of Colonel
Nickolls, of the Royal Marines, and continued to harass the
Americans by frequent incursions into the cultivated districts.
It so happened, however, that, being persuaded to attempt the
reduction of a fort situated upon Mobile Point, and being, as
might be expected, repulsed with some loss, their confidence in
their leader, and their dependence upon British aid, had begun of
late to suffer a serious diminution. Though not very profitable
as friends, their local position and desultory mode of warfare
would have rendered them at this period exceedingly annoying to
us as enemies; it was accordingly determined to dispatch an
embassy to their settlements, for the purpose of restoring them
to good humour, or at least discovering their intentions.

Whilst the troops were assembling upon Pine Island, a cutter,
having proper officers on board, and carrying presents of
clothing, arms, and rum, was dispatched upon this business. It
reached its place of destination in safety, and the ambassadors
found very little difficulty in bringing back the fickle Indians
to their wonted reliance upon British support. Several of the
chiefs and warriors, indeed, requested and obtained permission to
visit our Admiral and General, and to follow the fortunes of our
troops; and a very grotesque and singular appearance they
presented as they stood upon the quarter-deck of the Tonnant.
But the costume, habits, and customs of these savages have been
too frequently and too accurately described elsewhere, to render
any account of them on the present occasion desirable. It is
sufficient to observe, that whilst they gazed upon everything
around them with a look expressive of no astonishment whatever,
they were themselves objects of eager curiosity to us; and that
they bore our close inspection and somewhat uncourteous
deportment with the most perfect philosophy. But to my tale.

The enemy's cutters having fallen into our hands, at an early
hour on the morning of the 16th the disembarkation of the troops
began. So deficient, however, was the fleet in boats and other
small craft fit to navigate the lakes, that it was late on the
evening of the 21st before the last division took up its ground
upon Pine Island, and even then the inconveniences of our descent
were but beginning. The troops had yet to be arranged in corps
and brigades; to each of these its proportion of Commissaries,
Purveyors, and Medical attendants, &c., &c., required to