he enemy, who fired upon it almost
in security under shelter of the bushes. The British, however, still
pressed on, and at length arrived on the top of the Marriaqua or Vigie
Ridge. During the ascent of the hill, Malcolm's Corps lost one man
killed and two wounded.

In the meantime, the remainder of the second column were struggling in
vain to reach the summit of the same ridge; at a point where the enemy
had strongly occupied a thick wood, and thrown up a small work. Though
the opposing forces were within fifty paces of each other, not an inch
of ground was won on either side. Firing commenced at seven in the
morning, and was kept up till nightfall. All this time the British were
exposed to a violent tropical downpour of rain, which rendered the
abrupt declivity so slippery that it was almost impossible to maintain a
foothold on it; and, finding he could make no impression on the enemy,
the general, about 7 p.m., gave orders for the troops to retire.

During the night, the enemy, from some unknown cause, abandoned the
Vigie, and that so hastily that they left behind them, undestroyed, both
guns and ammunition. They continued their retreat till they reached the
windward part of the island, and the British in their turn advanced. For
the remainder of the year, the troops were employed in circumscribing,
within as narrow limits as possible, the French and their Carib allies;
and, though great hardships were endured, no engagement worthy of note
took place.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 16: Coke; Bryan Edwards says the 8th.]

[Footnote 17: Coke.]

[Footnote 18: See next chapter.]

CHAPTER VII.

MAJOR-GENERAL WHYTE'S REGIMENT OF FOOT, 1795.

The terrible mortality which thinned the ranks of the British troops in
the West Indies, induced the British Ministers to think of reinforcing
the army with men better calculated to resist the influence of the
climate. The West India Governors were instructed, therefore, in 1795,
to bring forward in their respective legislatures a project for raising
five black regiments, consisting of 500 men each, to become a permanent
branch of the military establishment. There were already several black
corps in existence, for Mr. Dundas, during a debate in the House of
Commons on the West India Expedition, on the 28th of April, 1795, said
that "the West India Army of Europeans and Creoles consisted of 3000
militia and 6000 blacks."[19]

These black corps were distributed amongst the v