52 THE SERVICES OF LIEUT.-COLONEL FRANCIS DOWNMAN, R.A. 
very fast, and a, foot and a half or two feet under the surface. 
On the 12th, I received orders to remain in this island with a detach¬ 
ment, but on my remonstrating, as I had been so long in Guadeloupe, 
another officer who had but lately come out was ordered in my place. 
On the 21st, in the morning, we sailed out of the bay, and in the 
afternoon we lay to off Basse Terre, Guadeloupe. 
On the 22nd, we passed close by the island of Antigua and lay to all 
night. 
On the 23rd, about noon, we lay to off Basse Terre in the island of 
St. Kitts, and caught a very large shark, which came from under the 
ship and made a snap at the blade of an oar that was hanging over the 
boat’s side. We baited a large hook with a piece of pork and he 
immediately took it. We had great difficulty to get him on board and 
much greater to kill him. He lashed his tail about with such violence 
that no one dared venture near him for some time, till one of the 
sailors with a hatchet gave him a nick that quieted him. He was 11 ft. 
long. 
On the 24th, in the morning, we passed by the island of St. Martin 
and among other little islands, and in the afternoon took our leave of 
land. Nothing happened of any consequence during the passage but 
our being put on an allowance of water, and indeed nothing can be so 
horrid as the want of water on board ship, and if we had had a much 
longer passage we should have been in the greatest distress. 
On the 29th of August I saw with the greatest pleasure and satis¬ 
faction my native land, after having been absent from it near five years. 
On the 30th, in the evening, we came to anchor at Spithead. I 
immediately went on shore and remained till the 12th September, and 
then again embarked, on the 14th anchored in the Downs, and on 
the 16th weighed and arrived at Woolwich. 
A few days after my being here, I received orders to join my com¬ 
pany then in America. I thought this order rather unkind as I had 
been so long abroad, but on my application to General Williamson, 1 I 
obtained leave of absence till the month of August following, when I 
received a letter from the General at my father’s in Huntingdonshire, 
ordering me to join immediately at Woolwich. 
1 Kane’s List, No. 31. Lieut.-Colonel Williamson commanded the R.A. at the capture of 
Louisbourg and subsequent operations till the capture of Montreal in 1760. He died a Colonel- 
Commandant 1781, at Woolwich. 
(To be Continued). 
