1809	Colonial Expeditions - South America	210

parts by an artificial river, or fossé about 30 feet wide, named Crique fouillée : and is bounded on the north by the sea, on the south by the river " de tour de l'île," on the east by the river Mahuy, and on the west by that of Cayenne.

All the Portuguese troops, with 80 seamen and marines from the Confiance, and a party of marines from the Voader and Infante, having been embarked on board the small vessels, the latter, on the 6th of January, early in the morning, dropped into the mouth of the river Mahuy. In the evening Captain Yeo, with 10 canoes, and about 250 men, proceeded to attack some forts that commanded the entrance of the river ; having left the vessels that had on board the remainder of the troops in charge of Captain Salgado of the Voader, with directions to follow after dark, and, on being apprized by signal that the two forts were carried, to enter the river and disembark the men with all possible despatch. On the 7th, at 3 a.m., Captain Yeo reached Pointe Mahuy, with five canoes ; the others, being heavy, could not keep up. The party then landed in a bay about half way between Fort Diamant and the battery named Dégras de Cannes ; but the surge was so high that all the boats soon went to pieces. Having ordered Major Joaquim Manoel Pinto, a detachment of Portuguese troops, to proceed to the left and take Dégras des Cannes, Captain Yeo, accompanied by Lieutenants William Howe Mulcaster and Samuel Blyth, and Lieutenant John Read of the marines, also Mr. Thomas Savory, the purser, William Taylor, the carpenter, George Forder and David Irwin, midshipmen, and a party of the Confiance's seamen and marines, marched to Fort Diamant. Both forts were promptly carried : the Diamant, mounting two long 24-pounders and one brass eight, with the loss of Lieutenant Read and one seaman and five marines badly wounded on captain Yeo's side, and the commandant and three soldiers killed and four wounded, out of 50 men, on the part of the French ; and the Dégras des Cannes, mounting two brass 8-pounders, without any loss to major Pinto, but with two men killed on the part of the enemy, whose number at the commencement of the attack was 40.

The entrance of the river being thus in possession of the allied forces, the signal agreed upon was made, and by noon the whole of the remaining troops were safely disembarked. Information now arrived that General Victor Hugues had quitted Cayenne-town at the head of 1000 troops, to endeavour to retake the captured forts. The force of the allies being too small to be divided, and the distance between the forts being great, and they 12 miles only from Cayenne, Captain Yeo resolved to dismantle Fort Diamant, and collect his whole force at Dégras des Cannes. Leaving Lieutenant Mulcaster, with a party of the Confiance's men to do the needful at the Diamant, Captain Yeo, with the remaining troops and seamen, proceeded to Dégras des Cannes. On arriving here, Captain Yeo perceived

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