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DE CHASTR’S VOYAGE TO TERCERA. 837
at Madrid in Spain, fhould be delivered up to him, and be reinftated as well as himfelf
in all their poffeffions, and further, that his majefty would honor him with valuable
grants and employments: with refpeét to the French in the ifland, he would forgive
them alfo, knowing well that they at all times were willing to adventure wherever a
good opportunity prefented itfelf of making their fortune, and that he had in exprefs
command from his majefty, to furnifh them with three months allowance, and afford
them a paflage to France, in the fhips which brought them ; and although he had no
doubt of the conqueft of the ifland, he, neverthelefs, to fhew that his malter was a
prince both mild and benignant, on his part, made thefe offers with power in his
hands.
As foon as the commander had feen the fubject of this letter, he tore it in pieces
without communicating its contents to any one, and in the evening, the count came
to him at Praya with the cavalry, promifing to fend him fixty horfes, which he did not
do. Returning to his ftation, he pafled by that of the Maitre de Camp, and the com-
mander du Mayet, who informed him, it was his opinion that the enemy meant to
make an attack the next day on Porto Indio, or St. Catherine, where there were not a
fufficient number of people to prevent a defcent, and befeeching the count to fend him
the French failors who were at Angra, to place them: which he promifed to do,
affluring the Maitre de Camp and du Mayet, that he would proceed thither with
four thoufand men. So far from aéting thus, having met the failors on the road, he
conducted them back to Angra, and no more was heard of him till the fucceeding
day, in the afternoon, the day of the battle. The fame evening the Maitre de Camp
and du Mayet, ordered captain Baptifta to fend his company to fleep, to a moun-
tain which was between St. Catherine and Porto Indio, to be ready to fuccour either,
as there might be occafion; which he did not do, but went to fleep at St. Sebaftian,
a league from the fpot.
On the fucceeding day, which was Tuefday, an hour before day, three galleys of
the Spanifh fleet came to La Praya, and fired feveral balls ata corps de Garde, where
they fawa fire: in the mean time, the other galleys, with fifteen or twenty large boats
accompanying each, approached to the fhore of St. Catherine, where captain Bourg-
uignon was pofted with two companies of Portuguefe, who took to their heels on the
firft difcharge of cannon from the galleys; fo that the faid Bourguignon remdined-
with only fifty French foldiers belonging to his company. ‘This {mall force oppofed the
landing vigoroufly ; thirty-five of his number were killed with the captain; his lieutenant’
and his enfign, with the fifteen men who remained, being wounded. The Spaniards
landed at once fix thoufand men, and the reft of the army filed after them, to the
number of fifteen thoufand, in fuch excellent difcipline, that their order of battle was:
formed immediately on landing, every one knowing his {tation Du Mayet arrived
there, and captain La Grave, fhortly after the Maitre de Camp beginning a fkirmith 5
but were obliged to retreat for want of men. As foon as day appeared, the com-
mander de Chalte ordered captain la Barre to advance towards the army, expecting
it was about to land, and at the inftant he heard a cannonade on the fide of St. Cathe-
rine, which caufed him to proceed thence towards with his companies, making them
march in fight of each other; and continuing in this order along the fea fhore as quick
as he could, to the place where the enemy was advancing, in order that, if the enemy
were repulfed, he fhould not have an opportunity of landing with his galleys in another
uarter. At the head of his companies, he was informed, by a man on horfeback,
whom he had fent forward, that all the enemy had landed, and that, ata little village
clofe
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