Ch.VIL south AMERICA. 387 



fatigues and dangers of war, which had already lafted 

 long beyond their expeftations : thefe circumftances, I 

 fay, had fo difcouraged the New- England men, that 

 they began to repent of having left the repofe of their 

 plantations, for what fome now called a romanticic 

 fchemej and the general inclination feemed to be for a 

 return : and this being known from fome of the Englifli 

 as bore none of the loweft commiffions, a refolution 

 was taken, that if they were not mailers of the place in 

 a fortnight at fartheft, the fiege ihould be raifed. But 

 the taking of the Vigilante diffufed a new fpirit through 

 the troops : and feeing that by this capture they had 

 gained a confiderable reinforcement, and that the fort 

 was deprived of the aíTiftance fo long expeóled, their 

 hopes of fuccefs revived; and they puihed the ficge with 

 more vigour than even at the commencement of it. 



At the fame dme the Englifh laid fiege to the fort, 

 they alfo threatened the royal battery, having a body 

 of troops encamped on that fide, though without ever 

 Hiking an aflfault. This battery happened to be com- 

 manded by an officer of no competent experience, and 

 very unfit for fuch a poft; t!ie garrifon alfo was weak, 

 and it was without any guns towards the land, which 

 was the very place facing the enemy; and confequently 

 the only one from whence they could be annoyed. In 

 this exigence the commandant of the fort went over to 

 view it and give diredions; but as he could not fpare 

 any men, he left orders, that in cafe of the approach of 

 the enemy on that fide, they ihould remove thither the 

 guns which pointed feaward; and ufe them to the beft 

 advantage. But left the royal battery ihould fall into 

 the hands of the enemy, who would certainly turn the 

 cannon againft the fort, he left inftruflions with the 

 commandant, that if he found it abfolutely necelTary to 

 capitulate, he ihould with all his men, pafs over to the 

 fort, after nailing up the artillery, fo as to render it un- 

 ferviceable to the enemy. But the poltroon command-- 

 ant of the battery availed himfelf of this inftrudlion to 

 C c 2 haften 



