ST. VINCENTS, WEST INDIES. 215 CHAPTER THE FIFTEENTH. Lands at St. Vincents-Carib war-Severely wounded. AT the same date at which Colonel Graham reached St. Vincents, a considerable reinforcement of troops from England also landed at Kingston. These regiments had, like himself, only returned from the continent a few weeks before their embarkation. Major-General Irving also arrived to take command. The principal Carib camp on the Vigie was one of the first points to which General Irving directed his attention. The general features of St. Vincents are lofty mountains in the central parts of the island, thickly clothed with trees; these mountains diverge in ridges of a lower elevation towards the sea, and are, in their turn, intersected again by deep ravines, which gradually widen on approaching the shore, and become valleys capable of cultivation. The hills rise more abruptly from the sea on the north-western side of the island than on the north-eastern, there being on this latter side an extensive tract of level land, the most productive in the colony. Some distance above Calliaqua, a small town three miles west of Kingston, the commanding post of the Vigie (or look out) is situated towards the interior of the island. The different ridges before mentioned are here concentrated into one elevation, with three conical hills; the largest of these conical hills is surrounded with deep ravines, almost impassable. The top of this hill, having an area of about 100 yards in length and 20 in breadth, constituted the Carib citadel, being barricaded all round with sugar hogsheads filled with earth, and within 200 yards one of the smaller conical hills was formed into their first redoubt, and promised to be very serviceable, as it covered the approach to the citadel in the direction by which it was easiest of access. About cannon shot, nearly in the same direction, rose the third of these hills, overlooking the road from Kingston in a most commanding manner. This was the most advanced post or picket guard. General Irving lost about 100 men killed and wounded in an attempt on this strong position, in the early part of October, but although the Vigie range was gained, it was deemed impracticable to storm the citadel itself, and the troops were withdrawn. Had the place been vigorously assaulted, the enemy would, in all probability, have been cut off. As it was they took advantage of the darkness to evacuate and make their escape, and the place was taken possession of the following morning. For some days after this, great un SKIRMISH AT BLACKETT'S BLUFF, 217 certainty prevailed in the military councils; plans were formed and then abandoned. During this delay the enemy obtained some supplies of which they stood in want, and then commenced entrenching themselves on Mount Young and Mount William. About the 16th the British army sat down opposite those positions on Bellevue Ridge. On the 18th General Irving crossed the Colonarie river and took possession of the north ridge of the Colonarie Vale, when a discharge of artillery from Mount William left no doubt as to the enemy having succeeded in manning their works at that point. Frequent skirmishes took place after that date until the 30th October, when Colonel Graham was ordered to gain a ridge called Blackett's Bluff. The enemy were well aware of the advantage of this position, and therefore drew out almost all their forces to oppose the British column. General Irving, on seeing this, recalled Colonel Graham before he had time to effect the object for which he was detached. The loss of the British on this occasion was four killed and sixteen wounded. Shepherd, in his account of the Carib war, charges General Irving with a want of enterprize on this occasion, as the Bluff, in his opinion, might have been secured, and the retreat of the enemy cut off from Mount William. The caution of the British general he conceives attributable to orders he had received not to attempt anything until he was reinforced, orders framed without a know L |