When he arrived at the seashore he found all the crew, consisting of fifty men, had landed. He then examined the state of the ship, and found it was almost a complete wreck. He asked the men a few questions and they seemed greatly surprised to find him here, and asked him how he contrived to live in such a country. He told them to follow him.
When he brought them to the Halls of Justice, the Duke of York asked them to relate their story. They cried: ‘We were driven on your shore by a storm, and we request shelter.’
The Duke of York answered: ‘Fellow-Englishmen, we rejoice that you were driven on our part of the coast, and you shall have shelter if we can give it.’
Accordingly they remained with us about a fortnight, for at the end of that time the genii had fitted out their ship again, when they set sail for England accompanied by Arthur Wellesley.
For about ten years after this we remained at war with the blacks, and then made peace; after which, for about ten years more, nothing happened worth mentioning.
On the 16th of May 1816, a voice passed through the city saying: ‘Set a watch on the tower which looks towards the south, for to-morrow a conqueror shall enter your gates!’
The Duke of York immediately despatched Henry Clinton to the highest tower in the city. About noon Clinton cried out:
‘I see something at a great distance upon the Atlantic.’
We all of us ran to the watch-tower, and on looking towards the ocean we could discern a dark object upon the verge of the horizon which as it neared the shore we saw plainly was a fleet. At last it anchored and the men began to land.
First came seventy-two regiments of horsemen, next, three of infantry, then several high officers. The latter seemed to be the staff of some great general; and last of all came the general himself, who had the bearing of Arthur Wellesley.