mandant of the Savanne district. Colonel Etienne Bolger, 2 cannon, and a strong body of militia. Owing to the late heavy rains, we found the river swollen, and the current so strong that the tallest men could scarcely wade across; the short were helped over, more than half of them upon the swim, and the whole exposed to a heavy fire. This difficulty was no sooner surmounted, with the loss of the greatest part of our ammunition, than three cheers warned the enemy to prepare for the bayonet. The jungle-hill, 2 guns[1], battery, and colours, were carried in style; and the commandant taken prisoner; nor do I think an officer or man of the party, except myself, had an anxious thought for the result of this unequal affair.
“Having spiked the guns and one mortar, burnt and destroyed their carriages, the works, magazines, &c., and embarked the field-pieces, together with some naval and military stores, I was upon the point of returning to the ship, when the strong party we had driven from the first battery and field-pieces, appeared to have recovered from their panic, and, strongly reinforced by the militia and burgeois inhabitants of the island, re-assembled upon our left.
“As the Nereide’s attack of Jacotel was the first ever made upon any point of the Isle of France, and aware that its principal defence consisted in its militia, I determined on running some risk in letting them know what they had to expect if their island was ever attacked by a regular British force[2]. Moving towards them, the enemy at the same time advancing within musket-shot, they opened their fire, and I instantly turned direct into the country in an oblique line to them, to get into their rear, and if so, not to leave to the defeated party the resource of a retreat[3]: at first they halted and remained upon their ground; but the moment we began to move in quick time, and they understood my intention, then they again gave way, and beat us in fair running for more than a mile into the country. On returning to our boats, we burnt the signal-house, flag-staff, &c., a mile from the beach; and having sounded the harbour, and done all I wished, I again embarked and returned to the Nereide.
“I now beg you will allow me to express how highly I approve of the gallant and regular conduct of every officer and man landed. Indeed, I feel myself under the greatest obligation to the senior officers. Lieutenants Burn, Laugharne, and Deacon; also to Lieutenant Cox, commanding the ma-- ↑ Long 12-pounders.
- ↑ An invasion of the Mauritius had often been attempted, particularly by Boscawen, in 1748 – See Nav. Chron. vol. vii, p. 188 et seq.
- ↑ Mr. James erroneously states that “Captain Willoughby resolved to get into the rear of his opponents in order to cut them off in the retreat to which, he knew, they would again resort.” See Nav. Hist. vol. v, p. 391.
