rica likewife; and feemed to change, in no fmall degree, the fortune and nature of the war. wallis's forces, with the driving of the British finally from the continent, were confidered only as matters of course. It was undoubtedly in confequence, and for the rounding and completion of this fcheme, that preparations were made by the Americans for a winter expedition to Canada, the conduct of which was to be committed to the Marquis de la Fayette. That officer publifhed accordingly a preparatory memorial addreffed to the French Canadians, and calling upon them by all the ancient ties of allegiance, blood, religion, and country, as well as by the natural and fervent defire of recovering their own freedora, to be in preparation to affift, join, and fupport him upon his arrival; but hold France had defigns for the earlier part of the campaign in the Weft Indies, in which the cooperation of Spain would be neceffary. She concerted another with the Americans, which was to take place, on their fide, in the latter; and both together went to the direct annihilation (and with a very fufficiently apparent force for the purpose) of the British power, in both parts of the new World. The fuccefs of the scheme was founded upon many ftrong grounds of hope and expectation; but like all complex machines, it was liable to be disordered in the whole, by the failure only of fome of its parts. It was expected that the great fuperiority of the coming out all the feverities of war, bined fleets would have enabled and all the terrors of military exethem, without much lofs or da- cution, to thofe, if any fuch there mage, entirely to crush the British could be, who blindly perverfe to naval force in the Weft Indies; their own interefts, and forgetful that, with the great land force, of all thofe ties and duties, fhould which it was fuppofed would be in in any manner oppose the arms, their hands, the reduction of Ja- or impede the generous defigns maica would not be an object of of their deliverers. The failure, much difficulty or delay; that with refpect to the great objects fome or all of the smaller iflands of the defign, occafioned the laywould follow of courfe; but that, ing by for the prefent of this dewithout spending too much time tached part. upon leffer matters, M. de Guichen fhould proceed with his whole force to the coafts of North America, where being joined by Ternay's fresh fhips, and Rochambeau's fresh troops, they fhould, in concert with Washington, attack New York by fea and land. As the Americans would ftrain every nerve on the occafion, no doubt of fuccefs in that part of the defign could be entertained; and the reduction of Lord Corn It is not to be wondered at, that the near contemplation of fuch vaft objects, and the flattering light in which they appeared, fhould wonderfully elevate the fpirits of the Americans, and greatly invigorate their measures and counfels. Washington's army was accordingly recruited and filled up with fuch diligence, that it was faid to exceed 20,000 men; and the northern provinces were in readiness to fend their militia, and and every denomination of military, to take fhare, along with him and their French allies, in the final overthrow of New York. Nor was it even apprehended, that the failure of the preliminary. parts of the plan in the Weft Indies, could at all have affected the main object with refpect to North America. Be But it was impoffible that any judgment formed at a distance, could interfere with M. de Guichen's knowledge of the state and condition of his own force. fides the ficklynefs of his people, he was fenfible that his fhips had fuffered fo much by long fervice in the Weft Indies, as well as in the feveral engagements, that they were not by any means in a condition to encounter, either the roughness of the fervice or of the climate, which they must neceffarily undergo in the North American campaign: This know ledge, and the determination founded upon it, were, however, ftrictly referved to himself, or to thofe in his immediate confidence. And when he took a great convoy from the French iflands under his protection, it was still thought or expected on all hands, that as foon as he had seen them fo far on their way as to be out of danger, he would then proceed to the coaft of America, for the accomplishment of the projected enterprize. But that commander proceeded directly to Europe with his fleet and, Convoy; and the bad ftate of his fhips, when he arrived at Cadiz, fufficiently juftified his conduct. Nothing was ever more galling to the Americans than this difappointment. It is even faid, that Washington himself could not entirely preserve that command of countenance, and equanimity of temper, by both of which he is fo much diftinguished. All the views of France and America, with refpect to the campaign, were now finally fhut up; and the force fent by the former to Rhode Island, with a view of general co-operation, was now reduced to act only upon the defenfive as a garrison. Undoubtedly Great Britain had a wonderful efcape from the dangers of the prefent campaign; and the island of Jamaica has experienced a fingular fortune, in the various hair-breadth risques which he has encountered during the war. Through all this courfe of tranfaction, the Admirals Arbuthnot and Graves kept the French fquadron as clofely blockaded at Rhode Island, as the advantage derived from the occafional shelter of fome neighbouring iflands could afford, and the uncertainty of the winds and feas would admit. In the mean time, Sir George Rodney being aware of the original defign against New York; and apprehenfive that both the Britifh land and naval force would be entirely overwhelmed by the vast fuperiority of the enemy, as foon as he had received certain intelligence of the departure of M. de Guichen from Cape François, immediately failed himself, with eleven capital fhips, and four frigates, to their fuppofed affiftance and relief. Although he Sept. 14. found, foon after his arrival at New York, that this effort of zeal for the public fervice, which had arifen from the fpur of the occafion, might have been difpenfed with; yet he discovered in the end, that he had no cause to to regret the trouble which he had taken; as it proved the fortunate means of faving the fquadron under his immediate command, from the unknown but dreadful calamity, which was to take place in the Weft Indies. CHA P. III. Dreadful hurricane in the Weft Indies. Deftruction and calamity in Bar badoes. St. Lucia, Granada, St. Vincents. Great loffes fuftained, and dangers encountered, by the British naval force in those feas. French iflands. Humanity of the Marquis de Bouville. Hurricane in Jamaica. Town of Savannah la Mar overwhelmed. Large traft of rich country in a great meafure deftroyed Diftreffes and great lofjes of the inhabitants. Bounty of the crown and parliament. Liberal benefactions of individuals. New York. Negociation between Sir Henry Clinton and the American General Arnold. Major Andre employed in the completion of the fcheme Is taken in difguife on his return from the American camp. Avows his name and condition in a letter to Gen. Washington. Gen. Arnold efcapes on board the Vulture ship of war. Various letters written, and means ineffectually used in order to face Major Andre from the impending danger. He is tried by a board of American General Officers. His candour and magnanimity on the trial: is fentenced on his own confeffion, and the testimony of the papers which were found upon him. Liberality with which he was treated, and his fenfe of it. His untimely death clofes the tragedy. Unusual Sympathy which he excited in the American army. Gen. Arnold is appointed to a command in the British army. Publishes an addrefs to the inhabitants of America; and a proclamation directed to the officers and foldiers of the continental army. Diftreffes in the American army, and fome of their causes. THE HE Weft Indies were now doomed to experience the weight of an enemy, far more irrefiftible and terrible, than any which the malice, or power of their own fpecies, could arm against them. This was a hurricane of fo dreadful a kind, that it feemed to be rather one of the laft pangs and convulfions of nature, than any of these customary exertions, in which the happily produces general good, though at the expence of fome partial evil. Although this tremendous fcourge of Providence feemed to sweep the feas and the land with wild and more undistinguished fury, yet the antient colony, and till then flourishing ifland of Barbadoes, was particularly the marked victim of its rage. The hurricane began in that island on the morning of the 10th of October, 1780; and continued, with little intermiffion, about 48 hours. In the afternoon of the firft day the fhips were driven from their anchors, and obliged to encounter all the horrors of the most outrageous fea that the oldeft feaman had ever beheld. They could not, however, have envied, if they had known their condition, the fituation of those whom whom they had left behind on thore. In the courfe of that dreadful night, Bridge Town, the capital of the island, was nearly laid level with the earth. The hiftory of the government houfe will give fome idea of the fate of the other buildings in that town, and of the ftate of their inhabitants. That building, which, from its unusual ftrength, feemed calculated to brave all the outrages of feafons, was nearly of a circular form, and its walls above three feet in thicknefs. No means were neglected, betimes in the evening, to barritade the doors and windows in fuch a manner, as fhould render them proof to all outward violence. But before ten o'clock the irrefiftible force of the tempeft burst its way through different parts of the house; and having in fome time carried off the roof, and the ruins tumbling on all fides, the governor's family were obliged to fly for refuge to the fouterrains; but they were foon driven from that afylum by the bursting in of the water, which, through the continued torrents of rain that fell, threatened nothing less than a deluge. Nothing now remained but an endeavour to gain the fields; an attempt, than which, except their prefent fituation, nothing could appear more dreadful or dangerous. It, however, fo far fucceeded, that they gained fome temporary fhelter, amongst the ruins of the foundation or platform, on which the flag-ftaff had been erected. But these, however maffy, become fo obedient to the increased violence and aftonishing force of the wind, as to threaten inftant de ftruction to the diftreffed fugitives, who were again compelled to encounter all the open horrors of the tempeft. The governor, and fuch others as had firength and recollection enough to keep together, after being frequently blown down, and rolled about in the mire and wet, at length gained a battery, and took fhelter under the gun carriages; where they fat in continual opprehenfion of being cruthed to pieces, fo terribly were the cannon moved by the ftorm. The other houfes of the town being much earlier destroyed, the furviving inhabitants were of courfe expofed to the miseries of a longer night of continued danger and horror. Numbers were buried in their houses; and the dreadful uproar of the tempeft was intermixed with the groans of the dying, the cries of those who were incapable of dragging their maimed and wounded bodies from the ruins, and the fcreams of women and children, whofe fate feemed only to be deferred for greater horrors, whilft they were lamenting, or calling for help to their loft friends. The day-light presented such a fcene of defolation as has feldom been equalled. That beautiful ifland, fo lately glowing in the richest bloom and verdure of continual fpring, now prefented the image of those broken and dreary polar regions, whose difmal waftes are buried in eternal winter. The fmaller towns experienced a fimilar ruin with the capital. It was faid, that not one houfe or building in the island, however strong or theltered, was exempt from damage; but that, in general, they were levelled to the ground, the planta plantations deftroyed, and the produce of the earth fo totally torn up and dispersed, as not to leave a trace behind. To increafe the calamity, most of the living ftock of the island, particularly of the horned kind, perifhed. And reputable and opulent families were, in common with the most indigent, expofed to the ftill unexhaufted fury of the tempeft, with, out food, raiment or cover. The lofs of human lives was great, even among the Whites; but including the Blacks, amounted to fome thoufands. The numbers could not, however be accurately eftimated. Befides thofe who fell victims to the violence and inclemency of the weather, and whofe bodies were easily found, many were entombed in their own houses, and in the ruins of others, who could only be difcovered by time. Many were whirled by the force of the tempeft into the fea; many carried off by the waves, which being driven over their cuftomary mounds invaded the shore; and perhaps not a smaller number, by the torrents of fresh water which poured from the clouds. As the first object of the furvivors, next to the providing of immediate food and fhelter, was the guarding against a peftilence, by the speedy interment of thofe dead bodies which were eafily found, their number was little attended to in that scene of hurry, diftrefs, and confufion. Perhaps there is not in hiftory a more extraordinary inftance of the united force of the winds and waves, than was fhewn upon this occafion, in the removal of a cannon of twelve pound ball, from the south to the north battery: being a diftance of one hundred and forty yards: a circumstance which we should have been afraid of relating upon any less authority than that of a public document, tranfmitted to the secretary of ftate by the governor of the ifland. It happened moft fortunately, and probably faved Barbadoes from utter ruin, that Gen. Vaughan, with a confiderable body of troops, were then on the ifland. For befides that the Blacks were in a ra tio of four or five to one with respect to the Whites, they were incumbered with above 800 prisoners of war; who, as well as the worst and most dangerous members of their own community, were all set at large by the destruction of the prifons. The general's house being early deftroyed, he and his family underwent a full fhare of the dangers and calamities of the night; his fecretary's thigh was broken, and he did not escape himself without many bruifes. Such are the happy effects of order and difcipline, that although the barracks and hospital were blown down, the loss sustained by the troops was very inconfiderable; and though the rapine of the negroes during the general confufion, kept pace with the vio lence of the tempeft, yet the ac tivity of the officers, and the alacrity of the private men, fucceeded fo happily as nearly to fave all the ftores and provisions destined for the fervice of the army and navy. It was no lefs fortunate, at a time when famine was staring the whole ifland in the face, and that the most dreadful confequences were to be apprehended from its effect upon the negroes, that the quan |