228 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1809. 



boats, were attacked and de- 

 stroyed.* 



Nearly about the same time, a 

 small snuadron detached from lord 

 Collingvvood's fleet, witli 1,600 

 troops sent from Sicily, under the 

 command of brigadier-general Os- 

 vvald, took the islands of Zante, 

 Cephalonia, Ithaca, and Cerigo. 

 The French garrisons in those 

 islands surrendered to the British 

 arms after a very faint resistance. 

 The government of the Seven 

 Islands was declared to be re- 

 stored. f In the Indian ocean the 

 Is^Ie of Bourbon surrendered to a 

 British force on the 21st of Sep- 

 tember. 



In the West Indies, the island 

 of Martinico and the city of St. 

 Domingo were added to our nu- 

 merous possessions in that part of 

 the world, j The city of St. Do- 

 mingo surrendered without resist- 

 ar\ce.§ 



In the North, or English Ame- 

 rica, the embargo act was repealed 

 by one prohibiting all intercourse 

 either with France or Great Bri- 

 tain. But in case either France 

 or England should so revoke or 

 modify her edicts, as that they 

 should cease to violate the neutral 

 commerce of the united States, 

 the trade suspended might be re- 



newed with the nation so doing. 

 A treaty for restoring amity and 

 commerce between Great Britain 

 and America, after a good deal of 

 negotiation, was signed by Mr. 

 David Erskine, envoy and minister 

 plenipotentiary from London ; and 

 American vessels in great numbers 

 poured into the ports of England. 

 But the proceedings of Mr. Ers- 

 kine were disavowed, as altosether 

 exceedmg his powers, by the Bri- 

 tish government. No loss, how- 

 ever, was suffered to accrue to the 

 American merchants or captains 

 of ships who had proceeded to 

 England under the idea that Mr. 

 Erskine had clearly understood 

 the object of his mission and the 

 terms on which he was authorized 

 to conclude a treaty of amity and 

 commerce. II 



This year disturbances broke out 

 in India, which in their origin and 

 progress threatened with immedi- 

 ate dissolution the authority of 

 Great Britain ; which, in that wide- 

 ly, extended, populous, and re- 

 mote country, as was well observed 

 by Mr. Hastings, hangs on " the 

 slender thread of opinion." They 

 were quelled, but how ? By an 

 appeal which betrayed the slender- 

 ness of tliat thread ; an appeal to 

 the native troops, the sepoys, 



against 



• See Append. Chron. p. 510. f lb. p. 530. + lb. pp. 429, 461. 



§ The dispatch from major general Carmichael to lord Castlereagh, announcing 

 this conquest, is a striking, and, if we could suppose it to be intended, no unhappy 

 burlesque on that intolerable minuteness which has long, and that religious cant, 

 which has lately become fashionable in the dispatches of both our generals and 

 admirals. " With humble submission to the Almisfhty Disposer of events, &c. &c. 

 the general proceeded to make dispositions for the reduction of the city of St. Do- 

 mingo. The zeal, abilities, courage, and indefatigable exertions of the officers 

 under his cornmaivi are extolled — yet there was no fighting. The enemy did not 

 make any resistance. A continual fire of musketry from the walls was indeed heard 

 for a short time, even when the white flag was up ; and the general moved forward 

 with a party of dragoons to demand the cause. The French general assured his 

 aid-de-camp that the inhabitants were firing at immense numbers of wild pigeons 

 that were flying over the walls, but that thev should instantlv be stopped ! ! 



II See Correspondence between Mr. Erskine and Mr. Smith." State Papers, p. 694. 



