no thinking Man be look'd upon to be otherwise, than doubtful.

April the 1st, Colonels Moreton, and Grant's Regiments embarked. Captains Griffin and Renton being sent to reconnoitre the Channel; and observing that the Stern of the Conquestador was afloat, they found Means to heave her round, and thereby opened a Passage for the Bomb-Vessels, and two twenty Gun-Ships. The Transports got through the Channel, and began to move up the Lagoon, but the Ordnance Ships still remained at the Entrance into the Harbour, the Artillery and the Stores being not yet all put on board.

April the 2nd, The General, with the greatest Part of the Transports, came to an Anchor near Castillo Grande. The Bomb Ketches began early in the Morning to play upon the Town, but were placed at too great a Distance, for the Shells to do much Damage.

The Enemy set Fire to a French Ship, which lay at Anchor near the Walls.[20]

April the 3d, all the Cannon and Mortars were got on board; but the Carriages, &c. still remained upon the Shore. The Weymouth Man of War having passed the Channel, the Enemy fired upon her some random Shot; but she lay at too great a Distance to receive any Damage. Such Americans, as had served on Shore, as likewise the Negroes, imbarked this Day on their Transports.

April the 4th, a Council of War of Land Officers was held on board the Dorsetshire Transport, wherein it was resolved, that the Troops should be landed the 5th at Break of Day; for which a Disposition having been prepared by the General, and then laid before the Members, was by them unanimously approved of. The Weymouth, the Cruizer Sloop, and two or three Fireships, kept firing, during the Night, with Grapeshot into the Woods adjoining to where the Troops were to land.

April the 5th, the Troops, which were appointed first to land, amounting to about 1400 Men, under the Command of Brigadier Blakeney, rendezvous'd along Side of the Weymouth: At about five in the Morning, the General ordered Colonel Grant to move towards the Shore with the Grenadiers, who having landed[21] without Opposition, and being immediately followed by the rest of the Troops, the whole was formed in the Order for marching against the Enemy. After having waited a short time, in Expectation of the 200 American Soldiers, who were by the Disposition to have joined us with the working Tools; as likewise of the Negroes, and a Party of Matrosses, designed to attend eight Pattereroes; the General ordered the Grenadiers to enter the Wood, and Brigadier Blakeney to sustain them at the Head of the old Regiments. Having reach'd the End of the Defillée, with the Loss of only one Man, by the Fire of a straggling Party, they halted, and signify'd to the General, that the Enemy appeared; who immediately advanced to the Head of the Grenadiers, and passed the Defillée: Where having carefully reconnoitred the Disposition of the Enemy, he ordered The Grenadiers to march, and to dislodge them. The Enemy, (as it was afterwards reported by Deserters) consisted of about 700 Men, and were drawn up on the Strand, in such a manner, as to cover the Road leading to the City, where they seem'd determined to expect us; the Ground over which the Troops were to march, did not admit of much more than one large Plattoon in front; the Lagoon lying upon the left, and a thick Copse upon our right, into which the General ordered a Party of American Soldiers, to fall upon the Rear of any small Parties, which might be lodged there, to flank us upon our March. The Grenadiers moved forward with great Alacrity, and having, with very little Loss, received two Fires from the Enemy, the front Plattoon gave their Fire at about the distance of half musquet Shot, and immediately wheel'd to the Right and Left to make room for the next to advance, whence the Enemy judging that the whole Body gave way, expressed their Joy by a loud Huzza; but being soon convinced of their Mistake, by the Fire of the following Plattoons, they fell into Confusion and fled towards the City.

As soon as the proper Guards were posted, and the Troops put under Cover in the best manner which was practicable, in some Houses and Sheds adjoining to La Quinta; a Party was sent up the Hill to reconnoitre the Convent on La Popa, which they entered without Opposition, and made some Prisoners; an Officer's Guard was immediately ordered to take Possession of it.

April the 6th, the General accompany'd by Brigadier Guise, and the principal Engineer reconnoitred the City from the Convent of La Popa; and having at his Return assembled a Council of War, it was debated, whether the Fort should not be attacked the following Night, before the Enemy should have finished some Works upon the Hill, "which they were then carrying on with the utmost Diligence;" but as no Stores were yet landed from the Ordnance Ships, it was found necessary to postpone the Attack. Two twelve Pounders, Three three Pounders with fifty rounds of Powder and Ball, and five rounds of Grape-Shot, were put on Shore in the Evening[22]. Some American Soldiers being landed from the Fleet, as likewise the Negroes and some working Tools, the Ground was begun to be cleared for the Encampment; but the excessive Heat not only retarded the Work, but proved fatal to most of the Europeans who were there employed.

April the 7th, The Council of War being reassembled, and having received the Report of the principal Engineer, and likewise taken into Consideration, the Intelligence given by Deserters and Prisoners; they were of Opinion, that the Fort ought not to be attempted without having first raised a Battery, for which the principal Engineer was ordered to pitch upon the proper Ground, to draw a Scheme for putting that Design in Execution; and, as soon as should be practicable, to lay it before the Council. This their Resolution was the same Day communicated to the Admiral, to which was added as their Opinion, that the Success would be much facilitated, "if the Bomb-Vessels were ordered to Fire upon Fort St. Lazar, and likewise if one of the large Ships of War was brought in to batter it." The Admiral returned an Answer the same Evening, in which "he strongly expressed his Dislike to our waiting for a Battery", and declared, "that if the Council of War still persisted in their Resolution to raise one against so paltry a Fort, he would answer for it, that if the Engineer did but compleat it, the Enemy would not wait a minute for the Cannon;" but to that part of their Resolution, wherein is represented the Expediency of bombarding the Fort, and of sending in a large Ship to fire upon it, the Admiral "was not pleased to give any direct Answer."

The Enemy continued to carry on their Works[23] upon the Hill, and brought some Pieces of Cannon to bear upon our