| - | 2 | 1 | - | 22| 11| 20| 49|
+--------------+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+

Although it was intended that the privates of West India regiments
should be black, yet, apparently, white men were not prohibited from
serving in the ranks; for, in later muster rolls, two or three privates
are shown as "enrolled in England," and one of these is afterwards shown
as "transferred to 60th." A volunteer, David Scott, who joined 29th May,
1797, was also promoted ensign in November of that year. These
enrolments of Europeans only occur in the first three years of the
regiment's existence, and negro privates were available for promotion
to, at least, the rank of corporal very early; for a Private John
Lafontaine, who was promoted corporal, is shown in the muster roll
terminating December 24th, 1796, as "claimed as a slave." The pay of a
private in a West India regiment was then sixpence per diem.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 19: In the Account of the Extraordinary Expenditure of the
Army, from 25th December, 1795, to 6th December, 1796, is the following:

On account of pay for sundry black corps for the
year 1795, raised for service in the West Indies L10,120 12 9

On account of ditto for the year 1796 60,095 10 3
------------
L70,216 3 0
]

[Footnote 20: "The military force in St. Vincent consists at present of
a regiment of infantry and a company of artillery, sent from England;
and a black corps raised in the country, but provided for, with the
former, on the British Establishment, and receiving no additional pay
from the island."--Bryan Edwards, vol. i. p. 428.]

[Footnote 21: The Army List for 1795 is dated January 1st.]

CHAPTER VIII.

THE CAPTURE OF ST. LUCIA, 1796.

In January, 1796, the company of Malcolm's Royal Rangers that was at St.
Vincent was moved to St. Christopher; the other company still remained
at Martinique, and both, in April, 1796, were selected to take part in
the expedition to St. Lucia. "That island could then muster for its
defence about 2000 well-disciplined black soldiers, a number of less
effective blacks, and some hundred whites, who held positions both
naturally and artificially strong, and were plentifully supplied with
artillery, ammunition, and stores. The post on which the Republicans
chiefly