the ground. The enemy’s advanced guard allowed the flag of truce to approach them within a boat’s length; then fired two vollies at them, and retreated. I then landed; but reflecting it was possible this outrage was committed from the ignorance of an inferior officer, I sent Lieutenant Mulcaster a second time, when on his approaching the house, they fired the field-piece at him. Finding all communication that way ineffectual, yet wishing to preserve the private property of a general-officer, who was perhaps ignorant and innocent of his subaltern’s conduct, I sent one of the general’s slaves to the officer with the same message, who returned with an answer that any thing I had to communicate must be in writing; at the same instant he fired his field-piece as a signal to his troops, who were in ambush on our right in the wood, to fire, keeping up a steady and well-directed fire from his field-piece at the house. It was my intention to have advanced with my field-piece; but finding he had made several fosses in the road, and the wood being lined with musketry, not a man of whom we could see, and the field-piece in front, I ordered ours to be thrown into a fosse, when our men cheering, advanced with pike and bayonet, and took the enemy’s gun: they retreated into the house, and kept up a smart fire from the windows; but on our entering they flew through the back premises into the wood, firing as they retreated. Every thing was levelled with the ground, except the habitations of the slaves. As we received information that about 400 of the enemy were about to take possession of Beauregard plain, on an eminence which commands the several roads to and from Cayenne, it was determined between the lieutenant-colonel and myself to be beforehand with the enemy, and march our whole force there direct. We gained the start of the enemy on the 9th, and on the 10th Lieutenant Mulcaster and a Portuguese officer, were sent into the town with a summons to the general. In the evening these officers returned, accompanied by Victor Hugues’ aid-de-camp, requesting an armistice for 24 hours, to arrange the articles of capitulation. This being granted, and hostages exchanged, on the 11th the lieutenant-colonel and myself met the general, and partly arranged the articles. A second-meeting on the morning of the 12th finally fixed them, and on the morning of the 14th, the Portuguese troops and British seamen and marines marched into Cayenne, and took possession of the town. The enemy, amounting to 400, laid down their arms on the parade, and were immediately embarked on board the several vessels belonging to the expedition; at the same time the militia, amounting to 600, together with 200 blacks, who had been incorporated with the regular troops, delivered in their arms.
“It is with pleasure I observe, that throughout the expedition the utmost unanimity has prevailed between the Portuguese and the British, and I have myself experienced the most friendly intercourse with Lieutenant-Colonel Manoel Marques.
“The conduct of Captain Salgado of the Voader in the post I assigned him, was that of a zealous and energetic officer, and I feel I should do him an injustice were I to withhold my testimony of his merit. I must also