The reasons of this retrograde movement were the badness of the roads from Helder to the interior. The army received its bread from the fleet, and all the ammunition and military stores; the roads were becoming impassable, and the farther we advanced, the difficulties of fetching our supplies from the Helder were increasing. The French armies in Switzerland, and on the Rhine, had gained decisive victories, which enabled them to detach large bodies of troops, which were on their way, to reinforce their army in Holland, which would then become so strong as to be able to overpower us. It had, therefore, been determined to retreat while the roads were passable, lest our retreat might be cut off. The army retired from all its positions early in the morning, and the rear guard left Alkmaar early in the day.--The enemy, after being repulsed on the 6th, was apprehensive that we might attack him, and was prepared, in that case, to retire to Haarlem; our retreating was not expected by him, and it was about 10 o'clock in the forenoon before his advanced cavalry picquets discerned that Alkmaar was evacuated, when they entered and found a few drunken women and soldiers, whose intoxication prevented them from knowing that the army had retreated. In a few days after the retreat of the army, an armistice was agreed upon, the conditions of which were, that we should evacuate Holland by the end of November, and release eight thousand prisoners without exchange, as a boon for our being allowed quietly to re-embark. This agreement put an end to hostilities, and preparations were made to send home the troops with all possible expedition; but, before we left the country, I caught the ague, and after we had arrived in England, in the beginning of November, 1799, I was put into the hospital in Chelmsford, twenty-six miles from London. I was greatly reduced in body before I recovered, which was not until the beginning of the next year, 1800.--God's mercy in granting me a recovery from the ague, impressed my mind with the additional obligations I was now laid under to serve him:--but, as formerly, my resolutions of mind were soon broken; conscience soon found matter of accusation against me; I was at times careless and listless, and at other times thoughtful and pensive. The barracks in which we lay, were about a mile from the town of Chelmsford. There was a tabernacle in the town, where there was a sermon once a fortnight in the evening. I went several times to it; and the sermons served to awaken my religious impressions. One evening, the preacher described a case of conscience; which I thought not unlike my own; and among other directions, he exhorted the person who might be in such a case, to lay it before God in prayer. After the service was over, I shunned my companions; returned to the barracks alone, and prayed to God for light and direction as I went along the road; and I set about reforming my conduct once more. But I