Reminiscences of General Sir Thomas Makdougall Brisbane

GENERAL SIR THOMAS MAKDOOGALL BRISBANE, BART. 15
during which period we had some severe skirmishing with the enemy. In
one of these nights I attacked the capital with a part of the regiment, and
drove the enemy out of it, and set fire to the town. The enemy after-
wards surrendered, and marched out nearly 3000 men, almost all blacks.
" After the fall of St. Lucia we proceeded to attack the island of St.
Vincent's, where the enemy were within musket-shot of the capital, King-
ston. We marched out as far as Vigie, and invested the enemy by our
columns, and after a severe attack defeated them.
" A most remarkable circumstance occurred in this attack, namely, one
of our six-pounders, in firing at the enemy's guns, discharged the shot so
directly that it actually entered the muzzle of one of them, and completely
destroyed it. The jsrincipal part of the forces were the Charibs, and soldiers
who surrendered ; but as a considerable number of the enemy had escaped,
the country was infested by them for the following two years, during the
whole of which period we had constant occupation in attacking and sub-
duing them. I lived all that time in a large hut in the woods.
" The following remarkable occurrence took place about this time.
Five Charibs, under the cloak of a flag of truce, came down to have a con-
versation with me, to ascertain what was to be done with them in the event
of their surrendering. I ordered them something to eat and drink on an
estate belonging to the late Dr. Glasgow : while they were busy partaking
of their repast, one of Dr. Glasgow's negroes came in and told me that
the real object of these Charibs, who had come in as a flag of truce, was to
try and buy provisions. On which I went out to them, and told them
that I had discovered the real object of their visit, and that they must con-
sider themselves prisoners of war. On hearing this they all made a rush
at me to escape ; but I seized hold of their chief, Taquin, and, grappling
with him, threw him down with considerable violence. As I was unarmed,
I seized hold of his knife, which he made an attempt to grasp, and told
him that if he did not remain quiet I would instantly despatch him ; as he
was still determined to escape, I was obliged to carry my threat into exe-
cution. I collected without delay all the negroes on the estate, and pur-
sued the remaining four, and took them prisoners. There was a small