After remaining here a few days, I accompanied Captain Ross and Captain Jackson forty miles up the river, to bring down the _Countess of Harcourt_ Indiaman, that had been captured by a privateer some months before. In going up and down the river St. Mary’s we saw several large alligators sleeping on the banks, which at a little distance were taken for logs of timber, until they began to plunge into the water; we fired at several, and observed the balls strike the scales, but they bounded off, apparently without doing them any injury. I saw some of the Americans with the upper part of their shoes made of the skin, it had been tanned, and wore well, the knobs looked curious. I regretted afterwards I did not procure some of the shoes and tanned skins, and bring them home with me to England. After returning with the Indiaman, which we loaded with cotton, etc., I was ordered to proceed to Nassau, New Providence, to bring 300 more of the 2nd West India Regiment, it being the intention of the rear-admiral to make some attack further to the northward. We reached the Bahamas in ten days, first making the hole in the rock at the island of Abacco, which is a most excellent land-mark: it lies in lat. 25°, 56 N., long. 77°, 20 W. from London. Then, steering S. by E., 18 leagues, we arrived off the bar of New Providence, where we took a pilot to conduct us to the anchorage. An immense shark followed us over the bar, and remained by the ship during our stay, and proceeded with us again when we sailed. The water was so very clear that we saw him daily at the bottom. He was too cunning to take bait, though now and then he would come up to the top, eat the bones and bits of biscuit thrown overboard, and try and get the piece of beef off the hook, but never would swallow it. On my return from New Providence with troops, we again took on board part of the marine battalion from the fort and barracks of Fort Washington at Point-à-Petre, the guns of which we embarked; then, blowing up the works and burning the barracks, we returned to Cumberland Island to plan further annoyances to the enemy. While we were absent at the Bahamas, Captain Phillot, of the _Primrose_, brig, had been sent ninety miles up the river to attack some troops and destroy their stores of provisions, but the river becoming narrow, and the Americans lining the banks with sharpshooters, besides felling trees to stop the boats, he failed in the object, having lost several men killed and wounded, amongst the latter Captain Phillot himself severely. Had the enemy not prematurely shown their intention, they would have blocked up the boats, and probably captured them all. As it was, nothing but the coolness and bravery of the commander, and officers and men under his orders, prevented it.