'near a month at Marseilles for the packet.

By the letter I wrote from that place, you 6 may have seen that I did not find the time lie heavy on my hand. I was constantly 'with Mr. Lindsay, while I was at Marseilles, 'who is an exceedingly good kind of lad. You 'will think, dear Mother, that it is very ' unkind in me not to have written to you sooner; but be assured, had it been in my 'power, I certainly would, long ago, but the 'packet has been detained, partly on account ' of the weather, and partly from some letters 'the General expected by the sloop, which ' is not yet arrived, but expected every day; 'however, though it is not yet certain when 'the packet may sail, yet we are obliged to have our letters ready.

'I suppose my Brothers are going every

day to the post-office, and Jeanie prophe

sying every morning at breakfast. I will ' endeavour as seldom as I can, to make

them return and her prophecy unsuccess'ful; but nevertheless you never must de'pend upon hearing from me regularly. I

VOL. II.

T

have been hitherto, I must confess, exceedingly lucky, I have got into one of the best

regiments in the service (the 51st); as to 'officers, I never knew such a number of fine gentlemanly lads. General Murray

'told me he did not believe there was such a corps of officers in the army; there is no such thing as either drinking or gambling going on. The Colonel dines and sups at our 'mess; all the married officers live in one 'wing of the barracks, and the unmarried in

the other; the latter mess together, and as 'Colonel Pringle has not brought his wife ' with him, he lives with us. We are exceed'ingly well lodged; I have got a room as

large as your drawing-room, and two closets,

one for my servant, and the other where I sleep in; they are each as large as the room I slept in at Glasgow; elder officers have 'much more room, but for my part I think I have got plenty.

'I was obliged to stay above a week in an inn at Mahon, which is a mile and a half 'from this, (and where the Governor resides,)

'till I could get bedding, &c. bought, for you ' are only allowed the four stone walls, a chim'ney-shovel, and fender. I was obliged to get

sheets and blankets, towels, chairs, &c.;

'made, which if I had remembered, I could 'have got most of these things in Britain, 'both cheaper and better, for they make you pay excessively dear for all these kind of 'things.

The Medway, the ship Graham is rated a midshipman in, is lying here at present. I have dined both with Admiral Mann and 'Captain Affleck, the latter inquired very 'much about my Brother, and when he would 'come out. All the people I have had letters to have been exceedingly kind to me, espe

6

cially General Murray, who you know is one

of the best officers in the service, and a

very agreeable fine old soldier; he is now 'making all kind of preparations in case of a 'siege, and the officers of every regiment take it by turns to visit the subterraneans, that they may be perfectly acquainted with them in case of a siege. James, if he has begun

' fortification, will be able to tell you, what is 'the use of subterraneans in a fort; I have been 'with our officers already twice through them; though as yet, I do not know much more of

'them than when I began, yet I hope in two

or three times more, to make myself a little acquainted with them.

I do not intend writing to my Father till 'next packet, but I will to the Duke of 'Hamilton, so that wherever he may happen <to be, he will hear of me.

I was going to send my letter without ' mentioning, dear Mother, whether I thought 'this island agreeable or not; I confess the 'little I have seen I like vastly, though it is 'more upon account of the people than the country, for there is nothing but rocks in 'the places I have seen, which must make it

exceedingly bad for the eyes in summer. 'I am told that in summer you do not see

the least pasture. But at present it is 'neither too hot nor too cold. I am just now 'letting my fire go out, and have a window

'situation from the one you are now in. 'Tell Jeanie to write to me; my love to her, ' and also to my Brothers and Grandmothers. Farewell, dear Mother,

'Ever your most affectionate Son,

'JOHN MOORE.'

Lieutenant Moore to his father :

'Camp Majibaquaduce, near Halifax,

'Nova Scotia, 24th Aug. 1779.

'Dear Father,―By my last you would be 'informed of our arrival here, &c.; since that, ' our operations have been rather more interesting. Upon the 23d of July, a rebel fleet, consisting of about forty ships and vessels, eighteen of which were armed, the

rest carrying troops and stores, sailed up 'the bay and immediately began cannonading

6

the Albany, North, and Nautilus, three sloops of war, the only shipping we had to oppose 'to them; they were moored across the har'bour, and supported by a battery from us;

though the firing was smart from both

sides, yet the Y-s kept at such a dis

'tance, that little or no damage was done.