148 N A R R A T I V E O F A N 



CHAP, nianding officer, with all the other troops, having got on 

 XXli. a dry ridge, were quite out of fight and out of hearing, 

 by which fepnration the rear-gnard not only ran the ha- 

 zard of lofing all the provifions and the baggage, but of 

 being cut to pieces, fach was their critical fituation. 



Having not a fingle European that had fufiicient ftrength 

 remaining to overtake the party which had proceeded, I 

 refigncd the command to my lieutenant, a Mr. de Lof- 

 rios, and ventured forward alone through the forefl:, till,, 

 greatly fatigued, I overtook them ; when reporting the 

 fituation of the rear-guard to Colonel Seyburg, t re- 

 quelled " he would flacken his pace till they were able to 

 " extricate themfelves and come up from the bog, with- 

 " out which I could not be accountable for the confe- 

 " quences." To this the reply was, " That he would 



form his camp when he met with good water and 

 I inftantly returned to the rear, where having ftruggled 

 until it was quite dark in a moft diftrefiTed and dangerous 

 fituation, the laft man was dragged out of the mud at 

 feven o'clock at night, when we llowly proceeded on till 

 we entered the camp. 



My folicitude for the people, powder, and provifions, in- 

 ftead of procuring me commendation from the perfon 

 under v/hofe command I then happened to be, and who 

 had lately been fo very polite, brought me now into fuch 

 difficulties, and produced a mifunderftanding of fuch a 

 ferious nature, and fo very diftrefliing to my feelings, that 

 it had nearly terminated my exifl:ence. The reader may 



