cables, putting out to fea with three fhips, and with great gallantry and dexterity engaging the foremolt of the British fleet, and again retiring under his batteriés, he thereby afforded an opportunity to a confiderable part of that convoy which we have mentioned to efcape. It was upon that occafion, that the brave Captain Griffith, of the Conqueror, in purfuing the enemy too clofe upon their batteries, was unfortunately killed. The British commanders had likewife the fortune to intercept, and after a chace of an extraordinary length, to take three large, heavy metalled French frigates, which were on their return from the Savannah to Martinique,