from various causes.

"A long continued martial law, and military preparations against a
threatened invasion by the French, had almost exhausted the island
of military stores and provisions. There was but little of either,
excepting in the king's ordnance and victualling magazines. Over
these the admiral claimed an exclusive command and controul, and
exercised his authority.

"This embarrassment, not to be viewed without regret, was however
in a great measure surmounted, by the powerful resources, and
spirited exertions, of a worthy and disinterested individual,
Hercules Ross, Esq. a merchant of Kingston, who enabled the general
to carry his government's orders into execution.

"Misunderstandings, opposition, and delays, the ruin of many
military operations, were the origin of the failure of this. But
even these perplexities and disappointments, great as they were,
would not have defeated the expedition; or, at least, the Spaniards
might have been saddled with the expence of it; if we could only
have made a lodgment on the lake, to have kept open the river:
which might have been done, had the first detachment that General
Dalling sent taken San Juan Castle in two hours, instead of sitting
down formally before it for eleven days.

"The first detachment, consisting of about two hundred men, from
the sixtieth and seventy-ninth regiments; one hundred of the Loyal
Irish Corps; and two hundred Jamaica Volunteers; left Jamaica,
under the convoy of the Hinchinbroke, on the 3d of February 1780;
and directed their course to the Musquito shore, to take with them
some of the Musquito Indians, who were waiting for their arrival.

"On the 11th of February, they arrived at Cape Gratias a Dios;
disembarked, and encamped about a mile from the sea, on Wank's
Savanna; an unhealthful situation.

"Here they were joined by a party of men from the seventy-ninth
regiment, from Black River.

"On the 10th of March, the troops re-embarked, and took their
departure from Cape Gratias a Dios; and anchored at several places
on the Musquito shore, to take up our allies, the Indians, who were
to furnish proper boats for the service of the river, and to
proceed with them on the expedition: and, on the 24th of March,
they arrived at the River San Juan.

"San