HISTORY OF EUROPE. 



159 



rinam, and on that and the. following 

 day the greater part of the tleet an- 

 chored in the river. The Dutch go- 

 vernor being now summoned, after 

 sonic short delay, refused to capitu- 

 late. On the 2&th it was determined 

 to send two hundred soldiers and 

 seamen, under brigadier- general 

 Hughes, to try for a practicable rout 

 through the woods, to come in the 

 rear of the forts Leyden and Frcde- 

 rici, which formidable defences of 

 the river it was considered unadvisa- 

 ble to attack in front. Accordinglj^, 

 about eleven at night, this force land- 

 ed at ResoIutionFlantation, and pro- 

 ceeded, led by negro guides. After 

 a most laborious march of nearly five 

 hours, by paths always diRicult, but 

 then almost impassable, in conse- 

 quence of the great quantitj- of rain 

 which had fallen, the detachment ar- 

 rived in the roar of the Frederic! bat- 

 tery, which was immediately assaulted 

 and taken, the enemy Hying to Fort 

 Leyden, first setting (ire to the powder 

 magazine, by which a few British olli- 

 oersand men were severely wounded. 

 A repetition of the same gallantry at 

 Fort Lej'den was attended with si- 

 niilar success. The success of bri- 

 gradicr-general Maitland's division, 

 in effecting a landing at the Warap- 

 pa Creek, was equally complete. 

 By these operations the junction be- 

 tween the latter corps and the main 

 army could always be etlefted, and 

 the command of the (inest part of 

 the colony was secured. On the 

 3d of May, brigadier-general Mait- 

 Jand, having overcome every obsta- 

 cle, came up theCommewine River, 

 and was reinforced by a detachment 

 from the main body. On the next 

 dayheadvanced throughawood, and 

 approached fort New Amsterdam, 



situated on the confluence of the Su- 

 rinam and Commewine Rivers, aitd 

 defended by eighty pieces of ord- 

 nance, but which formed the last de- 

 fence of the settlement. When on 

 the point of investing the fortress on 

 every side, a flag of truce arrived 

 from the commander-in-chief of the 

 Bataviau troops, with proposals to 

 surrender on terras of capitulation, 

 which, after some modiBcations, were 

 agreed to, and Fort New Amster- 

 dam was taken possession of the 

 same evening, and with it the whole 

 of the colony, of wliich, general 

 Green writes, "the inhabitants seem- 

 ed greatly to rejoice at the event 

 which had taken place restoring 

 them to the powerful protection of 

 the British government, and the so- 

 lid advantages arising therefrom." 



On this occasion there likewise 

 fell into the hands of the captors, 

 the Proserpine frigate, of 32 guns, 

 and the Pylades sloop of war of 18 ; 

 the quantity of ammunition, ord- 

 nance, and stores taken, was im- 

 mense. The loss of the English 

 force on this occasion, did not amount 

 in killed and wounded to more than 

 sixty men, whilst the prisoners taken, 

 (navy included) exclusive of staff 

 and departments, exceeded tMO thou- 

 sand. In this atfair, the only con- 

 quest Britain had to boast over the 

 enemy within the year, thf valour 

 and perseverance of her soldiers 

 and sailors, were eminently conspi- 

 cuous *. 



In the month of Augnst an at- 

 tempt was made on that part of the 

 French flotilla, which lay at anchor 

 in the road of BouJogne, by captain 

 Owen, of the Iinmortalite frigate, 

 and the sloops of war and cutters 

 under his command, but with slen- 



VJde Appendix, p. 543. 



der 



