this species of amusement enabled Lieutenant-colonel Drummond, commanding at Fleur-d'Epée, to assemble within the fort 310 officers and men, consisting of 180 French royalists, and 130 of the 43d regiment and Royal Irish artillery. The enemy's force being estimated at no more than 300 men, and they fatigued with their voyage and subsequent excesses, Colonel Drummond assented to the repeated solicitations of the royalists to be permitted to attack them.

Accordingly, at 8 p.m., 180 royalists, with Captain M'Dowall of the 43d at their head, marched from the fort on this service. While proceeding along the road leading to Gosier, a few shots were fired, probably from a piquet of the enemy : instantly the most shameful panic prevailed throughout the royalist party. A general discharge of musketry took place. Many of the men threw away their arms and deserted ; and about 30 returned to the fort with Captain M'Dowall. Three of the royalists were killed, and four wounded on this unfortunate occasion.

On the 6th, at 1 a.m., the republicans, amounting, as was supposed, to between 1200 and 1500 men, commenced their march against the fort of Fleur-d'Epée, now garrisoned with about 160 men. These made a resolute defence, but, being at length overpowered, were obliged to retreat, with the loss of one lieutenant, one ensign, four sergeants, and 48 rank and file missing, including several killed and wounded. Finding, on his arrival at the next post, Fort Saint-Louis, that he could muster only 40 men, Colonel Drummond collected the detachment (33 in number) that was at Fort Government, and embarked at Petit-Canal, in two boats, for Grande-terre ; which place, on the morning of the 10th, the colonel and his men reached in safety. Besides the missing at Fort Fleur-d'Epée, (some of whom had since escaped and joined the colonel), there were left sick at Pointe-à-Pitre, one captain, one ensign, seven sergeants, and 94 rank and file.

On the 5th, early in the morning, the arrival of the French squadron became known to the British admiral, who, with the Boyne, Veteran, Winchelsea, and Nautilus, was then at the island of St.-Christopher ; and who did not lose a moment in forwarding reinforcements. On the same afternoon Sir John Jervis, with the Boyne, having on board Sir Charles Grey, and Veteran, made sail for Guadeloupe, having previously despatched the Winchelsea to Antigua, and the Nautilus to Martinique, to collect troops.

On the 7th, in the afternoon, the admiral and general arrived off Guadeloupe, and were there joined by commodore Thompson's two 74s, the Vanguard and Vengeance : the first, commanded by Captain Charles Sawyer, had recently joined, in lieu of the Irresistible, sent down to Jamaica, and now bore the commodore's pendant. Sir Charles Grey immediately landed