a portion of the garrison of that settlement. On
February 2nd, he returned to the Gambia in the _Avon_ with three
companies of the 1st West India Regiment and one of the 2nd West India
Regiment.

The expeditionary force now consisted of six companies of the 1st West
India Regiment, under Lieutenant-Colonel A.W. Murray, and four of the
2nd West India Regiment, under Major W. Hill; the Gambia Militia were
called out, and the West India detachments at McCarthy's Island, Cape
St. Mary's, and Fort Bullen replaced by pensioners.

Everything being in readiness, the Governor decided to make one last
endeavour to arrive at a peaceful solution of the difficulty (although
the king's people had recently, on several occasions, fired on the
schooners blockading the river), and despatched H.M.S. _Torch_ with a
flag of truce to Swarra Cunda Creek. Commander Smith returned with the
intelligence that the natives had prepared stockaded earthworks, were
assembled in large numbers, and had refused to hold any communication
with the ship.

On February 15th, the expedition left Bathurst, and steaming up to
Swarra Cunda Creek, some forty miles up the river, anchored there for
the night. The troops were under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel
Murray, 1st West India Regiment, and were thus distributed:

The gunners of the 1st and 2nd West India Regiment on board H.M.S.
_Torch_.

Nos. 1 and 7 Companies, 1st West India Regiment, on board the Colonial
steamer _Dover_.

Nos. 2 and 3 Companies, 1st West India Regiment, on the schooner
_Elizabeth_.

Nos. 4 and 7 Companies, 2nd West India Regiment, on the schooner
_Margaret_.

The _Dover_, after distributing her contingent amongst the other three
vessels lying in the creek, returned to Bathurst the same night to bring
up Nos. 4 and 6 Companies of the 1st West India Regiment and two
companies of the 2nd West India Regiment.

On February 16th, the whole force being collected, the _Torch_ and the
_Dover_ steamed up the creek to the trading landing-place of Swarra
Cunda, towing the schooners. The earthworks were observed to be full of
armed men, who shouted and brandished their weapons, amid a tremendous
beating of war-drums. The _Torch_ anchored about 180 yards from the
earthworks, the two schooners lying above her and the _Dover_ below, in
such positions as to be able to bring a cross-fire to bear. The
Governor, being still anxious to avoid bloodshed, hailed the enemy
through his interpreter