and being themselves fired upon from the pieces they had left behind the preceding day, they desisted from the attempt, and retired after some skirmishing. On the 9th, a reinforcement of 352 rank and file, with some field artillery, arrived from St. Helena.

At this period the future operations of the army became an object of most serious consideration.-On the one hand as the enemy appeared numerous, and disposed to an obstinate defence, for which they had had ample time to make the best preparations, General Craig could not but be sensible that the force under his command was, in point of numbers, inadequate to the attempt of reducing them; and he had little to rely on to counterbalance the disparity. He possessed no cattle nor carriages for the transport of ammunition or provisions, and a communication of twelve miles was to be kept up, to be furnished with either, at least till he could open a shorter one with the ships that the Admiral might send to Table Bay, for which the season was still very unfavourable. On the other hand, though these difficulties were sufficiently discouraging, yet the arrival of General Clarke, under whom Lieutenant-Colonel Ferguson served, was uncertain, and the state of General Craig's provisions was such as to render the possibility of his stay, till it should happen, very doubtful.

Under the above circumstances General Craig determined to make an attempt by night on the most considerable of the enemy's outposts, in the hope that a severe execution among the Burgher militia might intimidate them, and produce events to his advantage.—It took place on the 27th; but, unfortunately, notwithstanding every effort on the part of Lieutenant-Colonel Mackenzie, who commanded, it failed, from the intricacy of the roads, and the timidity and ignorance of the guides, while it served only to produce among the enemy a degree of vigilance, which soon convinced General Craig of the impracticability of any further attempt by way of surprize.

On the morning of the 1st of September, the enemy having lined the mountains above the British with Hottentots and Burgher militia, commenced a fire of musketry upon their camp, which, from the total want of effect a former attempt of the same nature had experienced, was little attended to, till unfortunately the piquet of the reserve, being too much occupied with covering themselves from it, neglected their front, from whence the enemy poured in considerable numbers, and forced them with some loss. Captain Brown, with the 78th grenadiers, advancing however to their sup

port, the enemy were immediately driven down the hill again, and the ground of the piquets re-occupied.

It was now agreed upon between General Craig and Admiral Elphinstone, to wait six days longer for the possibility of the arrival of General Clarke, and that if he did not appear by that time, General Craig should then advance, and, under every disadvantage of numbers and situation, try the fortune of an attack, which, however hazardous, they deemed it their duty to make, before the total failure of their provisions put them under an absolute necessity of seeking a supply elsewhere.

On the morning of the 3d, however, the enemy, encouraged by the little success which had attended the attempt of the British on the 1st, meditated a general attack on their camp, which in all probability would have been decisive of the fate of the colony: they advanced in the night, with all the strength they could muster, and with a train of not less than 18 field-pieces.-Some movements which had been observed the preceding evening had given a suspicion of their intention, and the British were perfectly prepared to receive them. They were on their march, and considerable bodies began to make their appearance within the view of the British, when at that critical moment the signal for a fleet disconcerted them, and the appearance of 14 sail of large vessels, which came in sight immediately after, induced them to relinquish their enterprize, and retire to their former posts. General Clarke came to an anchor in Simon's Bay the next morning.

General Clarke immediately disembarked the regiments, artillery and necessary stores, and forwarded them to the advanced post, as fast as possible, where through great exertions, as much provision was collected as might enable them to sit down before the town, and go on till they should communicate with the British ships in Table Bay, or draw some assistance from the country behind them: and having made the best arrangement they could for transporting provisions, guns, stores, ammunition, and necessary articles of every kind, by the only means in their power, men's labour, the British troops marched on the 14th from Muizenberg, leaving a sufficient detachment for the protection of their camp and stores, at that place. -The enemy could see all their motion, and the country through which they had to pass for several miles, being very favourable to the sort of warfare, that it was the business of the enemy to pursue, (many of them being on horseback, and armed with guns, that kill at a great distance) the British General had reason to think his

troops would be greatly harassed, and suffer much on their route.— This loss, however, from the precautions taken, and the shyness of the enemy, fortunately proved less than might have been expected, having only one seaman killed, and seventeen soldiers wounded, in the progress to the post of Wynberg, where the enemy were in force with nine pieces of cannon, and had determined to make

serious resistance.

General Clarke formed the army from columns of march in two lines, and made a detachment from his right and left, to attack both their flanks, whilst, with the main body and artillery, he advanced against their centre.-The enemy found themselves so pressed by the British, and at the same time alarmed by the appearance of Commodore Blaukett with three ships the Admiral had detached into Table Bay, to cause a diversion on that side, of which they were very jealous, that they retired with the loss of a few men, from the British cannon, before the troops could gain the top of the hill, from whence they followed them close for two miles; but dark coming on, and great part of the troops being much fatigued, by the burthens they carried, and a march through very swampy ground, General Clarke determined to halt for the night, with the intention of prosecuting his march at day-light next morning.

In the meantime, an officer arrived with a flag of truce, and a letter from Governor Sluyskin, requesting a cessation of arms, for 48 hours, to arrange and offer proposals for surrendering the town; but the British General did not think it prudent to grant more than 24, in which period every thing was settled, agreeably to articles of capitulation, whereby the regular troops, that formed the garrison, became prisoners of war, and the British were put in full possession of the town and colony.

Throughout these operations the conduct of Lieutenant-Colonel Ferguson was particularly praise-worthy, and, by his individual exertions, the brave men under his command met with cheerful. ness and perseverance the extreme difficulties and hardships they had to encounter.

In 1798, this officer was married to a daughter of the late General Sir Hector Munro, by whom he has a son and daughter. His lady died in 1803. In 1800 he had been promoted to the rank of Colonel, and the same year was employed in the expedition under Brigadier-General the Hon. Thomas Maitland, which, with some others, was destined to attack various posts on the French coast, and it was attended with partial success. This expedition was

afterwards united to that under the late Lieutenant-General Sir James Pulteney, for the taking of Ferrol.

In the month of August, 1800, a fleet, under the command of Sir John Borlase Warren, with the military force under Sir James Pulteney, set sail on the above expedition. One object, however, was the conquest of Belle-Isle, but the strong works that had been provided for the defence of that island, discouraged the attempt. The armament, therefore, proceeded to the coast of Spain, and, on the 25th of August, arrived before the harbour of Ferrol. The troops landed without opposition, and advanced towards the heights which overlook the posts. A skirmish with a body of Spaniards ensued, which terminated in favour of the invaders. The next morning another engagement took place, in which also the Spaniards were defeated, with the loss of about one hundred in killed or wounded. The loss of the English, who were now in possession of the commanding eminence, did not exceed half that number. The opportunity of survey, afforded by the heights, did not give the British Commander any hope of success, particularly when he learned, from the report of prisoners, that the place was furnished with the means of defence. He therefore ordered the troops to reimbark, and they were not molested in their retreat.

It should be here observed that Colonel Ferguson, with other officers, having expressed their opinion of the impossibility of success attending the armament, from the manner in which different arrangements were carried into execution, they returned to England. It has also been affirmed, that at the very time when the British army received orders to reimbark, the proper officer was coming with the keys of the town to surrender.

In 1804, this officer was honoured with the rank of BrigadierGeneral, and the command of the York District. At the conclusion of the year 1805, he was appointed to the command of the Highland Brigade, consisting of the 71st, 72d, and 93d regiments, in the expedition under Major-General Sir David Baird, for the recapture of the Cape of Good Hope. On the 4th February, 1806, the squadron under Sir Home Popham's command arrived off the Cape; and on the 6th a landing was effected, Brigadier-General Ferguson having the command of the landing party, which was composed of his brigade. Of this operation Sir David Baird made the following observation in his dispatch, dated Cape Town, Jan. 13th, 1806." The surf having considerably abated the ensuing morning, I determined, in concurrence with Sir Home Popham, to

make an effort to get the troops on shore; and accordingly the Higland Brigade, composed of the 71st, 72d, and 93d regiments, effected that object, under the command of Brigadier-General Ferguson. The shore had been previously very closely inspected by the Brigadier, and by his spirited exertions and example, our efforts were crowned with success." On the eighth of January a severe action took place, in which the enemy lost about 700, and His Majesty's troops about 240 men, in killed and wounded. The enemy, whose force nearly amounted to four thousand men, made a vigorous resistance, and kept up a hot fire of grape and musketry; but the British troops penetrated the line with fixed bayonets, and after the first discharge of musketry, succeeded in putting the enemy to the route in every direction.-A capitulation was signed on the 10th, by which the Cape Town and its dependencies were surrendered to His Majesty's arms. General Jansen, who commanded the enemy's troops, had retired with the remainder of his force, amounting to about 1800 or 2000 men, into the interior of the country.

In his dispatch of the 13th, Sir David Baird further observes,"I formed the army into two columns, the second brigade under Brigadier-General Ferguson keeping the road, while the first struck to the right, and took the defile of the mountains. Having accomplished my purpose, our line was formed with equal celerity and order, and the left wing, composed of the Highland Brigade, headed by their gallant commander Brigadier-General Ferguson, and the number of the enemy who swarmed the plain, served only to augment their ardour, and confirm their discipline."-These just and honourable encomiums by an officer of Sir David Baird's character, could not fail in being otherwise than highly flattering to the feelings of General Ferguson. They were not necessary to acquaint the army with his general merits as an officer, but were an additional proof that he was fully competent to the discharge of the most difficult, skilful, and hazardous enterprises.

Under the implacable disposition of Buonaparte towards this country, Great-Britain never can relinquish the possession of the Cape of Good Hope for any length of time, without seriously endangering the safety of the Indian trade, and the existence of her empire in the East; both of which were effectually secured, at least from external attack, by the former occupation of this important outwork. The facility it affords at all times of throwing into India a speedy reinforcement of well-seasoned troops, which