Shortly before sailing, George was commissioned one of the Adjutants-General of Virginia, with the rank of Major, and the pay of L150 a year.

They sailed on the Potomac River, perhaps near Mount Vernon, on September 28, 1751, and landed at Bridgetown on November 3d.

The next day they were entertained at breakfast and dinner by Major Clark, the British officer who commanded some of the fortifications of the island.

"We went," says George Washington, in a journal he kept, "myself with some reluctance, as the smallpox was in his family." Thirteen days later, George fell ill of a very strong case of smallpox which kept him housed for six weeks and left his face much disfigured for life with pock marks, a fact which, so far as I have observed his portraits, the painters have carefully forgotten to indicate.
The brothers passed a fairly pleasant month and a half at the Barbados.

Major Clark, and other gentlemen and officials of the island, showed them much attention.