his own islands.

"He is _not_ defending the other islands in the harbour, for the enemy
in force landed from a great number of boats, and burned the lighthouse
at noonday (having first killed or taken the party of marines which was
posted there) almost under the guns of two or three men-of-war.

"He is _not_ employing his ships to keep up communication and
intelligence with the King's servants and friends at different parts of
the continent, for I do not believe that General Gage has received a
letter from any correspondent out of Boston these six weeks.

"He is intent upon greater objects, you will think,--supporting in the
great points the dignity of the British flag,--and where a number of
boats have been built for the enemy; privateers fitted out; prizes
carried in; the King's armed vessels sunk; the crews made prisoners; the
officers killed,--he is doubtless enforcing instant restitution and
reparation by the voice of his cannon and laying the towns in ashes that
refuse his terms? Alas! he is not."[129]

Burgoyne finishes his indictment by lumping with the admiral's
inefficiencies the weaknesses of quartermaster-generals,
adjutant-generals, secretaries, and commissaries. In all this we catch a
glimpse of one result of the king's policy, which was to reward his
friends and rebuke his enemies. Since he classed with his enemies the
Whigs who were at home, he had only Tories to draw from. From them came
Admiral Graves, and the crowd of incompetents who filled offices in
America. The royal service was now paying the piper.

One result Burgoyne has noted very plainly, in the lack of fresh
provision. The admiral could have protected the stock on the harbor
islands, and without unnecessary violence could have seized provisions
from the shore towns. This, however, he did not do, and we soon find the
army complaining of its fare. It was not that the commissary was
negligent; even the moneyed officers were at times unable to satisfy
their desire for fresh meat, the supply of which was uncertain. For lack
of hay, the milk supply soon disappeared, since cows could not be fed
and had to be killed. Cheerful news came to the American camp that the
venerable town bull had been sold for beef. The army even tired of its
supply of fish, which, to be sure, never was great, though then as now
Boston lay close to good fishing grounds. Salt pork was the main
reliance, and before the middle of the summer the army had had
altogether