After an interval of several months, during which nothing was attempted towards effecting the conquest of the island, and when sickness, the never-failing result of inactivity, particularly in those climes, began its ravages, it was determined to evacuate the island, which took place on the 20th of November, 1741, when the regimental Returns were as follow:-- +---------------------------------+-------------+--------------+ | | | Serjeants, | | Regiment. | Colonels. |Drummers, and | | | |Rank and File.| +---------------------------------+-------------+--------------+ |15th regiment |Harrison | 225 | |24th regiment |Wentworth | 219 | | | | | |43rd regiment { 1st Battalion |Spotswood’s, | 159 | | American { 2nd ” | afterwards | 110 | | Marines { 3rd ” | Gooche’s, | 99 | | { 4th ” | Marines | 121 | | | | | |1st Marines (aft^{ds}. 44th Rt.) |Wolfe | 181 | |2nd do. ( ” 45th Rt.) |Fraser | 158 | |3rd do. ( ” 46th Rt.) |Lowther | 237 | |4th do. ( ” 47th Rt.) |Wynyard | 177 | |5th do. ( ” 48th Rt.) |Cochrane | 191 | |6th do. ( ” 49th Rt.) |Cotterell | 211 | | | +--------------+ | | 2088 | | Sick in all | 566 | | +--------------+ | Total | 2654 | +-----------------------------------------------+--------------+ The total loss of officers at the close of 1741 amounted to one Commander-in-Chief, five colonels, ten lieut.-colonels, seven majors, fifty-five captains, one hundred and sixteen subalterns, and fourteen staff officers. The heavy casualties in the Marine regiments are shown when it is stated that these six regiments consisted of more than one thousand men each, and that, only 2654 men returned. The foregoing statement affords a sad record of the ill-judged plans relating to the expedition to South America, both as to the season of the year at which it was undertaken, and the deficiency of means and arrangements with which it was attempted to be carried into execution. Great disappointment and dissatisfaction were consequently created in the feelings of the British public. The transports returned to Jamaica on the 29th of November, 1741, and the squadron continued at sea to meet the reinforcements which were anxiously expected from England.