CHAP- of Bois-le-Duc, where the troops were finally difem-
barked.
« Per varios cafus, & tot dilcrimina rerum,
“ Pervenimus 3d Latium.”«*—1— ——
. ■ ** Olim meminifle juvabit.”
Thus ended, perhaps, one o f the moft extraordinary expeditions
that was ever undertaken by« European troops;
and to which only the exploits of the American Buccaneers
have any, and even that a very diftant, refemblance.
On our arrival I found that Lieutenant. Cplohel ,Wef-
terlo, who went fiek to Europe, in 1773, was n<?ty,et quite
recovered. This gentleman, now invited me, in company’
with fome others, to dine with him at the public mefif
where, while fome Dutch officers complaihjbd that tire
foup was fmoakyyandrthe beef was tough, wead venturers
declared that we never had tailed a more delicious repafb;
and at the fame time, while they praifed the flraw berries,
cherries, and other European fruits, we thought them very
indifferent, and greatly inferior to the avogado-pear, the
water-melon, and the pine-apple, to which we had been
lately accuftomed— which (hews that every thing in this
world is only good or bad by comparifon.
The following day we were introduced, on the parade,
to the Lieutenant Governor, General Hardenbr'ook, and
fpent the evening at his lady’s card aflembly, where I
muft acknowledge I was charmed with fome veryTweet
faces, frefh as the rofe and the lily, while they were no
Jefs entertained with our grotefque appearance1, though
we
.we had now borrowed the afliftance o f powder and. chap.
pomatum. - - ■’ ' . - . . x x x « <
On thé' 18th the troops were finally cleared with, and
paid t'hêiïi remaining arrears, and thofe who chofe it permitted
to return to their former tegimetitsv\ So the pf the
pfivateS'.hadTrom thirty to forty pounds to feceiye, which,
failor-lik’e^ having earnedit likehorfes, they fpent like afies.
Amohg others, a younglfellow o f my company, whofe late
regiment chanced to be quartered in the very fame town,
hired three poft-chaifes to carry him the length o f 'one
ftreet only,^ordering a couple' of drunken fiddlers in the
firft, his knapfack in the fècönd, and placing h imfdf in the
third, fupjxjrted by*a,brace o f the frail fifterhood: he was,
however, unfortunately fhipwtecked in his courfe, being,
run foul o f by the major de place, who,!having broken the
fiddles^ and fet the ladies adrift,.towed the roaring adventurer
himfelf, after a hard tug,'” to th e , quarter-guard,
whëre he came to an anchor in the bilbops, till the gale
Of; h-isf diffipation was quite; fpent, and he had: got rid of
all his cargo; In a fimilar manner went • moft' o f the
money which had .been earned with: fo much danger,
hardfhip, and fatigue,
. Now came the time to keep nay long-made refolution
of bidding a lajling farewell to Colonel Fourgeoud’s regiment;
from which, on the 10th day of Auguft, I obtained
my free difmiflion, haviög requefied. it, immediately
after my debarkation, from the Prince of Orange, who
at the fame time honoured me with a frefli Captain’s
y,;VoL. II. . : jj E commiflion