ry for the subsistence of the army; and that, for all
provisions brought in, they should be paid in ready money. He concluded
this notice with declaring, that if, notwithstanding these assurances
of protection, they should carry off their effects and provisions, and
abandon the places of their habitation, he would treat them as enemies,
and destroy their houses with fire and sword. To the magistracy of St.
Maloes he likewise sent a letter, importing, that as all the inhabitants
of the towns and villages between Dinant, Rennes, and Doll, now in
his possession, had deserted their habitations, probably to avoid the
payment of the usual contributions; and he being informed that the
magistrates had compelled the people of the country to retire into
the town of St. Maloes; he now gave them notice, that if they did not
immediately send them back to their houses, and come themselves to his
head-quarters, to settle the contributions, he should think himself
obliged to proceed to military execution. These threats, however, were
not put in force, although the magistrates of St. Maloes did not think
proper to comply with his injunction. But it was found altogether
impossible to prevent irregularities among troops that were naturally
licentious. Some houses were pillaged, and not without acts of
barbarity; but the offenders were brought to immediate justice; and it
must be owned, as an incontestable proof of the general's humanity, that
in destroying the magazines of the enemy at St. Servan, which may be
termed the suburbs of St. Maloes, he ordered one small-store house to
be spared, because it could not be set on fire without endangering the
whole district. The British forces being re-embarked, including about
five hundred light-horse, which had been disciplined and carried over
with a view to scour the country, the fleet was detained by contrary
winds in the bay of Cancalle for several days, during which a design
seems to have been formed for attacking Granville, which had been
reconnoitred by some of the engineers; but, in consequence of their
report, the scheme was laid aside, and the fleet stood out to sea, where
it was exposed to some rough weather. In a few days, the wind blowing in
a northern direction, they steered again towards the French coast, and
ran in with the land near Havre-de-Grace, where the flat-bottomed boats,
provided for landing, were hoisted out, and a second disembarkation
expected. But the wind blowing violen