ejoined head-quarters from St. Lucia.
The establishment of the regiment was now eight instead of ten companies
as formerly.

On the 23rd of December, 1862, a detachment of three companies (Nos. 5, 7,
and 8) embarked in the troopship _Adventure_, under Lieutenant-Colonel
Macauley, and proceeded to Honduras, arriving there on January 3rd,
1863. A war of reprisals between the Santa Cruz and Ycaiche Indians was
then raging on the frontier, and the greatest vigilance was necessary to
prevent violation of British territory, the detachments of the regiment
at the outposts of Orange Walk and Corosal being continually employed.

In March, 1863, the whole of the southern side of Belize was destroyed
by fire, and the detachment of the 1st West India Regiment there
stationed received the thanks of the Legislative Assembly for the
assistance it had rendered in preventing the conflagration spreading, a
sum of $200 being voted for the men, "as an acknowledgment of the
valuable services rendered by them." In this, or the preceding year,
companies were designated alphabetically instead of numerically; No. 1
becoming "A," No. 2, "B," and so on.

On the 31st of October, 1863, A Company, with the head-quarters,
embarked at Barbados on board the troopship _Megaera_, which had arrived
the day before from Demerara with D and F Companies. The vessel then
proceeded to St. Lucia, where B Company was embarked, and all four went
to Nassau. The distribution of the regiment was then: 4 companies at
Nassau, 3 in Honduras, and 1 in Trinidad.

In 1863 occurred what is usually called the Second Ashanti War. It was
caused, as almost every Ashanti war or threat of invasion has been
caused, by the refusal of the Governor of the Gold Coast to surrender to
the Ashanti King fugitives who had sought British protection. In revenge
for this refusal an Ashanti force made a raid into the Protectorate, and
reinforcements were at once asked for by the Colonial Government. In
December, 1863, B Company, 1st West India Regiment, under Captain Bravo,
embarked at Nassau in H.M.S. _Barracouta_ for Jamaica, and proceeded,
towards the end of February, 1864, to Honduras, in the troopship
_Tamar_. There E and G Companies embarked, and all three, under the
command of Major Anton, sailed for Cape Coast Castle on the 2nd of
March, arriving there on the 9th of April. The officers of the regiment
serving with these companies were Major Anton, Captains Bravo and
Hopewell Smith,