elmed with terror
and confusion; when the principal individuals among them had resigned
all thought of further resistance, and were actually assembled at the
public hall in Port-Royal, to send deputies to the English general, with
proposals of capitulation and surrender.

ATTEMPT UPON ST. PIERRE.

The majority of the British officers, who constituted a council of war
held for this purpose,* having given their opinion, that it might be
for his majesty's service to make an attack upon St. Pierre, the
fleet proceeded to that part of the island, and entered the bay on the
nineteenth.

* The commodore did not attend at this council: it was
convoked to deliberate upon the opinion of the chief
engineer, who thought they should make another landing to
the southward of the Carenage. In this case, the pilots
declared it would be extremely difficult, if not
impracticable, for the fleet to keep up a communication with
the army.

The commodore told the general, that he made no doubt of being able to
reduce the town of St. Pierre; but as the ships might be disabled in
the attack so as not to be in a condition to proceed immediately on any
material service; as the troops might be reduced in their numbers, so as
to be incapable of future attacks; and as the reduction of the island
of Guadaloupe would be of great benefit to the sugar colonies; Mr. Mooro
proposed that the armament should immediately proceed to that island,
and the general agreed to the proposal. The reasons produced on this
occasion are, we apprehend, such as may be urged against every operation
of war. Certain it is, no conquest can be attempted, either by sea or
land, without exposing' the ships and troops to a possibility of being
disabled and diminished; and the same possibility militated as strongly
against an attempt upon Guadeloupe, as it could possibly discourage
the attack of St. Pierre. Besides, Martinique was an object of greater
importance than Guadaloupe;* as being the principal place possessed
by the French in those seas, and that to which the operations of the
armament were expressly limited by the instructions received from the
ministry.

* Only as being the seat of government; for Guadaloupe makes
a much greater quantity of sugar, and equipped a much
greater number of privateers, with the assistance of the
Dutch of St. Eustatia, situated in its neighbourhood.

St. Pierre was a place of