tempt is said to have been made by a boat belonging to the Favorite to cut a schooner, loaded with provisions and wine, which had been taken by some armed canoes, out of the harbour of Guyave. On the contrary, Captain Wood was not acquainted with the capture of that vessel. This error, had it been the only one into which the author has fallen respecting the proceedings of the King’s ships, we should have considered of too little importance to mention. At p. 152, he gives the credit of capturing the privateers, taken by the Favorite on the coast of Trinidad, to the Alarm and Zebra; whereas Captain Wood had no communication with them, either at the time of the capture or afterwards. We could point out several other inaccuracies in the Narrative; but wishing to present our readers with one which we believe will not admit of contradiction, shall conclude by recommending those who feel an interest in the subject, to compare the contents of p. 694 of this volume with those of the last but four of the pamphlet in question. There are many still in existence who can corroborate the truth of the former.
In September 1796, a few days prior to the departure of Sir Hugh C. Christian for England, Captain Wood waited upon that officer, in company with Captain Otway, (whose attention he had repeatedly called to the situation of Trinidad,) and represented the facility with which that important settlement might be wrested from the Spaniards, and added to the possessions of Great Britain, at the same time earnestly entreating him to mention the subject to Mr. Secretary Dundas on his arrival in London. On the 5th Jan. in the ensuing year, Sir Ralph Abercrombie arrived at Martinique, in the Arethusa, from Europe. Captain Wood, anxious to know whether the General had been instructed to proceed against Trinidad, went on board the frigate before she anchored; and in the course of a long conversation, in which he urged the great importance of taking possession of that island, together with the Spanish squadron lying there, was happy to find that Sir Ralph perfectly coincided in opinion with him; and that although he had brought out no particular orders to that effect, his attention had been directed thereto by a note from either Sir Hugh Christian or Mr. Dundas, previous to his sailing from England to assume the chief command of the
