Journal of Occurrences at Dominica. Royal, that they had only 5000 troops on board, and that they threatened Dominica, St. Lucia, and Trinidad: the latter we thought it probable would be their point of attack, in compliment to the Spaniards: when we heard they had only such a small number of troops, we were quite confident of bidding them defiance in our strong hold, and we understood St. Lucia was in an equal state of preparation as ourselves, and equally confident of repelling the enemy. On the 1st of June we received intelligence of their having attacked the Diamond Rock, and that it was feared it had surrendered, as English colours were no longer seen flying. On this day, Major Payne, of the 46th regiment, arrived from Barbadoes, and took the command of the regiment, Captain James*, whom he superceded in the command, was sent up to Roseau to take charge of the regulars and militia doing duty there. On the 4th, being His Majesty's birth day, the General entertained the whole of the officers in garrison. The troops had been all drawn out at twelve o'clock, and fired a royal salute from their alarm posts, which had a very fine effect. This day passed on very quietly, but on the following day, about twelve o'clock, signals from Roseau announced the approach of the enemy's fleet; every countenance now brightened, we imagined the eventful period had arrived when we should again have to encounter the enemy on more equal terms. At three o'clock, when the officers were assembling at the mess-room, a large ship was seen over the low land at Point Round, which by our glasses we soon discovered to be a French frigate; she soon after shortened sail, and lay to. The officers dined in great spirits, having little doubt that Prince Rupert's was certainly to be attacked; at five all the troops were paraded, the General addressed each corps separately, and reminded the 46th and 1st West India regiments of their former good conduct, and recommended to the volunteer light infantry to emulate them: Double guards were mounted, and the whole ordered to be under arms at four next morning. The General then gave his orders separately, and most distinctly to the Commanding Officers of corps, and Heads of departments. In the evening his quarters were literally besieged with officers, all eager for news, and to hear the General's sentiments, on the important prospect now before them. At nine all was quiet throughout the garrison. About twelve at night, the body of the combined fleet was distinctly seen from Fort Shirley, by Captain C. Campbell, the commanding officer of the guard, and reported to the General. At half-past three the whole garrison was in motion, marching to their respective alarm posts; at four every man was at his post, and never were troops animated with greater zeal, or more eager for another opportunity of signalizing themselves. As day light appeared, we counted three Admiral's flags, fifteen sail of the line, two ships armed en flute, and fifteen smaller vessels. From five in the morning, when they were nearly • This officer, now Lieutenant-colonel of the 37th regiment, commanded the 46th with much credit on the 22d February. ♦ Both regiments have been allowed to have the word Dominica marked in their colours. Journal of Occurrences at Dominica. within gun-shot, until ten, they lay becalmed, and a strong current driving them into the bay; but at length a breeze sprung up, which carried them gradually out. Not doubting but that they meant to attack the island, the General had at day-light ordered signals to be made to the post at Point Round, to know if they had landed any men to cut off the communication with Roseau, and very speedily received an answer in the negative; we observed at the same time different parties of militia in full march for the garrison, and at eight, Captain James, and some men of the 46th, crossed over from Point Round in a boat, and entered the garrison. The two companies of the 46th, and all the militia he could collect, amounting to nearly three hundred men, had marched from Roseau the preceding evening at five o'clock; and after a very harassing march of eighteen miles, over wretched roads, had reached Point Round by day-light, and were now hastening towards the garrison. At this time also, Captain Champain landed his marines from the Jason, consisting of thirty-five men, com. manded by Lieutenant Bignall, who joined the 46th regiment. At nine another boat arrived with six gentlemen, who came to offer their services as honorary Aids-de-Camp to the General, having before proved themselves very useful at Roseau. About ten o'clock, whilst all were eager for the future proceedings of the enemy, the furnaces for red-hot shot being heated, and every necessary preparation made, the General rode up to the top of the outer Cabrite, accompanied by Captain Champain, for the purpose of making particular observations as to the enemy's motions. It was soon discovered that they were taking advantage of a breeze which now sprung up, and making sail towards Guadaloupe; during the time they lay becalmed, they hoisted no colours; but did so, as soon as they made sail. Thus, after being closely shut up for three weeks, we saw this formidable armament pass us; and very readily conjectured, that they had either heard of the arrival of an English fleet at Barbadoes, or meant to attack Antigua, for which they seemed not unlikely to steer after calling at Guadaloupe. The General sent up Lieutenant Prevost in the afternoon to Roseau, and next morning he communicated to us by signal, that Lord Nelson, with his fleet, was arrived at Barbadoes. In the evening he returned to the garrison, and brought us the disagreeable intelligence, that his Lordship had sailed on the 4th for Trinidad; which, from the information sent up from St. Lucia, was supposed to be the object of attack. It seems on the morning of the 24, a number of vessels were seen from the heights of St. Lucia, steering down to windward of St. Vincent, which General Erereton supposed to be the enemy's fleet, and immediately sent off a dispatch vessel to Barbadoes with the intelligence. General Prevost had sent a neutral vessel from Prince Rupert's on the 1st, with dispatches for the commander of the forces, and with orders to reconnoitre Fort Royal harbour, and give the commander of the forces what information they could collect. Both these vessels reached Barbadoes at the same time, and unluckily, although * Messrs. Porter, Chollet, Audain, Gordon, Gester, and Turguard. Estimates of the Strength of France and Russia. the neutral reported having seen the enemy's fleet at anchor on the 2d, and met the American vessels coming out, the information from St. Lucia was preferred, and his Lordship steered for Trinidad. Had he proceeded off Martinique, he must have overtaken them at Dominica; and although his force was only twelve sail of the line, there could be no doubt of his beating them; the ships seen from St. Lucia were American's detained by the enemy's fleet, from whose cargoes they had recruited their stock of provisions, the embargo being raised, they were allowed to sail, when the French fleet found it necessary to put to sea, or be blockaded by the British fleet. On the 8th, we learned by a neutral vessel from Guadaloupe, that the enemy had embarked troops on the 5th, and sailed on the 6th; and we were apprehensive, that having learned the weak state in which Barbadoes was left, (the garrison having been embarked in Lord Nelson's fleet, for the relief of Trinidad), they meant to go to windward and get hold of it. From this day, until the 20th, he heard no more of them. We then learned that they had sent back the troops in the frigates to Guadaloupe, and that Lord Nelson had sailed from St. Kitt's in pursuit of them. They had the start of him by several days. General Prevost now once more resigned the command to General Dalrymple, fully sensible of the zeal and exertions of the troops, militia as well as regulars, and of all descriptions of persons employed in the public service. He failed not to thank them in general, and to make known the high sense he entertained of them. The half of the 46th regiment*, under Major Payne, returned to Roseau, and the rest of the regiment, under Captain Archibald Campbell, were left at Prince Rupert's on the 5th of July. General Prevost sailed from Dominica to join the convoy at Tortola, beloved and regretted by the whole community. COMPARATIVE ESTIMATES OF THE STRENGTH OF FRANCE AND RUSSIA. SECOND PART.-RUSSIA. IN as far as Russia affects the politics and commercial interests of the civilized world, the Czar Peter may be said to have first discovered it. Such is the extent and situation of the Russian territories: the nature and *This invaluable corps is lately returned a skeleton from the West Indies; but will, no doubt, soon be filled up, and fit for service in the peninsula. The grenadiers of that regiment have had another opportunity of signalizing themselves under Captain Ogilby, at the reduction of Guadaloupe, in 1810. Estimates of the Strength of France and Russia. abundance of its products, and the number of its population*, that another Peter, a Catherine, or an Alexander, may extend its dominion to the extremities of Europe and Asiat. The politics of the Russian government are, as the politics of all *The population of the Russian empire, exclusive of Georgia, amounts, by the latest enumeration, to about 42 millions; whereof, there are upwards of 20 millions of male peasants, 700,000 enrolled soldiers, and 50,000 servants for the staff; and 1,200,000 free-men of all descriptions. The military strength of all states must be estimated by the proportion which those employed in productive labour, bear to those who are not. In a country where agriculture occupies all the industry of the nation, there are few idlers; a greater proportion of the inhabitants may therefore, without inconvenience to the whole, be maintained in the service of the state, or in military exercise, than there can be in mercantile and manufacturing countries. Those who live by trade, or traffic, and refined manufactures, are not only themselves unprofitable consumers, but their subsistence and gains, are taxes or burdens on the industry and consumption of others. In England for instance, the subsistence of those employed in measuring ells of ribbon and yards of muslin; in weighing ounces of tea and half pounds of sugar; in scribbling accounts, and in pleading mercantile cases; amount to more than the expence of all the Russian army. That army is, however, now and then adding a new kingdom to the empire; whereas the former are depressing the national spirit, in corrupting and sapping the vigour and morality of their country. + Since nations have fought to extend their dominions, their progression has depended more upon the ability of peace-makers, than upon the talents of military heroes. Peter L. was a politician as well as a soldier; he knew, that to conquer in war was not enough; be also knew, that not to be conquered in his turn, it was necessary to retain in peace, such posts as could both guarantee the possession of his own territories, and facilitate the future acquisition of others. Charles XII conquered Denmark and Poland; and lived to loose not only his conquests, but also one half of his hereditary dominions, and the independence of his kingdom. The war, undertaken and carried on by the so-called Grand-alliance, was one continued series of victory; and the peace of Utrecht and Rastadt ruined the House of Austria, the principal party in that alliance; subjugated Holland, and laid Germany open to France. The maritime war carried on by Great Britain in 1759-6061-62, was a train of conquests; and the peace of 1763 produced the sad conditions of that of 1783. Had Charles XII, after the battle of Narva, secured his posts on the Neva, Sweden might yet have been what Gustavus Adolphus left her. The acquisition of Noteburgh now Schlusselburg, Nyeskantz now Petersburgh, and of the Islands of Retusari now Cronstadt, posts of no consideration to the Swedish herò, secured to Russia the dominion of the north of Europe. By the more recent acquisitions of the Crimea, Oczakow, and Georgia,-Constantinople, Ispahan, and Delhi are now completely in the power of Russia. Had the peace-makers at Utrecht, secured an independent monarchy in Spain, and given to the United Provinces a territorial basis, such as sound policy, justice, and even common sense pointed out, Europe might yet have been composed of independent states. Had Great Britain at the peace of 1763, maintained her conquests, she would not have had to sign away the half of her empire in 1783. It has been argued, that Great Britain lost nothing by the independency of Estimates of the Strength of France and Russia. governments should ever be, guided by the interests of the state and the interests of Russia have as little connexion with those of other nations as the etiquette of the court of Peking has with the ceremonies of the conclave at Rome. Mistress of the Baltic, Livonia, and Poland, of the Black and Caspian. seas, Georgia, and the Caucasus; the frontiers of Russia are inaccessible to any force that could possibly be brought against them*, and every part of America, because that country did not pass under the dominion of another power! By the same mode of reasoning, we should lose nothing were Ireland, Indostan, and Jamaica free republics, so as we could trade with them! Is the political influence, military and naval power of the United States, added to those of France, and all the ports of America shut against the British flag and against the produce of British industry, no consideration? The insurmountable difficulties that is said would attend the march, or passage of a Russian army through Parthia and Bucharia to Cashmire and Cabul, or by the Euphrates to Bassora, reminds us of Mr. Canning's crocodiles that eat up Buonaparte's army on the banks of the Nile! And the estimations drawn up to shew the force which the Persian cavalry and the Arabian strollers would oppose to such an expedition, seems to be made from the same scale; by which we lately saw calculated the resistance the valiant Swiss were to make to the legions of France. How is it possible to presume that Persia, in its present state, could make any opposition to the demands or operations of Russia? From Astrabad to Ispahan, is not further than from York to London. From the port of Zaue or the Tendzen-river, and from the Aral-lake to Cabul, - is only about as far as from Oczakow to Teflis. A million of camels are to be found on the roads, and should a Russian army be pleased to purchase them, they cost only about the value of 40s. a-head; a hundred pound weight of wheat costs 15 pence, as much salt two-pence, an ox of six to eight cwt. about 20 shillings, and a sheep of 200lb. four shillings sterling. We can scarcely believe that an army of Cossacs and Kalmucs would find such a country impassable? especially when they are told that Tahmas Kouli-Khan, on an excursion of pleasure rather than an expedition of war, brought a booty worth sixty millions sterling out of Indostan. And would the Grand Signor refuse a passage through his territories to Bassora, when only to demur upon the demand might cost him Constantinople? If the safety of Delhi, Agra, and other places of India, depend upon their distance from the frontiers of Russia, and upon the difficulties and dangers of the route, we would recommend to the Mogul and those concerned with him, to make terms, or hide their treasures as soon as they can. We are told in England, and it is said, that writers have been paid to prove it, that the trade of Indostan cannot be carried on through Persia and Tartary by Russia; nor through the Persian gulph and Red-sea by France. That may be, but should these powers conjointly, or either of them, acquire the dominion of India, doth that imply, that the trade of Asia with Europe, must change its usual channel? We believe not. *The Frontiers of the Russian empire, are, one half surrounded with an un-navigable ocean, 6-7ths of the other half are covered with Asiatic nations, and wandering tribes; and mistress of the Baltic and Black-sea, the remaining part is inaccessible; or that is, the space, we may say Isthmus, between Riga and Oczakow is the only frontier the Russian government has to guard; and Europe cannot organize a force that could Bow make any impression on that quarter. Were the hero of Marengo with all his |