Head-Quarters, Fort-Royal, Martinique, June 10,

1815.

My Lord, I am happy to inform you, that I have occupied the military points of Martinique by a British auxiliary force, which landed here on the morning of the 5th instant.

The situation of Martinique was, indeed, critical; for the troops of the line, consisting of thirteen hundred men, who possessed the forts, shewed too much of the same disposition which has manifested itself in France. The majority of the officers were decidedly for Buonaparte, some putting up the tri-coloured cockade, and others, with similar sentiments, less avowed, pretending that they only wished to return to France. The soldiers were chiefly refractory conscripts, who had never served, and had no attachment to Buonaparte, but having escaped from the army under his severe system, finding themselves expatriated under the King's government, was not likely to create an attachment to the Bourbon cause, they generally wished to return home.

Le Comte de Vaugiraud acted with much good sense in anticipating the mischief which might have arisen, and which he had not the power to have controlled, by assembling the troops, and releasing those of the officers who desired it from their obligations, informing them at the same time, that they must quit Martinique, and declaring that any attempt to raise the standard of rebellion would be repelled by force, and punished as an act of mutiny, in defiance of the oaths of fidelity

which

This fine colony was several times on the point of being thrown into a state of revolutionary convulsion, by the conduct of the troops, all of whom, with the exception of the remainder of the 26th regiment, amounting to four hundred and fifty men, including officers, who remain under the white flag, have been permitted to depart, unarmed, and are actually gone.

The militia of Martinique amount to about 6,000 men, who

are well disposed; one half only

have arms: 150 are mounted.

Immediately after the occupation of the military points by the troops under my command, the government of the colony published a decree by which British vessels are received on the same footing as the French. This act was perfectly spontaneous, and indeed has been marked by the same spirit of cordiality which has actuated the Comte de Vaugiraud in every part of the intercourse which I have had with him.

It would be unjust to Comte de Vaugiraud not to express my sense of the honourable devotion which he has uniformly shewn to the zealous performance of his

nity and good sense under very critical circumstances, and of his grateful attachment to the Prince Regent, the British government and nation, for the assistance which has saved Martinique. The gratitude, indeed, of the colony at large, has been most unequivocally testified.

I shall be happy to find that the steps I have taken have been such as may be approved by the Prince Regent.

I have the honour to be, &c.
JAMES LEITH, Lieut. Gen.
Commanding the forces.

Earl Bathurst, &c.

great, and apparently insurmountable difficulties would occur in provisioning the troops, on so many routes, with our scanty means of conveyance, and I determined in consequence on a modification of the plan. This alteration consisted chiefly in disposing the march of the troops in such a manner, that the 1st and 2d divisions, the 3d and 4th, the 6th and 7th, should arrive on the same line, and, at certain convenient points, unite together; an arrangement which, I am happy to say, brought the supplying of the army within our means, and laid the ground-work of a successful progress towards the several assigned places of destination above the hills.

On the 1st of February I learnt, by a letter of the 30th of January, from Major Hook, that the 1st division, under the command of that officer, had reached Ganetynni, situate at the foot of the Balani Mountains, and on the great road leading through the Pass or Gravet of that name towards the city of Candy.

Lieutenant O'Connell, with the 2d division, was close in the rear, advancing to the same point, from which Major Hook was then to diverge to the left towards Weywode, in the seven Korles, to cooperate with Captain De Bussche, already in that quarter, with a small force, formed to supply the absence of the auxiliary corps, originally expected from Madras.

No serious opposition was made to the advance of these divisions. The first Adikar of the King of Candy, by name Molligodde, brother to the Dessave of the

three Korles, who had previously come over to the British territory, and himself Dessave of the four Korles, kept hovering in front of Major Hook's march, with some followers, but had intimated, both to Major Hook and Mr. D'Oyley, that he was desirous to join the British standard, and was only prevented from doing so by his apprehension for the fate of his family, who were under the King's power in the capital, but whose liberation or escape he expected as soon as the troops should advance sufficiently near to Candy to induce the King to retire from that place he further gave it to be understood, that although he was obliged to keep up the appearance of firing, he would do no harm; and in all these points, although his assurances could not in prudence be fully confided in at the time, he afterwards faithfully kept his word.

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In the evening of this day (the 1st of February) I left Colombo to join the army, and proceeded by the route of Avissahavelle (usually called Sittawakka) and through the three and four Korles towards Lieut. - Colonel O'Con nell's camp at Ganniteynne. While at Kooroonagodde, on the 3d of February, a letter from the Lieut. Colonel, dated at Ganneiteynne,on the 2d, informed, that the advance of that division, under Major Moffatt, of the 1st Ceylon regiment, having been detached to support a patrole which was conceived to be in danger, had advanced so near the fortified post which commands the Balani Pass, that it was deemed advisable to attack it and it had been carried, after a trifling opposition.

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At Attypittya, on the 4th, I received Major Hook's report, dated from Gerigamme the preceding day, apprizing me that he had taken possession of that strong position and the neighbouring hill fort of Galgederah, with hardly any resistance, and no loss.

On the 6th I reached Ganniteynne, where it became necessary to halt for some days, to give time for the concentration of the divisions advancing from Trincomalee and the east side of the Candian territory. Lieutenant Colonel O'Connell was encamped here, and Major Moffatt posted at Amenoopoora, one mile and a half beyond the pass, and a free communication opened between the

two corps.

Here the Adikar Molligodde, by a message through Mr.D'Oyley, requested permission to surrender himself with the banners and records of the four Korles, of which he is Dessave, having received intimation of the escape of his family from Candy. My consent being signified to him, he, on the 8th of Feb. came into camp in state, attended by a number of Chiefs of the four Korles, who had not previously appeared, and formally gave up the insignia and records of his Dessave into the hands of Mr. D'Oyley, whom I had deputed as Commissioner on the part of the British Government to confer with him.

Learning by reports from Major Kelly, commanding the 3d division, and proceeding through the province of Saffragam and Ourah towards the Indulgasinha Pass, that he could be sufficiently advanced to support a forward movement on the part of Lieut.

col. O'Connell and Major Hook's divisions, I, on the 10th, directed Lieut.-col. O'Connell to ascend the Pass, and occupy Major Moffatt's position, sending his detachment a little in advance; and on the evening of the same day, I joined the camp at Amenoopoora.

The Adikar Cheylapola, who had followed my progress as far as Ganiteynne, proposed to take a different route from thence; and being furnished with an escort of about 50 men, proceeded up the mountains, by a road to the right, leading into the province of Oudinoora, the inhabitants of which he was desirous to communicate with.

Late in the evening of the 11th, a report was brought to Mr. D'Oyley, that a division of the British troops, supposed to be that commanded by Major Hook, had reached Kattugastotte, a ferry of the great river called Mahaviliganga, about three miles distant from Candy; that the King had quitted the capital, and that the defences at Gonarooha, another ferry of the same river, about an equal distance from the city, were abandoned.

A patrole, sent forward during the night, under the command of Major Brownrigg, reached Gonarooha early in the morning, and, fording the river, ascertained the truth of the intelligence in all its parts. Batteries of great extent were erected here, reaching from the common place of crossing for a considerable distance along the opposite bank, and commanding the ford; but were entirely destitute either of men or guns Hideous objects of the King's resentment here presented themselves, in the remains