82 



TRINIDAD : THEN AND NOW. 



accompany him — this he succeeded in doing, and, in 

 due course, St. Lucia was captured, with a total loss 

 of the English, during the short but laborious and 

 glorious siege, of 566 killed, wounded and missing. 



Reader, permit me to make a short digression in 

 order to give a sketch of Admiral Sir John Laf orey, 

 who, although not so well known to history as 

 Admiral Harvey — who took part in the capture of 

 Trinidad, and some years later received the body 

 of Nelson in his arms, when that hero fell at the 

 battle of Trafalgar — yet he played a conspicuous 

 part in the taking of Grenada, St. Lucia and St. 

 Vincent, then French possessions. His family 

 settled in England at the time of the Revolution. 

 He was the second son of Colonel John Lafo- 

 rey, Governor of Pendennis Castle. He entered 

 the navy and having attained the rank of Post-Cap- 

 tain in that branch of the service, was appointed in 

 1772 Commissioner for His Majesty's naval affairs 

 in the Leeward Islands in the West Indies ; he was 

 removed in 1784 to Plymouth, where he was con- 

 stituted Resident Commissioner. He was created a 

 Baronet on the 2nd December, 1789 and obtained the 

 rank of Admiral of the blue in 1795, and sent in com- 

 mand of the West Indian fleet, where he took an 

 active part in the capture of the Islands named.; He 

 died one year before the taking of Trinidad. 



So pleased was Sir Ralph Abercromby with the 

 services rendered by Picton in the capture of the 

 island of St. Lucia, that he issued the following 

 order, " All orders coming through Lieuteuant- 



