In a few minutes a fine able-bodied negro made his appearance; he was startled at seeing me in the attire of a French sailor, but the Colonel told him it was all right, that I was an Englishman. “‘Ah! see him berry glad, massa,’ continued Pompey. ‘De debils be all gone bord ship. De burn and carry off ebery ting, cuss ’em. De sure come again to-morrow.’ “‘Well, then, Pompey, we must set out at once for Banca, we shall find canoes on the river bank.’ “‘Certain sure, massa. Massa Stanhope ab dem ready for you.’ “‘Well, then,’ continued the Colonel, ‘pack up our traps and let us be moving, its only two miles to the river. Banca, young gentleman, is a fort or an island up the river.’ “I helped the young ladies to get all the little chattels they had brought away hastily from their house in the town, and insisted on taking my share of the burdens. The negro girls laughed and chatted as if the whole affair was a piece of amusement, and off we started. It was not so very easy to get through the entangled wood; the Colonel and Pompey led the way, whilst I assisted the daughters, cutting away the brambles and overhanging branches with an axe Pompey gave me. Having cleared the wood, we soon got over the rice grounds, and in an hour we reached the banks of the river. There we found two large canoes, with some negroes belonging to Captain Stanhope. We all embarked, and were paddled up the river, with the tide in our favour, for the island on which Fort Banca stood. “‘I could scarcely suppose,’ I remarked to Miss Cherry Packenham, who sat next to me in the canoe, ‘that this part of the world had a climate so destructive to human life, the scenery is so beautiful. This is a fine open view, and the air, though hot, not overpoweringly so.’ “‘Ah! you will be deceived by all you see,’ said the young girl; ‘this is rather a favourable month, and this year has altogether been less destructive to human life. There is Fort Banca. I hope those horrid French ships will not attempt to come up the river, and fire upon the fort.’ “‘It looks very strong,’ I observed, ‘and, from its position, difficult to attack.’ “‘Papa says it’s all outward show; for if an enemy gets up the river, they would soon knock it to pieces.’ “Just as it began to grow dusk, we reached the landing place at Fort Banca. Colonel Packenham’s friend, Captain Stanhope, was waiting to receive him. “‘In the name of Fate,’ said the Captain, shaking his friend the Colonel by the hand, ‘why did you not come up the river in the boats, instead of taking to the woods? The jungle is dangerous.’ “‘Faith, I thought my two little girls would have a worse chance if the enemy opened fire on the boats,’ returned the Colonel, ‘and I was so anxious for them that I started on the first opening of the fire from the French ships. Cowardly rascals to fire into the streets of the town, and our flag hauled down!’