Four troops of the SEVENTEENTH were sent to _St. Domingo_, where they served against the republican troops, and signalized themselves at Fort Raimond, Irois, and Morne Gautier; but the climate of this island proved so injurious to the health of the British soldiers that it was eventually abandoned. After losing many officers and soldiers in the West Indies, the regiment embarked for England, where it arrived in August, 1797; the head-quarter ship, the Caledonia, foundered at sea; the men were saved by boats, and taken on board the Britannia, of Bristol; but the baggage and regimental books were lost. On its arrival in England the regiment received about four hundred recruits, also a large draft from the Eighteenth Light Dragoons, and it was soon restored to a state of efficiency. [Sidenote: 1798] [Sidenote: 1799] In 1798 a Serjeant's party of the SEVENTEENTH was attached to the expedition under Major-General Eyre Coote, which sailed from Margate, on the 14th of May, for the purpose of destroying the basin, gates, and sluices of the Bruges canal, to interrupt the communication between _Ostend_ and Holland. A landing was effected on the 19th of May, and the works were destroyed; but while this was taking place, the wind and surf became so high that the troops could not re-embark, and they were attacked by superior numbers, and forced to surrender. The detachment of the SEVENTEENTH was among the troops made prisoners, and it was sent to Lisle; it was afterwards exchanged, and on rejoining the regiment in the spring of 1799, such had been its exemplary conduct, that the Serjeant, (William Brown,) was promoted to a cornetcy in the Waggon Train, from which he was transferred to the regiment, and eventually became a captain in the corps; and the private soldiers were appointed non-commissioned officers. Two squadrons were ordered to Portsmouth to embark for Egypt, but the order was countermanded, and they rejoined the head-quarters at Swinley, near Windsor, where the regiment was encamped during the summer. This year a second Lieut.-Colonel was added to the establishment, which was augmented to ten troops. [Sidenote: 1800] After encamping on Bagshot heath, in the summer of 1800, the regiment was employed in suppressing riots, occasioned by the high price of provision, and it exhibited much forbearance under many aggravated assaults from the populace, especially at Duffield, where many soldiers were hurt, and several men of the regiment were afterwards invalided in consequence of the injuries received on this and other occasions: Captain Werge received a shot through his helmet. [Sidenote: 1801] [Sidenote: 1802]