544 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1804 



wards its junction with the Siirinani, 

 and thereby facilitate our approach 

 to take a position in the rear of Fort 

 New Amsterdam ; and also with a 

 view to cut olfa considerable detach- 

 ment of the enemy stationed at Fort 

 Brandwacht, on the mud creek. — 

 On the same day preparations were 

 made for landing a bodj' of troops 

 to take possession of Braam's Point, 

 where there is a battery of seven 

 18-pounders, Mhich defends the en- 

 trance of the river Surinam. Briga- 

 dier-general Hughes undertook to 

 sn;)crintend this service ; the wind 

 proving favourable, his majesty's 

 ships Emerald, Pandonr, (having 

 the 64th regiment on board), and 

 Drake brig of war, got under weigh 

 to attaek the battery ; when a fire 

 was opened on the ships, which, 

 however, was soon silenced by a 

 few broadsides, and the enemy 

 strilck their colours. A detach- 

 ment of troops, under brigadier- 

 gen. Hughes, immediately landed, 

 and took possession of Bram's Point, 

 making prisoners a captain and 44 

 men. The entrance being thos se- 

 cured, the commodore made signal 

 for the ships to go into the river as 

 soon as possible; in the course of 

 that and the following day, the most 

 considerable part of the fleet an, 

 chored in the river. At this period 

 the commodore shifted his pendant 

 to the Emerald, and I accompanied 

 him on board that ship. We then 

 judged it expedient to send a sum- 

 mons to the governor of Surinam, 

 with proposals for the surrender of 

 the colony. Captain Maxwell of 

 the royal navy, and capt. Drum- 

 mond, of the 6th regiment (acting 

 as my aid-de-camp) proceeded up the 

 river with a flag of truce, and hav- 

 ing delivered our summons to the 

 governor, returned in the night with 



t) 



information that an answer w~ouId 

 be sent next morning. On the 28th, 

 we received the governor's answer, 

 refusing to capitulate. It was then 

 determined that we should lose no 

 time in endeavouring to make some 

 impression on the enemy's posts, 

 but I must here beg leave to observe 

 to your lordship, that the coast of 

 Surinam is of very difficult approach, 

 shallow and full of banks ; that a 

 landing is only to be attempted at 

 the top of the tide, and at particu- 

 lar points ; the coast is uncleared; 

 and from wood, and the marshy 

 iiature of the soil, it is impossible to 

 penetrate into the interior, except 

 by the rivers and creeks. The 

 shores on both sides of the river Su- 

 rinam, are equally dillcult of access, 

 for the same causes, until you reach 

 the battery Frcderici, with the ex- 

 ception of one spot on the eiistern 

 shore, where a plantation, called 

 Resolution, has been lately esta- 

 blished. Our points of attack 

 were therefore confined ; and the 

 enemy, by means of their forts, 

 ships of war, and other armed tcs- 

 sels, were completely masters of (he 

 navigation of the river Surinam 

 above Fort Amsterdam. The de- 

 fences of the river, after passing 

 Braam's Point, are Fort Amsterdam, 

 situated on the conflwence of the 

 rivers Surinam and Commewynne ; 

 upwards of SO jjieces of ordnance 

 are mounted in this fortress. Fort 

 l^eyden is armed with twelve heavy 

 guns, and situated on the right bank 

 of the Surinam, where it meets the 

 Commewynne, is opposite to, and 

 commanded by Fort A'listerdam, 

 at the distance of about two thou- 

 sand yards. The battery Frederici 

 is about 200 yards lower down, 

 and armed with twelve heavy guns. 

 On the left bank of the river, near- 



