Stabroek, April 23.
I have again the pleasure of addressing you upon terra firma, and of
telling you that the united colony of Essequibo and Demarara is ours.
All being in readiness for landing on the morning of the 21st, the
troops were ordered to proceed on shore, with the earliest tide, and the
frigates, with the Grenada, and the slave-ship, were directed to take
their stations before the fort, at the entrance of the river. The larger
ships were unable to approach near enough to give any protection to the
landing of the troops and stores, which were put on board a little fleet
of light vessels, some of which were brought with us from Barbadoes for
the purpose; and some taken after our arrival upon the coast; but it
proved unfortunately that even these, light as they were, drew too much
water for this shore; for, about five o’clock, we had the mortification
to learn that our advanced fleet was fast aground, deep fixed in mud.
Finding the small vessels to be in this dilemma, our ship, together with
others which had sailed through a very confined channel towards the
fort, came to anchor near the entrance of the Demarara river, having the
fort, also a Dutch frigate, and a number of shipping in full view before
them. This accident might have proved of serious consequence, as the
troops were compelled to remain until the next flood tide; being unable
either to reach the shore, or to return.
In the events of this day we had a further proof of the extreme
uncertainty of military operations, more particularly when connected
with, or dependent upon maritime movements. In the morning we had every
prospect of seeing the troops on shore, the fort taken, and the whole
affair decided before we slept: but, in the evening, chagrin and
disappointment were our lot: the great expectations of the day having
ended in bringing some of the ships to an anchor off the mouth of the
river, and placing the troops in an unhappy situation, from which it was
out of the power of man to extricate them, until the unerring operations
of nature should send back the waters of the ocean to their relief.
The ships were anchored so near the river as to prevent the escape of
any of the enemy’s vessels, and the troops on board were ordered to lie
on their arms, upon deck, during the night, to prevent a surprise; and
to be in readiness to act against the fort, at any hour they might be
called upon.
At eight o’clock the following morning the flag of truce which had been
sent off to the fort returned. Due secrecy was of course observed
regarding the reply; and presently the boat was again despatched to the
fort; but as the little schooner fleet was ordered to return to the
ships, at the flowing of the tide, instead of proceeding to land the
troops; and as no orders were given to advance to the attack of the
fort, it was presumed that the answer had not been hostile.
Between ten and eleven o’clock the flag of truce again returned, and it
was then announced that the capitulation was accepted, and that the fort
was to surrender immediately to our troops. A party was accordingly
detached, to take possession of a post agreed upon, and the whole
garrison was to march out at four o’clock. Consequently, by evening, we
found ourselves fully established in Fort William Frederic, the
strongest, and almost the only defence of the colony.
Notwithstanding our strict observance of cleanliness, and all our care
to prevent disease, I am sorry to remark, that numbers of the soldiers
fell sick on the passage: but, in mentioning this, I ought to observe
that the 39th and 99th regiments were mostly composed of draughts from
various other corps, consisting principally of old men, and unseasoned
boys, who had been collected together, not according to the best
regulations of the recruiting service; and also, that multitudes of them
had been sick on the passage from Cork to Barbadoes, consequently many
(of those now ill) are only suffering from a relapse of former disease.
It is worthy of remark that, although upon the passage, not a morning
had passed without a considerable number being reported for the sick
list, we had not one new patient the day it was intended to make the
landing; but, on the contrary, the list of the preceding day was
diminished. The spirit of attack seemed to operate as a specific remedy.
Many actually recovered, and were allowed to join their companies;
others stole off, without reporting themselves, fearful the doctors
should not allow that they were well enough to be reported efficient;
and others, far too weak to bear arms, came feebly from under the awning
of the quarter-deck, which had been converted into a sick-ward for their
accommodation, and begged of me to permit them to go on shore to join
their comrades in the battle. The idea of going into action proved a
more salutary stimulus than could be found in the Pharmacopœia of the
college of physicians; and the sound of the destructive cannon promised
to be a more healing balm, than the mildest emollient prescribed by the
doctor.
In adverting to the country, from whence I address you, I may observe
that circumstances attended our landing, which were not calculated to
create a favorable impression of the colony. The day being wet, we were
completely drenched with rain in the boats, and then set on shore in the
midst of a heavy shower. From the landing-place we had nearly a mile to
walk to the town; and such a walk, perhaps, could not have been found in
any other country—Holland excepted. From the nature of the road it was
almost impossible to maintain ourselves upon our feet for a single step.
Fatigued by heat, we had to drag along in the rain, either ancle-deep in
mud, or slipping and sliding about upon a wet surface of clay.
We arrived at the town in a sadly wet and bespattered condition; but
here we found our feet relieved by stepping on a narrow causeway, paved
with small bricks put edgewise into the ground. This was a glad change
to our trembling limbs, and now, from requiring less heed to our steps,
and the rain ceasing, we had an opportunity of looking round, to observe
the general appearance of the town and the country. I could have fancied
myself in Holland. The land appeared as one wide flat, intersected with
dykes and canals; the roads mere banks of mud and clay, thrown from the
ditches at their sides; and the houses bedaubed with tawdry colours,
like Dutch toys, giving the whole a striking resemblance to the
mother-country.
The town is simply two long rows of houses, built very distant from each
other, with a wide green in the middle, by way of street. It is more
than a mile in length, running in a line from the river back to the
forest—the most inconvenient form that could have been contrived, as it
places most of the buildings far away from the river, and deprives them
of the great advantages, for trade, which they might have had by being
erected parallel with the course of the water. To remedy this defect
canals and ditches have been cut, at the backs of the houses, which are
perhaps the worst neighbours the inhabitants could have near them, for,
being the receptacles of mud, and all the filthy drainings of the town,
and only partially emptied by the reflux of the tide, they become highly
offensive, and tend to generate disease. The causeway of bricks is
continued throughout the whole length of the street; but the
carriage-road is of mere clay and mud.
After waiting upon the General, at the government-house, I lost no time
in proceeding upon duty; and, without delay, went out in search of some
building to convert into an hospital, or place of accommodation for the
sick. This would have led to a new journey, by way of the wet and
slippery road, to the fort; but, among the happy events of the day,
fortune threw me in the path of a gentleman residing in the town, who,
upon observing me toiling through the mud and clay, insisted upon my
taking his boat and slaves to convey me to the fort, by way of the
river, assuring me that to walk so far might be a dangerous excess of
fatigue; and, further, directing his negroes to wait, and bring me back
to his house, to dinner. Perhaps I was little inclined to refuse, but it
would have been difficult to resist the pressing civility with which the
accommodation was offered; accordingly, I accepted the boat, and,
afterwards, returned and ate of boiled fowl, and a roasted kid. During
dinner the friendly invitation was extended to a request, almost
amounting to a demand, from both the gentleman and lady of the table,
that I would make their dwelling my home so long as the service should
require my continuance at Stabroek. Thus has fortune, at once,
established me in good quarters in the enemy’s country, without a
billet, and even without the trouble of seeking them.