4 THE SEEVICES OF LIEUT.-COLONEL FEANCIS DOWNMAN, E.A, 
the coast of Normandy and attack the batteries and town, and, if 
possible, demolish and destroy the port and bason, together with all 
ships, naval stores, and works, batteries, fortifications, arsenals and 
magazines, and effectually destroy the same” Though in the main 
the various expeditions successfully accomplished their instructions, yet 
in England the feeling was that these attacks were rather more of a 
buccaneering nature than the operations of legitimate warfare. Mr. 
Pitt therefore, abandoned further action of the kind and the successes 
about this time in America at Louisbourg, under General Wolfe, 
restored the tone of popular feeling and confidence in the Prime 
Minister. 
PART I. 
The expedition to the West Indies and taking the Island of Guadeloupe 
in 1759 , and subsequent residence in the island. 
As Lieut. Downman only commences his diary from the point at 
which he himself participated in the operations in Guadeloupe, it is as 
well concisely to relate what had previously occurred. An expedition 
to act against the French West Indian Islands sailed from Spithead on 
Nov. 10th, 1758, and arrived off the Island of Martinico in January, 
1759. The troops were landed on the 15th, but it was found that 
little of consequence could be effected without a probable loss to the 
land forces and the fleet, especially the latter, that might seriously 
prejudice the more important operations designed against Guadeloupe. 
The troops were therefore re-embarked by moonlight with some loss 
on January, 17th, and the expedition proceeded to Guadeloupe, where 
a landing was effected on the 23rd, and possession taken of part of that 
portion of the island called Basse Terre. After some delay owing to 
the absence of the English fleet in search of the French squadron, 
further operations were undertaken, and Lieut. Downman, in the 
following pages, narrates what he saw and his subsequent experiences 
in the island. 
