provisional government, a captain of artillery, and a lieutenant of the Batavian navy, to treat for the surrender of the colony, which was done, and the articles of capitulation signed; but as the commander of the Batavian troops would not sanction the surrender, without consulting the officers under his command, it was agreed that the Netly schooner, with the smallest of the transports, should pass over the bar, there anchor, and wait till the flag of truce returned from the fort with the commandant's answer; which not arriving as soon as was expected, the Netly and the transports got under way, and were proceeding to pass the forts, when the flag of truce returned, with a captain of artillery, to signify the commandant's approval of the terms, but requesting the British troops might not land until this day, which was complied with, and they remained on board the vessels, at anchor off the town, until noon this day, when the troops landed and took possession of the forts, &c. of the Batavian garrison, consisting of upwards of 600 men, who were made prisoners. The steady and active co-operation of capt. Bland, and the officers, seamen, and marines, employed on this service, demand my warmest acknowledgments; and it is my duty to report to you how much I am satisfied with the zeal and active exertions of lieut. col. M'Creagh, of the 7th West India regiment, and all the officers and every individual of all the corps employed on this service. I am engaged in preparing the returns of ordnance and stores of every description found in the enemy's forts and magazines, which I shall have the honour of presenting to you on my return to Demarara, which I expect will be in three days from this date. Herewith I inclose a copy of the summons and articles of capitulation, and have the honour to remain, &c. (Signed) R. Nicholson, Lient. col. 1st battalion of Royals. Return of prisoners of war who surrendered at Demarara and Essequibo, on the 20th September:-} lieutenant-colonel, 1 major, 10 captains, 26 lieutenants, 1 adjutant, 1 quarter-master, 1 serjeant-major, 3 surgeons, 5 assistant-surgeons, 174 serjeants and corporals, 1 armourer, 27 trumpeters and drum. mers, 685 privates. Surrendered in the colony of Ber. bice on the 25th September:-1 lieutenant-colonel, 4 captains, 10 lieutenants, 6 second lieutenants, 1 quarter-master, 1 surgeon, 1 assistant-surgeon, 1 cadet, 26 serjeants and corporals, 10 trumpeters and drummers, 563 privates. Total. 2 lieutenant-colonels, 1 major, 14 captains, 36 lieutenants, 6 second lieutenants, 1 adjutant, 2 quarter-masters, 1 serjeant-major, 4 surgeons, 6 assistant-surgeons, 1 cadet, 200 serjeants and corporals, 1 armourer, 37 trumpeters and drummers, 1248 pri vates. Dispatches from commodore Hood, of the same date, contain a spirited eulogium on the bravery of, and good understanding between, the land and sea forces: they also contain a letter from capt. L. O. Bland, of the Heareux, who landed the marines to second the efforts of the military. He observes, "the garrison did not join in the capitulation till we arrived with the British land and sea forces nearly within gun-shot of their works. Seeing we were determined, a boat was hurried off to inform us they would surrender if we would wait till next day; which was agreed, on our being allowed to go into the harbour that night, and take possession of the shipping." Return of shipping found in the river Demarara :-Hippomenes Batavian corvette, pierced for 18 guns; Sophia, a ship claimed as English property; Rotterdam, ditto; Diana, ditto; Elbe, detained by the Dutch before our arrival, under British colours; Nile, ditto; Admiral Kingsbergen; Aurora; Leesfield; Maria; Wilhelmina, ditto; Boodes Welfeeren, and Wilhelmina, Dutch merchant ships. At Berbice.-Serpent national schooner, and five merchant vessels. Total 19. Extract of a Letter from Rear-Admirul Sir J. T. Duckworth, K. B. Shark, Port Royal, Jamaica, Sept. 29. Understanding from gen. Dessalines, that it was his intention to summon the town of St. Marc immediately, which was reduced to the last extremity, I was strongly induced to urge him not to put the garrison to death, which he consented to and I stipulated with him, that, if they surrendered, he should march them round to the Mole in safety, and that I should appear off the Bay, and take possession of the shipping, one of which I knew to be a ship of war. weigh at 1 A. M. At day-light we chased a man of war brig off St. Marc, but the wind being light and partial, she got into that place. In the afternoon we perceived a flag of truce coming out, but a heavy squall of wind and rain obliged them to return. The following morning they came on board, and brought a letter from Gen. D'Henin, which I answered by making several distinct propositions, and sent them in the ship's boat as a flag of truce, with an officer, and Mr. Cathcart had the goodness to take charge of them: about 5 o'clock the same day the general himself came on board in the boat, and we agreed to a convention: the next day and part of the night we were busily employed in effecting the embarkation of the garrison, &c. and the whole being completed, gen. D'Henin and his staff came on board the Vanguard at 3 o'clock in the morning of the 4th, and we made sail out of the bay. The situation of this garrison was the most deplorable it is possible to imagine; they were literally reduced to nothing, and long subsisted on horse-flesh. I forgot to mention, that on the first we captured the same schooner we had taken on the 26th past, with 25 barrels of flour going to St. Marc, which I took out; and transferring her people, with 15 soldiers she had on board, to a small sloop we took at the same time, sent her away, and kept the schooner, as she might be eventually useful to us; and she is the vessel I have made over to gen. Vanguard, off Cape Nicola Mole, D'Henin. The vessels delivered to Sir, Sept. 9. I received gen. Dessalines' dispatches about 8 o'clock at night of the 31st of October, and got under us consist of the Papillon corvette, pierced for 12 guns, but only mounting 6, having 52 men on board, commanded by monsieur Dubourg, lieutenant de vaisseau; the brig Les = e to place the ship withia act-shot of Fort Labouque, si sated at the entrance of the harpar, our fire was so well directed. at it was impossible for the gas the battery to be pointed with precision, the colours of which were struck in less than half an hour. Another fort in the harbour, and the ship, being the next objects of our attention, the Theseus enter. ed the port, with the assistance of the boats; and, having fired a few shot at the ship of war, she hauled ave her colours down, and proved to be ve La Sagesse, mounting 20 eightpounders on the main-deck, and 8 ze buspi- four-pounders on the quarter-deck and forecastle, commanded by lieut. a. Waker. J. B. Baruesche, and having only 75 men on board. The commandant, conceiving the place no longer Amiral tenable after the loss of the ship, and being under some apprehensions of Lamont, St. Do- being exposed to the rage of the blacks, whom he considered as a merciless enemy, claimed British protection, and surrendered the fort and garrison at discretion.— Having spiked the guns and destroyed the ammunition, the garrison and inhabitants, many of whom were sickly, were embarked, and landed under a flag of truce at Cape François. Being informed, by the pri soners, that their gen. Dumont and his suite had lately fallen into the hands of the blacks, and that they were in the most imminent danger, I was induced, from motives of humanity, to solicit their freedom from the chief of those people; and I had the satisfaction of having my request immediately complied with : they accompanied the rest of the prisoners into Cape François. I am, &c. est xtreme dificulty mal vessels from pe Francois, with anie ports on sary of the island, in per a thor finding a safe e nursaït under the *ape Daupain, and consure to be of the utmost une enemy, I deemed o make some efforts for sou a se piace, and the 4 a sup at anchor there. es-breeze, this euered it impossible for gales to leave their proceeded to Mancher Cag the Hercule and i on meir station. The san Ang suficiently deep to al. John Bligh Letter Letter from Admiral Duckworth, detailing the Particulars of a Negotiation with General Rochambeau, for the Surrender of the French Force in St. Domingo. Dated Sloop Shark, Port Royal, November 30. Sir, I transmit you inclosures, for the information of the lords commissioners of the admiraity, stating an attempt at capitulation made by gen. Rochambeau on the 19th instant, from which I hope the period is not far distant, when it will be brought to a proper issue for the whole of St. Domingo. J. T. Duckworth. [TRANSLATION.] ARMY OF ST. DOMINGO. Head-quarters at the Cape, 27th Brumaire, 12th Year of the French Republic. The General in Chief to Commodore Loring, commanding the Naval Forces of his Britannic Majesty, before the Cape, &c. Sir, In order to prevent the effusion of blood, and to preserve the scat tered remnant of the army of St. Domingo, I have the honour to send to you two officers, charged with instructions from me to enter into an accommodation with you. The ges neral of brigade, Boyer, chief of the staff, and captain Barré, are charged to transmit my letter to you; and they are also the officers whom I have chosen to treat with you. I have the honour to be, &c. D. Rochambeau. Copy of the Propositions made by the General Rochambeau, to eva cuate Cape François, St. Domingo. 4 I. The general Rochambeau proposes to evacuate the Cape; himself and his guards, consisting of about 4 or 500 men, to be conveyed to France without being considered prisoners of war.-Not granted. II. The Serveillant and Cerf to be allowed to carry him and suite to France.-Not granted. (Signed) John Loring. Bellerophon, off Cape François, November 19. Sir, I have to acquaint you, on the subject communicated to me by ge. neral Boyer and commodore Barré, of your desire to negotiate for the surrender of Cape François to his Britannic majesty, that I send for the purpose, and to know your final determination, capt. Moss, of his majesty's ship Le Desirée, in order to agree with your wishes, insomuch as is consistent with the just rights of his Britannic majesty on that point. I have also to inform you, my instructions confine me to the French officers and troops in health being sent to Jamaica, and the sick to go to France or America, the transports to convey them being first valued, and security given by the commander in chief, for the due payment of the valuation by the French republic. The white inhabitants of the Cape will not be permitted to go to Jamaica. Such are the parts of my instructions, with which I am bound to comply in any agreement for the surrender of Cape François. I have the honour to be, &c. (Signed) J. Loring. Gen. Rochambeau, Commander in Chief. [TRANSLATION.] [TRANSLATION.] COLONY OF ST. DOMINGO. Head-quarters at the Cape, 28th Brumaire, An. 12. The General in Chief of the Army of St. Domingo, Captain General of the said Colony, Commander of the French West India Islands, &c. &c. &c. to Commodore Loring, Commander of the Naval Forces of his Britannic Majesty, before the Cape, &c. Sir, I have received the letter which you have done me the honour to address to me. As your propositions are inadmissible, I request you will consider my preceding letter as amounting to nothing. I have the honour to be, Sir, Sir. Having, in my letter No. 3, by this conveyance, stated to you, for the information of my lords commissioners of the admiralty, that gen. Rochambeau had made proposals for capitulating, which, though inadmissible, I thought soon must lead to others more reasonable ; the event has justified my opinion; but I am sorry to say, that officer, whose actions are too extraordinary to account for, had, on the 19th ultimo, (previous to his proposals to captain Loring, through the general of brigade, Boyer, and commodore Barré) actually entered into a capitulation with the black general Dessalines, to deliver up the Cape to him, with all the ordnance, ammunition, and stores, on the 30th: I conclude, flattering himself that the tremendous weather, which our squadron was then and had been experiencing for three weeks, would offer an opening for an escape, but the perseverance and watchfulness thereof precluded him from even attempting it. On the 30th, the colours of the blacks were displayed at the forts, which induced capt. Loring to dispatch capt. Bligh, to know gen. Dessalines' sentiments respecting gen. Rochambeau and his troops; when, on his entering the harbour, he met commodore Barré, who pressed him, in strong terms, to go on board the Surveillante, and enter into some capitulation, which would put them under our protection, and prevent the blacks from sinking them with red-hot shot, as they had threatened, and were preparing to do; which capt. Bligh complied with, when they hastily brought him a few articles they had drawn up, which he (after objecting to some particular parts, that they agreed should be altered, to carry his interpretation on their arrival at Jamaica) signed, and hastened to acquaint gen. Dessalines, that all the ships and vessels in port had surrendered to his majesty's arms; and with great dithculty he obtained the promise to desist from firing, till a wind offered for carrying them out (it then blowing hard directly into the harbour); this promise he at length obtained, and the first instant the land-breeze enabled them to sail out under French colours, which, upon a shot being fired athwart them, the vessels of war fired their broadsides, and hauled down their colours, except the Clorinde, a large frigate of SS guns, who unluckily took the ground abalt, and was forced to throw most of her guns overboard, and knocked her rudder oil, when there was great apprehension for her safety; and I am |