While the bombardment continued, Bob had been constantly occupied.
He had, some time before, put down his name as a volunteer for
service, if required; and he and several others, who had similarly
enrolled themselves, had been appointed to assist in looking after
the removal of the soldiers' wives and children to the tents
erected for them, and to seeing to their comfort there. He had also
been in charge of bodies of labourers, employed by the governor in
the work of levelling the ground and transporting stores.
Captain O'Halloran was constantly away on duty and, soon after the
bombardment began, it was found necessary to drive the whole of the
poultry into the lower part of the house; the Spaniards retaining
only one room for their own accommodation. Had not this step been
taken, the chickens would speedily have been stolen by marauders
as, in the absence of Captain O'Halloran and Bob, there was no one
to protect them. After the issue of the governor's proclamation,
discipline was speedily restored, and there was no longer any
occasion to keep them under shelter.
The bombardment was followed by heavy rains, which caused very
great discomfort to the troops. The water, pouring in torrents down
the face of the hills, swept away the newly raised banks; and
brought down the tents, the soldiers having to turn out in the
wet--and as the troops, owing to their heavy duties, were only one
night out of three in bed, the discomfort and annoyance were very
great. Great quantities of the provisions, too, were damaged; as
these were all stacked in the open air, with no other covering than
that afforded by the sails of the colliers, which were cut off and
used for the purpose. Until the end of the month the downfall of
rain was incessant, and was accompanied with heavy storms of
thunder and lightning. The batteries required constant repair, and
the labours of the troops were very severe.
Since the departure of Admiral Darby's fleet, the enemy appeared to
have given up all hopes of compelling the place to surrender by
hunger. The convoy from Minorca had not been interfered with and,
on the 2nd of May, two native craft came in from Algiers with
sheep, wine, and brandy, unmolested by the enemy's cruisers.
The enemy's fire had never entirely ceased, since the commencement
of the bombardment, and now amounted to about fifteen hundred
rounds, every twenty-four hours; the gunboats generally coming out,
every day, and sending their missiles into the town and
batteries--the latter being specially the mark of the enemy's land
guns, which reached even the highest batteries on the Rock. All
through May and June the enemy's fire continued; dropping, towards
the end of the latter month, to about five hundred shot and shell a
day. The gunboats were specially annoying, directing their fire
against the south end of the Rock, and causing great alarm and
distress among the fugitives from the town encamped there.
Occasionally they directed their fire towards the houses that had
escaped the fire of the land batteries; and several shot and shell
fell near the O'Hallorans' but, fortunately, without hitting the
house.
The volunteers had now been released from duty, and Bob was free to
wander about as he pleased. As, since his exploit in fetching in
the fruit, he had become known to every officer in the garrison; he
was a privileged person, and was able to enter any of the
batteries, and to watch the effects of their fire against the
enemy's forts and lines. He often spent the day on board the
Brilliant. At the end of June the frigate went away for a
fortnight's cruise, and the captain invited Bob to accompany them.
"We shall all expect great things from you, Mr. Repton. As you
managed to capture some fifty thousand pounds' worth of prizes,
when you were on board that privateer brig, you ought to put the
frigate into the way of taking at least four times as much."
"It is easy to turn a brig into anything, Captain Langton; but
there is no making one of His Majesty's frigates look other but
what she is. The mere sight of your topsails is enough to send
every Spanish craft into port."
For three or four days the frigate sailed along the coast; keeping
well out during the day, and closing with the land in the evening.
Two or three small coasters were picked up by the boats, but they
were scarcely worth sending into Gibraltar. On the fifth day a
large barque was seen, making in from the south. All sail was made,
but the barque had the weather gage and, crossing her, ran into the
shore and anchored under the shelter of a battery.
"That would be a prize worth having, Bob," Jim Sankey said. "I
wonder what she has got on board? Perhaps she is like that craft
you captured, choke-full of lead and silver, from Lima."
"I think I can tell you what she is full of," Bob, who had been
examining her through a glass he had borrowed from the third
lieutenant, replied.
"How do you mean you can tell, Bob? She has not got her bill of
lading stuck upon her broadside, I suppose?"
"She has not, Jim. But I can tell you, without that."
"Well, what has she got on board?"
"She has got a very strong crew, Jim, and twenty-four guns."
"Why, how on earth did you know that, Bob?" he asked, staring at
his friend in surprise.
"Because, Jim, I have been on board, and counted the guns. That is
the craft I swam off to, nearly two years ago. You hunted for her,
then, you know; but I suppose she had gone into one of the ports.
But that is her, I can almost swear.
"I don't know whether there is a better glass than this on board
but, if there is, I should be glad to have a look through it. Yet I
feel certain, without that. Her stern is of rather peculiar shape,
and that stern gallery looks as if it was pinched out of her,
instead of being added on. We particularly noticed that, when we
were sailing with her. I can't be mistaken about it."
"I think the captain ought to know, then," Jim said. "I will speak
to Mr. Rawdon. He is in charge of the watch."
Jim went up on to the quarterdeck, touched his hat, and informed
the second lieutenant what Bob had told him. Mr. Rawdon went up at
once to the captain, who was talking to the first lieutenant, and
examining the barque and battery through his glass.
"Mr. Sankey has reported to me, sir, that Mr. Repton is very
strongly of opinion that the barque, there, is the Spanish ship of
war he boarded by night, just after the beginning of hostilities.
He told us about it, sir, and we spent two or three days in looking
for her."
"Of course I remember," the captain said. "Have the kindness to
pass the word for Mr. Repton to come aft."
Bob soon stood before the captain.
"Mr. Rawdon tells me that you are of opinion that the barque, in
there, is the disguised Spanish sloop you boarded, two years ago?"
"Yes, sir, I am almost sure of it; but I should like to have
another look at her, through your glass, before I speak with
certainty."
The captain handed his glass, which was a remarkably good one, to
Bob.
"That is her," Bob said, after a minute's examination. "I could
swear to her, anywhere;" and he then pointed out, to the captain,
the peculiarities he had noticed.
"I can make out her figurehead, too," he said. "It is a saint,
though I don't know what saint; but if you notice, sir, you will
see that, instead of standing nearly upright, he leans much more
forward than usual. I remember the captain saying he looked as if
he was going to take a header. So with that, and the stern gallery,
there is no possibility of mistaking her."
The captain again examined the barque through his glass.
"Yes, I notice both the points you mention. Well, I am much obliged
to you for the news. It is very important. I was thinking of
cutting her out, tonight; and should have fallen into the same
error you so nearly did, in the privateer."
Bob bowed and retired.
"We should have caught a tartar, Mr. Lyons, if we had sent the
force we were talking about to cut her out; but I think we must
have her, somehow."
"I hope so, sir. We have had a very dull time of it; with nothing
to do but to exchange shots, occasionally, with those gunboats; and
to get under sail, now and then, to escort some craft or other into
port. The navy hasn't done much to boast of, during this siege; and
it has been very hard on us, being cooped up there in Gibraltar,
while the fleet all over the world are picking up prizes, and
fighting the French and Spanish. Why, we haven't made enough prize
money, in the last two years, to pay for pipe clay and powder."
"Yes, we all feel that, Mr. Lyons. We have certainly been terribly
out of luck. That privateer Mr. Repton was on board did more, in
her week's cruise, than all His Majesty's ships in Gibraltar have
done, in the last two years.
"We must take that craft, inshore, if we can. There is no doubt she
is ably commanded, for she is so well disguised that we never
suspected her for a moment; therefore there is not the least chance
of our catching her napping. She is a formidable craft to cut out
with the boats, even if she hadn't the aid of the battery."
"There is no doubt about that, sir. I think Mr. Repton reported,
before, that she carried twenty-four guns, and all heavy metal. As
far as I can make out, with the glass, the battery mounts twelve
guns."
"Yes, that is the number. Besides, you see, we dare not take the
frigate in nearer than a mile; and a mile and a quarter would be
safer. So that we could not be of any assistance, beyond annoying
the battery with long shot. It seems to me that there is only one
chance."
"What is that, sir?"
"We must land a strong party, some distance along the shore; and
make an attack upon the battery, and carry it by surprise. I can
make out some huts behind it. I suppose they wouldn't have less
than a hundred soldiers there--perhaps a hundred and fifty. If we
can drive them off, and capture the battery, we can open fire down
upon the ship. At that distance, we could fairly sweep her deck
with grape.
"The rest of our boats would be lying ahead and astern of her and,
as soon as the battery opened, they could make a dash for her. The
crew of the barque would be so disorganized, by the fire of the
battery, that they should hardly be able to make very much of a
fight of it."
"That seems a capital plan, sir. The only question is the number of
hands. Suppose you send eighty to take the battery; we should only
have as many more to spare, for the boat attack on the ship; and
that would leave us with only a hundred, on board. I should think
she would carry a fighting crew of two hundred, at least. These
Spaniards are always very strongly manned."
"I should think that would be about it. They are long odds, but not
too long, I think, Mr. Lyons. At any rate, we will try.
"Lay her off the land, Mr. Lyons, then we will go into my cabin,
and make all the arrangements."
There was much talk and excitement among the crew, for the general
opinion was that the captain would try to cut out the craft lying
under the Spanish battery. The navy had, for a long time, been very
sore at their inactivity; and had fretted that no attempts had been
made to cut out the Spanish vessels, across the bay. The admiral
had steadily set his face against all such attempts, considering
that the benefits to be gained did not justify the risks; for, had
any of his small squadron been damaged, or sunk, by the guns of the
batteries, the consequences would have been very serious, as the
Spanish gunboats would then have been able to carry on their
operations, without check, and it would have been next to
impossible for vessels to run the blockade.
The information Bob had given was soon known to all the officers,
and was not long before it permeated through the crew, and added to
their anxiety to cut the Spaniard out; for although the prize money
would be less than if she had been a richly laden merchantman, the
honour and glory was proportionately greater. The undertaking would
be a serious one, but the prospect of danger is never deterrent to
a British sailor.
There was great satisfaction when, presently, it became known that
the crews of the whole of the boats were to muster. Arms were
inspected, cutlasses ground, and everything prepared. It was early
in the morning when the Spanish barque had been first discovered;
and ten o'clock when the frigate had sailed away from land, as if
considering the Spanish craft too strongly protected to be
attacked. When five miles away from land, her course was laid east
and, under easy sail, she maintained the same distance on the
coast.
The plan of operations was that the first lieutenant, with thirty
marines and as many sailors, should land at a spot some two miles
from the battery; and should make their way inland, and come down
upon the position from the rear. A hundred men, in the rest of the
boats, should make for the barque, direct. This party was to act in
two divisions, under the second and third lieutenants, respectively;
and were to lie, one to the east and the other to the west of the
barque, and remain there until the guns of the battery opened upon
her. Then they were to row for her at all speed; a blue light being
burned, by each division, when they were within a hundred yards of
the enemy, as a warning to their friends in the battery; who were then
to fire round shot, instead of grape. The frigate was to venture in as
closely as she dared, anchor broadside on, and open fire at the enemy.
Jim Sankey was told off to the landing party, and Bob went up to
the captain, and requested leave to accompany him, as a volunteer.
"You see, sir," he said, "we may fall in with peasants, or be
challenged by sentries, as we approach the battery, and my ability
to speak Spanish might be an advantage."
"It would, undoubtedly," the captain said. "Well, Mr. Repton, I
shall be very glad to accept your services."
At four in the afternoon, the frigate's head was again turned west
and, at ten o'clock, the boats for the landing party were lowered
and, the men taking their places in them, rowed away for the shore,
which was some two miles distant. The night was dark; but Mr. Lyons
had with him a pocket compass and had, before embarking, taken the
exact bearings of the battery, from the spot where they would land.
He was therefore able to shape his course to a point half a mile in
its rear.
The strictest silence had been enjoined, and the little body of
sailors made their way inland, until they came upon a road running
parallel with the shore. They followed this for about half a mile,
and then struck off inland, again. The country was highly
cultivated, with orchards, vineyards, and orange groves. Their
progress was slow; for they had, many times, to cut a passage
through the hedges of prickly pear. At last, they reached a spot
where they believed themselves to be directly behind the battery.
Here there was a path, leading in the direction which they wished
to follow.
In a quarter of an hour they made out some lights ahead of them,
and the lieutenant halted his men, and again repeated the orders
they had before received.
"You are to go straight at the huts. As you approach them you are
to break up into parties of ten, as already formed. Each party is
to attack one hut, cut down all who resist, seize and carry away
all arms. Never mind the men, if you have once got their arms. They
cannot trouble us, afterwards. Waste no time but, directly you have
got all the firelocks in one hut, make for another. As soon as all
have been cleared out, make for the battery.
"Now, let the officers told off to command parties each fall in, at
the head of his ten men.
"Mr. Repton, you will keep beside me, to answer a challenge."
They were within fifty yards of the huts when a sentinel
challenged:
"Who goes there?"
"Soldiers of the king," Bob answered, in Spanish, "with
reinforcements for you."
"Halt till I call an officer," the sentry said.
But the lieutenant gave the word, and the whole party dashed
forward at a run. The sentry hesitated in surprise, for a moment,
and then discharged his piece. The sailors gave a cheer, and rushed
at the huts. Taken utterly by surprise, the Spaniards at first
offered no resistance, whatever, as the sailors rushed in. Indeed,
few of them attempted to get out of bed. The blue lights, with
which one man in each party was provided, were lighted as they
entered; and the arms were collected without a moment's delay, and
they were off again before the Spaniards were fairly awake to what
had happened.
There were ten huts, each containing twenty men. Two or three shots
were fired, as they entered the last two huts; but the Spaniards
were overpowered in an instant, as they were here vastly
outnumbered. The officers were made prisoners and, ten men being
placed over them, the rest of the force, now carrying three muskets
each, ran down into the battery. The sentries here threw down their
arms, at once, and were allowed to go where they pleased.
"Pile the arms you have captured!" Lieutenant Lyons ordered. "Run
the ramrods down them, and see if they are loaded. The Spaniards
are not likely to rally but, if they do, we can give them a hot
reception.
"Now, gunner, break open the magazine, there, and load with grape."
By this time the drum was beating to arms, in the vessel below--the
shots fired having given the alarm--and lights were seen to flash
along the deck. In two minutes the guns were loaded; and these
opened with a fire of grape upon the deck of the vessel, which was
near enough to be distinctly seen, by the glare of the blue lights.
As the first gun was fired, an answering flash came from sea, as
the frigate also opened fire. For five minutes the guns were worked
fast, then two lights burst out in close succession, ahead and
astern of the barque.
"Cease firing grape. Load with round shot!" the lieutenant shouted
but, a moment later, a loud cheer broke from the sailors as, by the
lights in the boats, the Spanish ensign was seen to run up to the
peak of the barque, and then at once to fall again to the deck. The
barque had surrendered.
"Now, gunner, spike the guns," the lieutenant ordered, "and then
tumble them off the carriages."
This was soon done.
"Now let each man take one of the muskets, and throw the rest of
them over the parapet down the rocks.
"That is right. Now, fall in!"
The sailors fell in, and marched back to the huts. The Spanish
officers were placed in the midst, and twenty men were told off to
fire the huts. This was soon done. The lieutenant waited until they
were well alight, and then gave the order to march. They took the
coast road, this time, for two miles; and then struck off to the
shore and saw, a few hundred yards away, the lantern that had been
hoisted on one of the boats, as a signal.
They were challenged by the boat keeper, who had moored the boats
twenty yards from the shore. A cheer broke out, as the answer was
given. The grapnels were pulled up, and the boats were soon
alongside. The party, embarking, rowed out in the direction where
they knew the frigate to be and, as soon as they were fairly out
from the shore, they saw the three lights she had hoisted as a
signal. In half an hour they were alongside.
"I need not ask if you have succeeded, Mr. Lyons," the captain
said, as the boats came up, "for we have seen that. You have not
had many casualties, I hope?"
"Only one, sir. One of the marines has a ball in his shoulder.
There were only five or six shots fired, in all, and no one else
has as much as a scratch."
"I am truly glad to hear it," the captain said. "It has been a most
successful surprise. I don't think the boats can have suffered,
either."
"I don't think there was a shot fired at them, sir," the lieutenant
said. "The Spaniard ran up his colours and dropped them again,
directly the boats showed their lights. I fancy they must have
suffered very heavily from our fire. You see, they were almost
under our guns, and we must have pretty well torn up their decks."
"We shall soon hear," the captain said. "The boats are towing the
Spaniard out. She will be alongside in a few minutes."
The wind had entirely dropped now and, in a short time, the
Spaniard was brought close alongside the frigate, and Mr. Rawdon
came on board to report.
"The ship is the San Joaquin, mounting twenty-four guns, with a
crew of two hundred and twenty men, sir. Her casualties are very
heavy. The men had just poured up on deck, it seems, when the
battery opened fire. The captain, first lieutenant, and fifty-six
men are killed, and there are forty-three wounded. We have no
casualties. Their flag came down, just as we got alongside."
"Then, as far as we are concerned," the captain said, "this is one
of the most bloodless victories on record. There will be no death
promotions this time, gentlemen, but I am sure you won't mind that.
It has been a most admirably managed affair, altogether; and I am
sure that it will be appreciated by my lords of the admiralty.
"You will take command of her at present, Mr. Lyons, with the crew
now on board. Dr. Colfax and his assistant will go off with you, to
attend to the wounded, and will remain on board until we get into
Gibraltar.
"Mr. Rawdon, you will be acting first, and I can only say that I
hope you will be confirmed."
The frigate and her prize at once sailed for Gibraltar. On their
arrival there, the captain took some pains--by sending up larger
yards, and by repainting the broad white streaks showing the
portholes--to restore the prize to its proper appearance as a ship
of war.
"We should not get half so much credit for her capture, if you took
her into Portsmouth looking like a lubberly merchantman," the
captain said to Mr. Lyons. "I don't care about patching up all
those shot holes in the bulwarks. That gives her the appearance of
having been taken after a sharp action, and the deck looks almost
like a ploughed field.
"I shall give you fifty men, Mr. Lyons, I can't spare more than
that."
"That will do, sir. Nothing smaller than ourselves is likely to
interfere with us and, if a large frigate engaged us, we should not
have more chance with a hundred men on board than with fifty. In
that case we shall have to trust to our legs. Of course, if we fall
in with two or three of the enemy's ships, I should run up the
Spanish flag. I will find out if I can, from the prisoners, what is
her private number. If I hoist that, and a Spanish flag, it ought
to deceive them. I will get her back to England, if possible, sir."
"You will, of course, take home my report, Mr. Lyons. It is sure to
give you your step, I think."
Next day the San Joaquin sailed and, six weeks later, a sloop of
war brought despatches to the admiral. Among them was a letter from
the admiralty to Captain Langton, expressing their gratification at
the very able arrangements by which he had captured and silenced a
Spanish battery; and cut out the sloop of war, San Joaquin,
anchored under its guns, without any loss of life. It was, they
said, a feat almost without parallel. They stated that they had, in
accordance with his recommendation, promoted Mr. Lyons to the rank
of commander; and they confirmed Mr. Rawdon in rank of first
lieutenant, the third lieutenant becoming second, and the senior
passed midshipman, Mr. Outram, being promoted to that of third
lieutenant.
No change of any importance had taken place at Gibraltar, during
the absence of the Brilliant; except that the governor had
determined to retaliate for the nightly annoyance of the gunboats
and, accordingly, six guns were fixed at a very considerable
elevation behind the Old Mole, and shells fired from them. These
reached the enemy's camp; and caused, as could be seen from the
heights, great alarm and confusion. It was determined that in
future, when the enemy's gunboats bombarded our camps and huts, we
should retaliate by throwing shells into their camp.
The day after the Brilliant returned the Helena, sloop of war--with
fourteen small guns--was seen working in towards the Rock. The
wind, however, was so light that she scarcely moved through the
water. Fourteen Spanish gunboats came out to cut her off. For a
time she maintained a gallant contest, against odds that seemed
overwhelming; although the garrison gave her up as lost. But when
the wind suddenly freshened, she sailed through her opponents into
the port; where she was received, with ringing cheers, by the
soldiers lining the batteries.
Week after week passed in minor hostilities. There was a constant
exchange of fire between our batteries and those of the enemy. The
gunboats continued their operations; and we, in return, shelled
their camp. Fresh works were erected, on both sides. Casualties
took place almost daily, but both troops and inhabitants were now
so accustomed to the continual firing that they went about their
ordinary avocations, without paying any attention to the shot and
shell, unless one of the latter fell close at hand.
November came in and, in spite of the heavy fire maintained by our
batteries, the enemy's works continually advanced towards the Rock;
and when, in the middle of the month, it was seen that the new
batteries were being armed and placed in readiness to open fire,
the governor determined to take the offensive. Accordingly, after
gunfire on the evening of the twenty-sixth, an order was issued for
all the grenadier and light infantry companies--with the 12th, and
Hardenberg's Regiment--to assemble, at twelve o'clock at
night--with a party of Engineers, and two hundred workmen from the
line regiments--for a sortie upon the enemy's batteries. The 39th
and 59th Regiments were to parade, at the same hour, to act as
support to the attacking party. A hundred sailors from the ships of
war were to accompany them. The attacking party numbered 1014 rank
and file, besides officers and noncommissioned officers. This was
exclusive of the two regiments forming the supports. The attacking
force was divided into three columns.
At a quarter to three in the morning, the column moved out. The
enemy's pickets discovered the advance, as soon as it passed the
outlying work known as Forbes' Barrier and, after firing, fell
back. Lieutenant Colonel Hugo's column, which was in front, pushed
on rapidly; and entered the enemy's lines without opposition, when
the pioneers began to dismantle the work. Hardenberg's Regiment and
the central column attacked and carried the tremendous work known
as the San Carlos Battery. The enemy were unable to withstand, for
a moment, the fierce attack of the troops and, in a very short
time, the whole of the advanced works were in our hands.
The leading corps formed up, to resist any attempt the enemy might
make to repel the sortie; and the working parties began to destroy
the enemy's work. Faggots dipped in tar were laid against the
fascines and gabions and, in a short time, columns of fire and
smoke rose from all parts of the works occupied. In an hour, the
object of the sortie was effected. Trains were laid to the
magazines, and the troops fell back. Just as they reached the town,
the principal magazine blew up, with a tremendous explosion.
The enemy appeared to have been wholly confounded, at this sudden
attack upon their advanced works--the fugitives from which created
a panic throughout the whole army--and although the main Spanish
lines, mounting a hundred and thirty-five heavy pieces of
artillery, were but a few hundred yards behind the works attacked,
not a single shot was fired at the troops engaged. The batteries
continued burning for three days and, when they ceased to smoke,
nothing but heaps of sand remained of the works that had cost the
enemy months of labour to erect.
It was some days before the Spaniards appeared to come to any
definite conclusion as to their next step. Then large numbers of
men set to work, to reestablish their batteries; and things fell
into their old routine, again. Every day shots were exchanged,
occasionally. Vessels made their way in and out; being sometimes
briskly chased by the enemy's gunboats, sometimes passing in with
little interference--for, by this time, the Spaniards must have
recognized that there was no hope, whatever, of reducing Gibraltar
by blockade. There was a great deal of sickness in the garrison;
but comparatively little of this was due to scurvy, for every
available corner of ground was now cultivated, and the supply of
vegetables--if not absolutely sufficient to counteract the effects
of so long and monotonous a diet of salt meat--was yet ample to
prevent any serious outbreak of scurvy recurring.
In February, fresh activity was manifested among the besiegers.
Vast numbers of mules were seen, bringing fascines to their works.
At the end of March the Vernon store ship arrived and, a few hours
later, four transports with the 97th Regiment, under the convoy of
two frigates, came in.
A singular series of casualties was caused by a single shot, which
entered an embrasure in Willis's Battery, took both legs off two
men, one leg off another, and wounded another man in both legs;
thus four men had seven legs taken off, or wounded, by one shot.
These casualties were caused by the inattention of the men to the
warning of a boy who was looking out for shot. There were two boys
in the garrison whose eyesight was so keen that they could see the
enemy's shot coming, and both were employed in the batteries
especially exposed to the enemy's fire, to warn the men to withdraw
themselves into shelter, when shot were coming.
This quickness of eyesight was altogether exceptional. Standing
behind a gun--and knowing, therefore, the exact course the shot
will take--it is comparatively easy for a quick-sighted man to
follow it; but there are few, indeed, who can see a shot coming
towards them. In this respect, the ear is a far better index than
the eye. A person possessed of a fair amount of nerve can judge, to
within a few yards, the line that a shot coming towards him will
take. When first heard, the sound is as a faint murmur; increasing,
as it approaches, to a sound resembling the blowing off of steam by
an express engine, as it rushes through a station. At first, the
keenest ear could not tell the direction in which the shot is
travelling but, as it approaches, the difference in the angle
becomes perceptible to the ear, and a calm listener will
distinguish whether it will pass within twenty or thirty yards, to
the right or left. It would require an extraordinary acute ear to
determine more closely than this, the angle of flight being so very
small, until the shot approaches almost within striking distance.
The garrison had been trying experiments with carcasses and red-hot
shot. A carcass is a hollow shot, or shell, pierced with holes; but
instead of being charged with powder, to explode it either by means
of a fuse or by percussion, it is filled with a fierce-burning
composition so that, upon falling, it will set on fire anything
inflammable near it. Red-hot shot are fired by putting a wet wad in
over the dry wad, next to the powder. The red-hot shot is then run
into the gun, and rammed against the wet wad; and the gun fired in
the usual way. The carcasses several times set fire to the enemy's
works, but the use of the red-hot shot was reserved for a pressing
emergency. A number of furnaces were constructed, in the various
batteries, for heating the shot; which necessarily required a
considerable amount of time, to bring them to a white heat.
News came, in April, that great preparations were making, at Cadiz
and other Mediterranean ports, for a fresh and vigorous attack on
Gibraltar; and that the Duc de Crillon--who had lately captured
Minorca--would bring twenty thousand French and Spanish troops, in
addition to those at present engaged in the siege; that a large
fleet would also be present, and that the principal attack would be
made by means of ships turned into floating batteries, and
protected by an immense thickness of cork, or other wood.
On the 9th of May, the ships began to arrive. Among them were seven
large vessels, which appeared to be old men-of-war. A large number
of workmen immediately went on board them, and began to lower the
topmasts. This confirmed the news in respect to the floating
batteries.
About this time, three store ships fortunately arrived from
England, with powder, shell, and other stores. As there could be no
longer any doubt that the attack was, this time, to be delivered on
the sea face; strong working parties were employed in strengthening
the water batteries, in erecting lines of palisades, to prevent a
landing from boats, and in building furnaces for the heating of
shot in these batteries, also. At this time the Engineers began to
drive a gallery through the Rock, facing the neutral ground, in
order to place guns there. This work was carried on to the end of
the siege, and the batteries thus erected are now among the
strongest of the defences of Gibraltar.
At the end of the month a great fleet, consisting of upwards of a
hundred sail, entered the bay and anchored off Algeciras. Some nine
or ten thousand troops were landed and, from that time, scarce a
day passed without fresh vessels, laden with stores and materials
for the siege, arriving in the bay.
Early in May twelve gunboats, that had been sent out in pieces from
England, were completed and launched. Each carried one gun, and was
manned by twenty-one men. Six of these drew their crews from the
Brilliant, five from the Porcupine, and one from the Speedwell,
cutter. These craft had been specially designed for the purpose of
engaging the enemy's gunboats, and for convoying ships into the
port.
On the 11th of June a shell from the enemy burst, just at the door
of one of the magazines of Willis's Battery. This instantly blew
up, and the explosion was so violent that it seemed to shake the
whole Rock. Fourteen men were killed, and fifteen wounded, and a
great deal of injury done to the battery; but strong parties at
once set to work to repair it. A few days later a French convoy of
sixty sail and three frigates anchored in the bay and, from these,
another five thousand French troops landed.
At the end of the month the Duc de Crillon arrived, and took
command of the besiegers. A private letter, that was brought in by
a privateer that had captured a merchantman, on her way, gave the
garrison an idea of the method in which the attack was to be made.
It stated that ten ships were to be fortified, six or seven feet
thick, with green timber bolted with iron, and covered with cork,
junk, and raw hides. They were to carry guns of heavy metal, and to
be bombproof on the top, with a descent for the shells to slide
off. These vessels, which they supposed would be impregnable, were
to be moored within half gunshot of the walls with iron chains; and
large boats, with mantlets, were to lie off at some distance, full
of troops ready to take advantage of occurrences; that the mantlets
of these boats were to be formed with hinges, to fall down to
facilitate their landing. There would, by that time, be forty
thousand men in camp, but the principal attack was to be made by
sea, to be covered by a squadron of men-of-war with bomb ketches,
floating batteries, gun and mortar boats, etc.; and that the Comte
D'Artois--brother to the King of France--with other great
personages, was to be present at the attack.
At this time the enemy fired but little, and the garrison were able
to turn their whole attention to strengthen the points most
threatened. The activity of the enemy on their offensive works on
the neutral ground continued and, in one night, a strong and lofty
work, five hundred yards long, with a communication thirteen
hundred yards long to the works, was raised. It was calculated that
ten thousand men, at least, must have been employed upon it; and no
less than a million and a half sandbags used in its construction.
There could be no doubt, now, that the critical moment was
approaching; and that, ere long, the garrison would be exposed to
the most tremendous fire ever opened upon a besieged place.