tinue for fourteen days. The different corps of militia were immediately assembled in town, and a part of the 68th regiment, with about fifty men of the St. George's, commanded by capt. Dodds, and the St. Luke's independent company, were immediately embarked in some of the droghing vessels, in order to act with the St. John's independent company, commanded by captain Trotter. On Sunday his excellency embarked with the remainder of the 68th, and arrived at Prince Ruperts on the evening of the same day. Previous to this the mutineers had made a sortie, in which they had a skirmish with captain Trotter's company, but in the end were repulsed and driven back by that company, supported by the marines of the different ships in the bay*, who effectually continued to keep them within the post, till the force which accompanied the governor was disembarked. His excellency found on his arrival, that terms had been proposed to major Hamilton; after which, several interviews, between parties deputed from the mutineers and our commanders, took place, the result of which was, that they should surrender and lay down their arms, which being agreed to, and that 500 men should march to take possession, the governor, at the head of a detachment from the Royals, commanded by capt. Puxley, from the Saints, about 300 of the 68th, commanded by majors Scott and Hamilton, 'and the marines commanded by captain, together with some officers and privates of the artillery, entered the garrison, when they found the mutineers drawn up on their usual place of parade, with the colours in their front. They received

*The Magnificent, of 74; Excellent, 74; Severn, 44; and Gaiete sloop of war.

We have not been able to learn this gentleman's name.

our troops with presented arms, and obliged two of their officers*, whom they had spared from the massacre of Friday night, to take post in their front. The governor drew up his troops in two lines opposite to them, rode to the line of the mutineers, and directed them to shoulder and ground their arms; on which he rode to the rear of the front line. They were then ordered to advance three paces in front; at which moment a serjeant (Church) called out, “No, general-no." The governor then replied, if they did not instantly obey, he would order the troops to fire upon them; on which the whole seized their arms, and a general fire commenced, by which many of the mutineers fell, and the remainder dispersed themselves in different directions. Previous to their dispersion, captain Serrant and lieutenant Beaubois, with the St. Luke's independent company, had received orders to occupy Fort Shirley, in which were some few of the mutineers; but being fired upon, and having no instrument with which to force the barrier gate, they were obliged to retreat. After the scene on the parade, many of the surviving fugitives were seen scrambling up the outer cabrit, others fled up the inner one, and those who could attain it, running along the line on the ridge, discharged, as they passed, the cannon which had been previously loaded, and pointed on their pursuers, and then threw themselves headlong over the precipice. Such, however, was the spirit of intrepid activity manifested by every white individual in the garrison, in storming the remaining posts of the mutineers, that in the course of half an hour the whole were completely reduced; and these daring banditti may now be said (except about 130, who are prisoners on board the ships of

Captain Barre and lieutenant Rivington.

war) to be almost wholly exterminated. It is with great satisfaction we find our own loss has been very trifling; according to the best accounts; amounting to twenty killed and wounded. Lieutenant M'Kay and lieutenant Wastnays appeared to have been peculiar objects of their rage. Lieutenant Wastnay's fate was truly lamentable. These barbarians having stripped him, fastened him to a tree, pricked him with their bayonets, and mutilated him in a most shocking manner; even retarding that death, which would have been a boon, as terminating his sufferings; and the dead body of lieutenant M'Kay, the first victim to their wrath, they equally insulted, by dragging it about the post in a manner too horrid to relate. The strongest powers of panegyric would be faint to give the due tribute to the merit of every corps which was engaged in the late perilous scenes,-Great praise is due to captain Benjamin Matthews, of the ship Fanny, who volunteered his services, with several of his crew, and whose exertions on this occasion were highly useful. It is with concern we state, that one of his men was dangerously wounded by a grape-shot*.”

* The cause of this mutiny is attributed to the colonel tife hor. Andrew Cochrane Johnstone, but as he will soon take his trial on four charges exhibited against him by major Gordon of the said regiment, it would be premature to offer any comment at present, although I might be justified in matters of fact, as well as in giving the public a detached account of his conduct during the time he was governor of Dominica, which, according to the information in my possession, does not evince much prudence. Having hinted this much, it may not, however, be improper to state that colonel Johnstone exhibited charges against major Gordon, on whom a court martial sat from the 30th January, 1804, and continued till the 14th February following, relative to the regiment, when the major was honorably acquitted. Major Gordon has since preferred some charges on which colonel Johnstone will be tried. The first is, for hav

Q

To this account I feel urged to add the sentiments of the assembly of Jamaica respecting these black regi ments. "When the assembly agreed to give British pay to 2000 men, the measure was held out as a substitute to avert the evils and imminent dangers at that time apprehended by the inhabitants at large, from hav ing black troops raised and sent here, or in other language, armed slaves to defend and protect the rights, the liberties, and properties not only of free men, but of British. subjects,-A measure not only considered to proceed from ignorance of our local circumstances, of our laws, of our constitution, but viewed with abhorrence and indignation, which it could not fail to excite! Recent occurrences in some of his Majesty's windward islands, and certain instances which have actually occurred of desertion of some of the black troops quartered in this country, fully justify the apprehensions of the people from having a force of this description stationed in their garrisons, the more especially when the dangerous consequences which, must follow upon the desertion of the black troops are adverted to. This measure was adopted by his majesty's ministers, regardless of repeated and urgent representa tions made by the assembly against it, which appear in. the journals of the house; that whenever such, or any.

ing detained the money intended for the subsistence of the corps in the hands of the paymaster-general for his own use, at the same time well knowing the men were in great want of it, and were maintained by their officers, who made every effort, both by advancing money, and obtaining credit, to keep them quiet, and to prevent the mutiny which actually took place. On this charge I am not at liberty to hazard an opinion, any farther than consistency urges my saying, that the seeds of disorder and insubordination were sown in their minds before the regiment was embodied, and that retarding their pay served only to facilitate the mutineering spirit to an open rupture, which is evident from what has happened..

other military establishment, is found to be inexpedient or dangerous, it is conceived that the subject has an undoubted right to relief; and the house is well assured that his Majesty's paternal goodness will always induce him to gratify the wishes of his faithful subjects in that respect*." The rest of this spirited and prudent resolve goes on to state the reason why they originally agreed to subsist 2000 white troops, as an express stipulation, “that no black military establishment should be raised or sent to Jamaica. An additional inducement for consenting to burden the people with so heavy an expence, and to depart from what they consider to be their inherent right, was the full confidence that most important benefits would be obtained from our white population being augmented by the future colonization of these men and their families in the island; a plan, and the means for effecting which, formed a part of the proposition." Without taking a retrospective view of the barbarities of the colour in St. Domingo, we have here a sufficient presentiment of what they will do, and the just abhorrence in which they are held by the white people of Jamaica, which I hope will stimulate you, Sir, as a member of the Imperial House of Commons, to investigate the baneful tendency of arming the West India slaves; and to enable you to bring the question fairly before the house, it would be necessary to have an official return of the various courts-martial for one year only. Since I have been in this place, they have been very prolific in the way of punishment, which is, alternately night and morning, inflicted directly under the window of my apartment. At the rate they

Proceedings of the House of Assembly of Jamaica, Kingston, Monday, June 21, 1898,

Ibid.