When, in the early part of 1761, preparations for an expedition on a large scale were commenced at Portsmouth, it was imagined that the destination of the fleet was either the East or West Indies. The vessels were provisioned for twelve months; there were no less than 35 transports; and the only difficulty that spectators and gossips had to overcome was the fact that an immense number of flat-bottomed boats, capable each of carrying 60 men, was to form part of the fleet. Those were days when newspaper reporters and interviewers were not licensed as now; and when inquisitive members of Parliament had to content themselves with very evasive replies. In addition to a powerful fleet and Artillery, no less than fifteen battalions of infantry and three troops of Burgoyne's horse accompanied the expedition. The command of the troops was given to Major-General Studholm Hodgson, with several Brigadiers to assist him, some of whom bore names which we shall meet again during the War of Independence, Howe, Burgoyne, and Carleton. The fleet was under the command of Commodore Keppel; and it was intended that much of the work should be done by it, as the nation had of late been somewhat outspoken as to the inaction of the navy, nor were Admiral Byng and Minorca forgotten. When the fleet first sailed from Portsmouth on the 29th March, 1761, Captain Tovey commanded the Artillery; but on the 5th April Colonel Desaguliers was ordered by the King to proceed (with the rank of Brigadier) to Portsmouth: the miners were ordered to the same place to join Captain Hind's company; the whole to proceed without delay to Belleisle, whither it was now known the expedition had gone. The gallant Brigadier was no sluggard; at midnight on the 6th April—those were not the days of railways—he reached Portsmouth, sent word to Captain Hind to have his company ready at a moment's notice, went himself on board the 'Blast' transport on the afternoon of the 7th, and sailed at daybreak the following morning. The same energy displayed itself on his reaching Belleisle. The expedition had already met with misfortune. An attempt had been made on the 8th April to land 300 men on the south-east of the island, after a heavy and apparently successful bombardment from the fleet; but the enemy charged them with superior numbers before they could form, and took them all prisoners, besides inflicting a loss on some detachments which landed to assist them, of 37 killed and 76 wounded.