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choaked up with loofe ftones and rubbish, brought down by the fhot from the rock above; the traverfes along the line were greatly injured; and the town every day approached fast towards a final diffolution.

The enemy's cannonade and bombardment continued to be wide and scattered, apparently having no particular object. Shells were lavishly expended; and, what was very fingular, many of thofe which fell blind, our author informs us, contained, on examination, a vast quantity of fand mixed with the powder. For this unufual circumstance the garrifon could not otherwife account, than by fuppofing the powder was ftolen by the people in their laboratories.

On the night of the twenty-third of May, the gun and mortar-boats of the enemy renewed their attack, which, in its confequences, was more dreadful than any that the garrifon had hitherto experienced. The filence obferved by the garrifon during their preceding vifits, emboldened them, on this occafion, to advance fo near, that the troops in the fortress could diftinctly hear the Spanish officers give orders to the men, who frequently, in their own language, cried out to the befieged to take care.?

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In November, the firing from both fides varied as objects offered. The period towards the end of the month was the crifis which the governor confidered as proper to frustrate all the views of the enemy, by deftroying those stupendous works, the conftruction of which had coft them fuch immenfe labour and expence. By fome deferters, who came in on the zoth, he was acquainted with the inactivity which prevailed throughout the enemy's camp, and with the ftrength of their advanced guards. Lulled into fecurity by their fuperiority of force, they never fufpected the garrifon capable of attempting fo bold and hazardous an enterprife. We are informed, that the governor never imparted to the garrifon his important defign until the evening in which it was put in execution. A fally was accordingly made from the garrifon, on the night of the twenty-fixth of November, and was executed with a degree of fuccefs beyond the most fanguine expectation. The ardour of the affailants was irrefiftible. The enemy on every fide gave way, abandoning, with the utmost precipitation, thofe works which had coft them fo much expence, and employed fo many months to complete. The exertions of the workmen and artillery of the garrifon are said to have been wonderful. The batteries were foon in a ftate for the fire-faggots to operate; and the flames fpread with aftonishing rapidity in every part. The author informs us, that the column of fire-fmoke which rolled from the works, beautifully illuminated the

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roops and neighbouring objects; forming altogether a coup 'oeil, impoffible to be defcribed.

The court of Madrid having hitherto found all her attempts, both by fea and land, for the recovery of Gibraltar, totally ineffectual, determined to profecute this favourite object with a vigour which, they flattered themselves, could not fail of enfuring fuccefs. No expence being fpared, the labour of the nation was exhausted in preparations for this important enterprife. The command of the Spanish troops was now bestowed on the Duc de Crillon, who had lately returned from the conqueft of Fort St. Philip, in Minorca. In September, 1782, the batteries and works, erected by the enemy on the land-fide, were ftrong and ftupendous, mounting two hundred pieces of heavy ordnance, and protected by an army of near forty thousand men, commanded by a victorious and active general, and animated with the immediate presence of two princes of the royal blood of France, with a number of other dignified perfonages. The hoftile armament by fea was proportionable to the val preparations by land. It confifted of forty-feven fail of the line, including three inferior twodeckers; ten battering fhips, deemed invincible, carrying two hundred and twelve guns; innumerable frigates, xebeques, bomb-ketches, cutters, gun and mortar-boats, befides fmaller craft for difembarking men. In a word, the fortrefs, which had fo long and fo bravely with stood all the assaults of the Spanish power, feemed now on the point of being devoted to inevitable deftruction. The following is the author's account of the operations immediately fubfequent to this awful period.

The ten battering-fhips, after leaving the men of war, wore to the north; and a little paft nine o'clock, bore down in admirable order for their feveral ftations; the admiral in a twodecker, mooring about nine hundred yards off the king's baftion; the others fucceffively taking their places to the right and left of the flag-fhip, in a masterly manner; the most diftant being about eleven or twelve hundred yards from the garrison. Our artillery allowed the enemy every reafonable advantage, in permitting them, without moleftation, to choofe their diftance; but as foon as the firft fhip dropped her anchors, which was about a quarter before ten o'clock, that inftant our firing commenced. The enemy were completely moored in little more than ten minutes. The cannonade then became, in a high degree, tremendous. The showers of fhot and fhells which were directed from their land-batteries, the battering-thips; and, on the other hand, from the various works of the garrifon, exhibited a fcene, of which perhaps neither the pen nor the pencil can furnish a competent idea. It is fufficient to say, that four hundred pieces of the heavieft artillery were playing

at

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at the fame moment: an inftance which has scarcely occured in any fiege fince the invention of those wonderful engines of deAtruction.

• After fome hours cannonade, the battering-fhips were found to be no lefs formidable than they had been reprefented. Our heaviest fhells often rebounded from their tops, whilft the thirty-two-pound fhot feemed incapable of making any visible impreffion upon their hulls. Frequently we flattered ourfelves they were on fire; but no fooner did the finoke appear, than with the most perfevering intrepidity, men were obferved applying water, from their engines within, to thofe places whence the fmoke ifued. Thefe circumftances, with the prodigious cannonade which they maintained, gave us reafon to imagine that the attack would not be fo foon decided, as, from our recent fuccefs against their land-batteries, we had fondly expected. Even the artillery themselves, at this period, had their doubts of the effect of red-hot fhot, which began to be used about twelve, but were not general till between one and two c'clock. The enemy's cannon, at the commencement, were too much elevated; but about noon their firing was powerful, and well directed. Our cafuals then became numerous; particularly on thofe batteries north of the King's bastion, which were warmly annoyed by the enemy's flanking and reverse fire from the land. Though fo vexatiously annoyed from the ifthmus, our artillery totally difregarded their opponents in that quarter, directing their fole attention to the battering-fhips, the furious and spirited oppofition of which, ferved to excite our people to more animated exertions. A fire, more tremendous if poffible than ever, was therefore directed from the garrifon. Inceffant fhowers of hot balls, carcaffes, and fhells of every fpecies, flew from all quarters; and as the maits of feveral of the fhips were fhot away, and the rigging of all in great confufion, cur hopes of a favourable and speedy decifion began to revive.

• About noon, the mortar-boats and bomb-ketches attempted to fecond the attack from the fhips; but the wind having changed to the fouth-weft, and blowing a fmart breeze, with a heavy fwell, they were prevented taking a part in the action. The fame reafon alfo hindered our gun-boats from flanking the battering fhips from the fouthward.

For fome hours, the attack and defence were fo equally well fupplied, as fcarcely to admit any appearance of fuperiority in the cannonade on either fide. The wonderful construction of the fhips feemed to bid defiance to the powers of the heaviest ordnance. In the afternoon, however, the face of things began to change confiderably. The fmoke which had been obferved to iffue from the upper part of the flag-fhip appeared to prevail, notwithstanding the conftant application of water; and the admiral's fecond was perceived to be in the fame condition. Confufion was now apparent on board several of the veffels;

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and

and by the evening their cannonade was confiderably abated. About feven or eight it almost totally ceafed, excepting from one or two flips to the northward, which, from their distance, had fuffered little injury.

When their firing began to flacken, various fignals were made from the fouthernmoft fhips; and, as the evening advanced, many rockets were thrown up, to inform their friends (as we afterwards learned) of their extreme danger and distress. Thefe fignals were immediately answered, and several boats were feen to row round the difabled fhips. Our artillery, at this period, muft have caufed dreadful havock amongst them. An indiftinct clamour, with lamentable cries and groans, proceeded (during the fhort intervals of ceffation) from all quarters; and a little before midnight, a wreck floated in, upon which were twelve men, who only, out of three-fcore which were on board their launch, had escaped. These circumstances convinced us that we had gained an advantage over the enemy; yet we did not conceive that the victory was fo complete as the fucceeding morning evinced. Our firing was, therefore, continued, though with lefs vivacity: but as the artillery, from fuch a hard-fought day, exposed to the intense heat of a warm fun, in addition to the haraffing duties of the preceding night, were much fatigued, and as it was impoffible to foresee what new objects might demand their fervice the following day, the governor, when the enemy's fire abated, permitted, about fix in the evening, the majority of the officers and men to be relieved by a picquet of a hundred men from the marine-brigade, under the command of lieutenant Trentham; and officers, and non-commiffioned officers of the artillery, were ftationed on the different batteries, to direct the failors in the mode of firing the hot fhot.

About an hour after midnight the battering-fhip which had fuffered the greateft injury, and which had been frequently on fire the preceding day, was completely in flames; and by two o'clock, the appeared as one continued blaze from frem to stern. The hip to the fouthward was alfo on fire, but did not burn with fo much rapidity. The light thrown out on all fides by the flames, enabled the artillery to point the guns with the utmoft precifion, whilft the rock, and neighbouring objects, were highly illuminated; forming, with the conftant flashes of our cannon, a mingled fcene of fublimity and terror. Between three and four o'clock, fix other of the battering-fhips indicated the efficacy of red-hot fhot; and the approaching day now promifed us one of the completeft defenfive victories on record.'

We are informed that the enemy, in this action, had more than three hundred pieces of heavy ordnance in play, whilft the garrifon had only eighty cannon, feven mortars, and nine howitzers. Upwards of eight thousand three hundred rounds, (more than half of which were hot fhot) and feven hundred

and

and fixteen barrels of powder, were expended by our artillery. What quantity of ammunition was used by the

never be ascertained.

enemy, could The length to which this article has already extended, prevents us from continuing an account of the operations to the end of the fiege. We muft, however, acknowlege, that the hiftory of this memorable enterprise is related by the author with great perfpicuity and minutenefs. It is a fubject well fuited to the habits of a military gentleman; and the prefent hiftorian may have the peculiar fatisfaction to reflect, that the fubject of his narrative is, perhaps, the most honourable to the valour of this country, of all the glorious atchievements in war that have immortalized the British name.

An Analysis of the Political Hiftory of India. By Richard Jofeph Sulivan, Efq. The Second Edition, confiderably enlarged, 8vo. 4s. 6d. in Boards.

Becket.

AS all rational polity must be founded on circumstances, an

exact knowledge of thefe is the only certain means by which the government of any country can be conducted with ability and fuccefs. To obtain this knowledge, and especially to discover the remote, as well as the immediate caufes of public tranfactions, demands the minutest enquiry, and the most attentive obfervation. Refearches of fuch a nature will often prove difficult, even when the objects of enquiry lie near us; but if they be fituated at a great distance, and we can judge of them only from information, the attainment of truth and certainty must become in proportion more arduous. In the late war with her colonies, Great Britain, we believe, experienced the fatal confequences arifing from this fallacious refource; and we ought, therefore, to guard, with all poffible care, against the mifreprefentations both of ignorance and deceit, in what relates to our affairs in the Eaft Indies, Mr. Sulivan, if we are not mistaken, lived several years in that country, with the hiftory and ftate of which, he appears to be extremely well acquainted; and from the amiable, as well as refpectable character he bears among all who know him, we have the ftrongest reason to confide in the fidelity of his obfervations.

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The work commences with the hiftory of the European fettlements in India, of all which the author delivers a diftin&t and accurate account; not omitting previously to inform his readers of the channels through which Indian commodities were imported into Europe, before the difcovery of a paffage into thofe feas by the celebrated Vafco de Gama. The fol

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