THE SERVICES OF LIEUT.-COLONEL FRANCIS DOWNMAN, R.A. 531 
ment, are both dead of the fever of this country, and many others are 
not expected to live. 
Our fleet and army are both lying idle, for why or wherefore is best 
known to the man of Morne Fortune 1 and the unfortunate man. 1 I 
am told the fleet is sickly, both officers and men; that the army is so 
I know for certain and dread the consequences of remaining here 
three or four months longer, which we are told will be the case, or 
until we hear from England. 
Melancholy prospect ! Death seems to stare us in the face which¬ 
ever way we turn. Why do we stay here, now we command the sea ? 
Why not move to some other island ? Why not to Dominique ? It 
were better to die attempting to retake that place than to perish here 
and do no good. We are too late they say, we should have set off* the 
moment Byron arrived. We have given the French time to recover 
the beating they got here and to reinforce and fortify that island, so 
that we are not able to attack it with any prospect of success. It 
were better we were doing anything than to remain here inactive. 
Men’s minds as well as their bodies should be employed; when that is 
the case you need not be apprehensive of sickness. Our men are 
employed, but at what sort of work ? Why, in mending roads up 
and down hills almost perpendicular, when perhaps it is raining the 
whole time they are at work, and, what will appear very extraordinary, 
they are ordered to work till 12 o’clock and to go on again at one! 
This is not only dreadful on account of the heat of the sun, but the 
poor wretches have scarce a moment to themselves after eating their 
morsel of pork. 
January 19th and 20th. —Bain and wind. Admiral Byron’s cruisers 
have re-taken several vessels taken by two rebel privateers that keep 
in the latitude of Barbadoes to intercept the English ships. 
January 21st. —Bain as usual. 
January 22nd. —More rain. The devil take this country ! 
January 23rd. —Bain encore. Admiral Byron has sent the Bunker’s 
Bill (now the Surprise) with two frigates to look for the rebel 
privateers, who know nothing of her being taken. She is to hoist 
rebel colours, and the frigates French, and as they know the Bunker’s 
Hill and expect to fall in with her every day, as they told the mate of 
one of the ships they took, it is probable the device will answer. 
January 24th. —Very severe wind and rain all night. This morning 
a fleet of 13 sail appeared round the north end of the island, they lay 
to for some time near Byron, and then made sail as if for Jamaica. 
I received a letter from Bobby Day from Falmouth, dated October 
16th. No war. Strange doings ! 
January 25th. —Bain and wind almost the whole day, and in the 
night both were excessively severe. In no small danger of being 
carried away, tent and all, down a precipice of 400 or 500 feet. 
Taken ill this afternoon, a violent commotion and desperate battle 
internally, and a fever during some part of the night. 
1 G-eneral Grant and Admiral Byron. 
