402 
MINUTES OE PROCEEDINGS OF 
that corps, and the soldiers did not appear to answer the opinion which might 
he expected of them, from their general known conduct, and particularly in 
the campaign of 1794 * * * * 
“A fine and numerous Scotch corps advanced in front of our small number 
of infantry, and discharged a full round, but it being at too great a distance, 
few, or none of them (i.e. ours) were wounded. This was a fortunate 
circumstance, according to the plan the General had formed from the 
beginning, which was to wait until the enemy had approached within a few 
paces and then to fire a tremendous round from our side; but the Waldeck 
battalion retreated in confusion. He rode up to them, conjuring them by 
their former glory, by their beloved Prince, and by everything he could say, 
to stand and shew they were brave soldiers ; but neither this, nor the request 
of their officers had any effect, they most shamefully fled. After the battle, 
the General saw with pain the remains of the Waldeck battalion of whom he 
had formerly had so good an opinion * * * He conceived that 
he ought not to shew any weakness, and therefore ordered that corps, with 
an indignation denoting what had happened, to march to town immediately,” 
& c. 
“J. W. JANSSENS.” 
“ Castle oe Good Hope, 
“ 27th January, 1806.” 
The next day, the town, which was regularly fortified, and armed with 
one hundred and fifty heavy guns, surrendered to less than 4000 men and 
a few pieces of light artillery, and the colony was won. 
The unfortunate Waldeckers were first chastised by our ee howitzers,” 
and then dismissed in disgrace to the town, to “ encourage the others,” 
which they did so effectually, that as soon as we began to (( exercise 
the new invented shells,” no further resistance was offered. 
In the public dispatch, announcing the battle and acquisition of the 
colony, the services of the Loyal Artillery are not even once mentioned, and 
the only allusion to their presence is as follows :— 
“Herewith I have the honor to enclose for your Lordships information, a 
return of the ordnance found in the citadel and other defences of the settlement, 
but which is perhaps inaccurate, for the reason assigned by the Commanding 
Officer of Artiltery. 
“ I have, &c. 
“ To the Light Honourable “ (Signed) D. BAILD.” 
Lord Viscount Castlereagh.” 
It might have been supposed, after what has been just described, that the 
invention would have met with some degree of favour with the authorities; 
quite the reverse : it was saved from oblivion chiefly by the exertions of the 
late Sir John Sinclair, Bart. His son says, p. 243, Vol. II., Memoirs, “ It 
will appear from the above quotation, that my father insisted earnestly on 
the necessity for providing our army with the most effective military 
weapons. He was the more anxious on this point, both because our Board 
of Ordnance, in a very important instance, had recently shewn a degree of 
negligence disgraceful to themselves and disastrous to the country; and 
