The old naval records concerning Guiana abound in incidents that savor of Marryat. The easy-going colonial existence evoked a conviviality that in turn gave birth to cocktails, and similar inventions upon which the tropical thirst might prey. All this was responsible for a certain hospitable recklessness which nothing but the modern god of Moderation has tended to diminish!

Although the more important circumstances of British Guiana do not enter into this book, we may deal with a chance incident which is not without interest. Life in the colony in the first years of the nineteenth century seems to have been unpleasantly enlivened by the presence of a notorious duelist of the name of Blair, who, a dead shot, haunted that British possession as well as the West Indies, marking down his victims and killing his men. One of the incidents of this man's career is suggestive of the pages not only of Marryat but of Lever.

It occurred when the officers of his Majesty's sloop-ofwar Pheasant were dining ashore at the house of a Mr. Maxwell, a resident of Bridgetown. After dinner Blair unexpectedly put in an appearance. Without a doubt this sinister person had already worked out his plan, for almost immediately he began to tell the British officers in a most insulting fashion of a French privateer then fitting out at Guadeloupe which, he asserted offensively, would drive any British sloop-of-war from the station! For a time the British officers kept silence, out of respect for their mortified host. This did not fit in with Blair's program, and the professional duelist continued his aggressions, until Captain Robert Henderson told him, quite briefly, that, unless he ceased, he would throw him out of the window. On this Blair left abruptly, and in a few minutes arrived his invitation to come out and be shot. Henderson, as the challenged, had the choice of weapons. He chose pistols: distance, across a handkerchief, the antagonists to be foot to foot! When he and

his second arrived on the ground, it was, and remained, undarkened by the shadow of the bully!

The blow to Blair's prestige must have been considerable. Had he lived in a work of fiction he would have sunk at one full swoop, and would have been put out of harm's way forever. Alas for the injustices of mere fact! This was not so. Blair appears to have lost little time in learning to ruffle his feathers again, for he succeeded in sending a bullet through many a better than he after that, his last victim being an officer of high rank at Demerara.

The Falkland Islands are supposed to have been sighted by Davis in 1592 and more closely visited by Richard Hawkins in 1594. The name which the latter gave to them, Hawkins' Maidenland, was only in accordance with the spirit of the age which devoted itself to bringing bouquets of nomenclature to the virgin queen. But this effort of brave old Richard's savors of a more daring tenderness than the majority.

The first regular British colony, founded in 1766, was ejected in 1770 by a powerful Spanish force after the exchange of a few cannon shot, sent to and fro for the sake of appearances rather than for anything else, since the British were in no position to offer an effective resistance. The following year, however, they were restored by Spain to England.

There were some attempts to colonize the islands in 1774 and in 1776. In the latter year Captain McBride rendered a depressing account of them. He says:

"We found a mass of islands and broken lands, of which the soil was nothing but a bog, with no better prospect than that of barren mountains, beaten by storms almost perpetual. Yet this is summer; and if the winds of winter hold their natural proportion, those who lie but two cables length from the shore, must pass weeks without any communication with it."

As a matter of fact, this description was very far from

doing justice to the island, which, notwithstanding its rather desolate situation, has proved itself an admirable center for sheep-raising.

In 1820 a Buenos Aires frigate visited the Falkland Islands. She was commanded by a Mr. Jewitt, whose title appears to have been "Colonel of the Marine of the United Provinces of South America." He formally took possession of the islands in the name of the Patriot Government of Buenos Aires, and it is on this account that Argentina argues the irregularity of our tenure of the islands. There is no doubt, as a matter of fact, that the Buenos Aires Government did hold possession of these islands for a time, for when H.M. sloop Clio visited them in 1833 a garrison of twenty-five Buenos Aires troops were found at the spot, as well as some settlers, who retired in company with the garrison.

Some time after this the group was given the dubious state of a penal settlement, but in 1852 this establishment was done away with, and soon afterwards the beginning of the present prosperity of the island began to set in.

These islands, of course, have recently attained to a sentimental importance in history such as they never before possessed; for it was the naval battle of the Falkland Islands that avenged the destruction of Admiral Craddock's squadron and vindicated the supremacy of the white ensign, that was never more glorious than when it sank, unconquered beneath the waves of the Pacific.

CHAPTER IX

BRITISH FIGHTERS IN THE CAUSE OF SOUTH AMERICAN

INDEPENDENCE

(1)

Attitude of the British Government-Sympathy extended toward the South Americans-Visions of state-Document drawn up by the South Americans Some striking clauses-Instances of Latin foresight—Alliances and the Panama Canal as viewed at the beginning of the nineteenth century-Procedure of the United States and of Great Britain-Miranda and recruiting facilities-An Irish writer in the "Caracas Gazette❞— The most notable British eye-witnesses of the war-Admiral Cochrane, General Miller, Captain Basil Hall, and an anonymous chronicler -Social opportunities enjoyed by these-Bolivar and San Martin-Differing circumstances of the Northern and Southern campaigns-Warlike ethics of the tropics and of the temperate latitudes-Ferocity of the Northern campaign-Types of leaders-The British legion reproved for giving quarter-Merciless methods employed by the SpaniardsRevenge of the South Americans-Sir George McGregor-Fine performances of his volunteers-Colonel English recruits in England-Force raised by Major Beamish-Death of that officer-Arrival of General English with two thousand seasoned British troops-General Devereux obtains two thousand men in Ireland-Some notable officers-Effects of the climate and food on the newcomers-Beef or sugar-cane as rations Sickness and death in the ranks-Lamentable conditions of the corps-Creature and climatic pests-Early relations between the British and South American troops-The British distinguish themselves in their first action-Removal of mutual misconceptions-Battle of Boyacá-Prestige of the British legion-Attempted detention of General English's force at Trinidad-General Urdineta-Colonel Blossett's duel -Contemporary opinion of General English-General Devereux-His methods of recruiting-Composition of his force-Arrival of the corps in South America-Consequences of a reckless sale of commissionsGeneral Devereux lands in South America-Humorous contemporary description of his arrival-Father O'Mullin-Incidents at the official reception-Devereux's character-His subsequent conduct-Story of the Irish legion-Conduct of the British and Irish legions at the battle of Carabobo-The two corps are united-Prowess of Captain RushDeath of Captain Chamberlayne-Feat of an Irish officer-"Town

Taker" The secret treasure-chamber of Barcelona Cathedral-The jewels of St. Lawrence Stories spread by the priests concerning the British-A tailed race of cannibals-British sailors in Bolivar's fleet -Admiral Brion-An eccentric naval commander-in-chief-His conduct and uniform-Some British naval officers-Bolivar's relations with the British troops-Temperament and peculiarities of the Liberator-His activity and bravery-Abstemious habits-Mrs. EnglishEpisode at her ball-Privileges obtained by certain officers.

E

VEN before the actual outbreak of the War of Independence the sentiments of the British cabinet toward the South American patriots were plainly of the most friendly nature. Canning was deeply attached to their cause, and Pitt had more than once been on the eve of active intervention, although in 1806 Mr. Fox protested that the liberation of South America was not part of his government's program.

Notwithstanding this, the keenest interest was taken by the British in the doings of the patriots, both in Europe and in South America. Sympathy was extended in the most genuine fashion, although it must be admitted that some of the anticipations were by no means altogether disinterested. There were serious hopes, for instance, that the South Americans, once freed from the yoke of Spain, might turn to Great Britain, and incorporate themselves in that liberal empire. It was a stupendous dream. Had something beyond half measures been taken to materialize it—and the sending of an incapable commander in charge of a British force is surely a half measure-the history of the temperate portions of South America might have been different, although, as subsequent events have proved, it would not have run so natural and so Latin a course. But, so far as the entire continent was concerned, that is another story altogether, and here undoubtedly the vision was very thin and dim. Captain Cochrane has an interesting reference to a document which was drawn up on the 22nd of December, 1797, by the representatives of South America. This contained various proposals, and was entrusted to the famous