St. Luce, a
detachment of the Royal York Rangers took possession of the battery at
Point Solomon, on the south side of Fort Royal Bay, thus securing a safe
anchorage for the fleet. The same corps then pushed on and invested
Pigeon Island, a small fortified island which commanded the anchorage in
the upper part of the bay, and which had to be captured before any
attempt could be made against the formidable fortresses of Bourbon and
Fort Republique. Batteries were erected on Morne Vanier, from which
Pigeon Island was shelled with such success that the garrison
surrendered.

The way being now open for the fleet, preparations were commenced for
the capture of Fort Bourbon. It was decided to attempt to take the place
by storm, and on February 4th, the 1st Division, which, under Sir
George Prevost, had marched over from Surirey, advanced to the assault,
the grenadier companies forming the "forlorn hope." The fire from the
enemy's guns was, however, so heavy and well-directed that the attempt
failed, notwithstanding the most conspicuous gallantry on the part of
the British, and the troops retired with a loss of 330 killed and
wounded, the grenadier company of the 1st West India Regiment having
suffered heavily.

General Villaret, the French commander, supposing Fort Bourbon to be
impregnable, abandoned Fort Republique, leaving in it 4 mortars and 38
heavy guns, and collected his entire force, some 3000 in number, in Fort
Bourbon. Being well supplied with food and ammunition, he resolved
quietly to wait in the citadel; confident that the British army would
gradually melt away from the sickness caused by the heavy rains, which
had now set in and fell incessantly. On the 7th February a British force
entered by night the abandoned Fort Republique; and, though the work was
furiously bombarded from Fort Bourbon, in two days the guns which had
been left in the fort were unspiked and the fire returned. In the
meantime other batteries had been in course of construction, and by
February 18th Fort Bourbon was completely invested.

The enemy were then summoned to surrender, but General Villaret
declaring that he would rather bury himself under the ruins of the
citadel, the bombardment commenced. The British batteries, six in
number, opened fire simultaneously at 3.30 p.m. on Sunday, February
19th, and the fire was hotly returned. At Colville's battery, where were
four companies of the 1st West India Regiment, the brushwood in front of