^ ■ - | r i ^ 'R R A # \I V £ ( O F | & :
CHAP. 111 conftantly expofed J:o the moft^igWt ?nd
I. the moft. defperate »outrage.. Of.<t^g;c irc u n ^ lnfejJfhis
' * *g no^ however the..pl$cqdbr-. av minute^Retail.. I^et^it
fuffice therefore for the prefent,* only tor obferve, that"
thefe repeated Ts&olfs and ijtfurr&SiQfis j demanded, at
length the moft vigorous;. meafpres-for the defloration
of a generkl peace; and t:h at'J tho aeeodht'sT tdaflfm]t|ed
to Holland, in the^year M g that a-cdnfMeragle" body
o f armed people "of /i>ii "dfefcription had t^j^mbled.ip -the
forefts, and became jfexfremely formidable toflhe polony,
determined t h B B G
United Provinces to fend out a iufficient maritime force
to oppofe the infurgents, and, if poflible, to quell the in-
furredtipn.
The Britijb .navyA had ever bpen my chpice,.,and; am-
bition, in '
fmall hopes, of preferment f/had. -ip.
time of peace, and my paternal eftate beings lpfl jnft after
my birth by accidental misfort.unes^ifiduced rperq yelin-
quifti the hpges ;of adyan^njent, injthe l^a fervice, and
.to accept an, ejifign’s conimiffion, prefentedrme:without
purclaafe, in one; of the, SM-M^a^regimefitsr in the
. pay'qf Holland,
at that period was. ambaflador from the Britilh ,cpu^fl;
before . which .nobleman l rhafl the
ufual paths of abjuration and. allegiance to ;my..Ki,N q
and CouNiTRT^.as. regiftered,at,, the Britilh .war-o#ice.~
This point 1 have alfo. thpught it lig h t ;ta p re u n ft,^ s
a duty
E X P ED I T I O N TO SURINAM.
,a duty owing to myje^fi, to ftiew, the world in general that
it was neceffity not choice that compelled me to enter
into a foreign, fervicethough, perhaps a more ancient
and wdifliiaguift&d corps dpesrtnot <^ift ,than the above
brigaderhas, proved tofbeo Ji)Oth in-this ifland and on the
.continent, mr «above two hundred years-
At the timepf the}ab^oye infu-ri^ecflion I was,.Lieutenant
in thelfonouraWeGteqeraL Joh$ Stuart's regiment; when,
impreffed. by the popes of .trayorfing, the fea, my favourite
element, and in IbmmmeafurC grati^yi^my curip.7
fljjy, ip", exploring a part .of th e .R r ld ,,nofr generally
known; ftill mqre by the profpeil of that preferment
which might-bo ppqfequ^n’t onTq dangerous, an’ expedition
; I inftantly folicited admiffion into a corps of volunteers
w^ich \Vas^ preparing „t Of fail for Guiana, and had
the honour, by his Spfene Hi0^ys'<' W il l iam V-
Prince rqF rORan.ge, to be advanced to the rank of
Captain by brevet*-, under Colonel Louis F&nry Four-
geoud, a Swifs gentleman, from the Alpine Mountains,
who was appointed our commander imchief.
V Haying taken the oathyof fidelity on.the 12th of November
to the new corps, and prepared what was necef-
fary for the voyage, I bade' farewell’to my old regiment,
and, immediately failed, to the ifland. of Texel,.
where feyeral of our gentlemen were already aflembled
* Each officer was permitted to re* a vacancy being there preferred for him.
enter his former rdgiment, if he furvived «hiring his abfence.,
the expedition, and returned to Europe,. V
and