Page:The History of the Island of Dominica.djvu/128

 hubands and fathers, who were obliged to leave them to go into the forts in defence of the country, they were left to the mercy and care of their laves, to wade through rapid rivers, expoed to the inclemency of the weather, which happened then to be rainy; and in their way to a place of afety, encountering uch difficulties as were hard to be endured by the ex. Their ditrees were truly affecting, everal of them died a hort time after, from the fatigues they that day went through.

The militia in the town and uburbs of Roeau were oon in the field, to the number of not more than a hundred in the whole; few of the French inhabitants aembling at the firt, and thoe that made their appearance oon after withdrew themelves, and were no more een, till after the iland was urrendered. The militia were ditributed among the different forts in and above the town; where, with