THE SERVICES OF LIEUT.-COLONEL FRANCIS DOWNMAN, R.A. 433 
the depth I believe of six or eight feet, with a sucker ou one of his 
feelers, and his attendants the pilot fisli. 
From this time to the 9th December nothing worth remarking hap¬ 
pened except our losing both the artillery horse. sloops, and a brig 
with horses belonging to the army. On this day in the afternoon we 
saw the island of Barbadoes. Twenty years are past since I was on 
this Island on an errand similar to the present one ; whether we prove 
as fortunate as then time will determine. As it was late in the day 
our Commodore made the signal for the fleet to heave to, which they 
did, and remained so during the night. 
10th December .—Early in the morning we filled our sails and stood 
for the Island which appears as beautiful and as pleasing to the sight 
as it did when last I saw it. Though my passage then was much 
longer than this, every yard we advanced towards it at that time I 
thought produced a new beauty, and now I think the prospect equally 
pleasing. The conveniences and comforts to be met with on shore are 
only truly enjoyed by people who have been confined a good while on 
board ship, and I could wish that a number of the good people of 
England who (though blessed with everything that is thought neces¬ 
sary to make life pass on agreeably) seem to be displeased and un¬ 
happy on shore, would take a sea voyage. Let them encounter hur¬ 
ricanes, seas mountains high, maggoty water, rotten bread, putrid 
beef and pork, and in short let them feel and be perfectly sensible of 
every danger and misery people at sea are subject to. When they 
have experienced some of these hardships, I may venture to pronounce 
that then, and only then, can they with a true appetite relish the many 
blessings and pleasures they day by day receive. 
About noon the fleet came to an anchor in Carlisle Bay, but not till 
after a great deal of bustle and confusion occasioned by the ships all 
crowding together when going in, but no great mischief was done. 
Here we found Admiral Barrington with the Prince of Wales and 
Boyne men-of-war, and several frigates, among them the Venus which 
had arrived seventeen days before us. One of Admiral Barrington's 
frigates had just taken a French ship bound to Martinique having on 
board 300 soldiers, who are now prisoners in Bridge Town. 
All this day and the 11th, we were busy on shore in procuring fruit 
and other necessaries for another trip. Every person belonging to 
the fleet was ordered to sleep on board their respective ships on the 
11th, as we should absolutely sail on the 12th. At daylight the Ad¬ 
miral made the signal for the fleet to get under way, and by 8 o'clock 
the whole were ready to proceed, Commodore Hotham leading the van 
with his division of transports, Admiral Barrington with the centre 
and in the rear. 
In this manner we continued going before a pleasant breeze till 
about sunset of this evening, when we saw the high land of St. Vin¬ 
cent at a considerable distance. The signal was now thrown out for 
the fleet to heave to with their heads to the northward; in this situa¬ 
tion we remained all night carrying but very little sail. 
On the morning of the 13th, we saw the Island of St. Lucia at a 
distance to leeward; we now knew this to be our destined port. 
