ST.
173
D O M I N G O .
PERHAPS the moft fatal overfight in the conduct of the whole C H A P . XI. expedition, was the ftrange and unaccountable neglect of not fecuring the town and harbour of Aux Cayes, and the little port of Jacmel on the fame part of the coaft, previous to the attack of Port au Prince. With thofe places, on the one fide of the peninfula, and the poft of Acul in our poffeffion on the other, all communication between the Southern and the two other provinces would have been cut off; the navigation from the Windward Iflands to Jamaica would have been fecure, while the poffeffion of the two Capes which form the entrance into the Bight of Leogane (Cape Nicholas and Tiburon) would have protected the homeward trade in its courfe through the Wind ward Paffage. All this might have been accomplifhed and fecured ; and I think it is all that, in found policy, ought to have been attempted. As to Port au Prince, it would have been for-
Return of the Britifh forces in the ifland of St. Domingo, 1ft January 1795. Port au Prince Mole St. Nicholas Jeremie Tiburon St. Marc -
Rank and file effective. Sick. 366 — 462 209 — 166 95 — 59 34 — 18 48 — 33
752
—
738
— — — — —
Total. 828 375 154 52 81
— 1490
T h e next reinforcement from Europe arrived the latter end of April 1795, and confifted of about fourteen hundred men (the 81ft and 96th regiments) : a further reinforcement (the 82d regiment) landed in Auguft following. All thefe corps, the laft efpecially, from its landing at fo unfavourable a feafon, fuffered prodigioufly. T h e 82d landed nine hundred and eighty men, of whom fix hundred and thirty were buried within ten weeks. I n one of the companies, three rank and file only were able to do duty,
tunate