every fource of outward deftruction, feemed to be themselves invulnerable, and entirely fecure from all danger.

The preparation in other refpects was beyond all example. It was faid, that no lefs than 1200 pieces of heavy ordnance of various kinds had been accumulated before the place, for the almost numberless intended purposes of attack by fea and land. The quantities of powder, flot, fhells, and of every kind of military ftore and provifion, were fo immenfe as to exceed credibility. The quantity of gunpowder only, was faid to exceed 83,000 barrels. Forty gun-boats, with heavy artillery, as many bomb veffels with twelveinch mortars, befides a large floating battery, and five bombketches, on the ufual conftructions, were all deftined to fecond the powerful efforts of the great battering hips. Nearly all the frigates and fmaller armed veffels of the kingdom were affembled to afford fuch aid as they might be found capable of; and 300 large boats were collected from every part of Spain, which, with the very great number already in the vicinity, were to minifter to the fighting veffels during action, and to land troops in the place, as foon as they had dif mantled the fortrefs. The combined fleets of France and Spain, amounting to fomething about fifty flips of the line, were to cover and fupport the attack; and could not but greatly heighten the terrors as well as the magnificence of the scene.

The preparation by land kept pace with thofe by fea. Twelve thousand French troops were

brought to diffuse their peculiar vivacity and animation through the Spanish army, as well as for the benefit to be derived from the example and exertion of their fu perior difcipline and experience, The Duke de Crillon was affifted by a number of the best officers of both countries, and particularly of the beft engineers and artilleryifts of his own. The length and celebrity of the fiege, now rendered more interefting by the fame of the prefent extraordinary preparation, had drawn volunteers from every part of Europe to the camp before Gibraltar; and not only the nobility of Spain, but many of other countries were affembled, either to difplay their valour, or to gratify curiofity in beholding fuch a naval and military fpectacle as, it was proba ble, had never been before exhi bited. The arrival of two princes of the royal blood of France, ferved to increase the fplendour and celebrity of the scene. The Count de Artois, the French King's brother, and his coufin the Duke de Bourbon, feemed eager to immortalize their names, by partaking in the glory of fo fignal and illuftrious an enterprize as the recovery of Gibraltar to the crown of their kinfman and ally.

The arrival of the Frenchprinces afforded an opportunity for the difplay of that politeness, and the exercife of thofe humanizing attentions and civilities, by which the refined manners of modern Europe have tended fo much to divest war of many parts of its ancient savage barbarity. Some packets, containing a number of letters directed to the officers in Gibraltar, having on the way fallen into

the

the hands of the Spaniards, were, of course, tranfmitted to the court of Madrid, where they lay at the time that the Count de Artois arrived at that capital. The French prince, in that ipirit of generofity which diftinguithes his family as well as his country, confidering this circumftance as affording a pleafing opportunity of introduction to a brave and generous enemy, obtained the packets from the King, and condefcended to convey them under his own care to the camp.

The tranfmiffion of the packets to Gibraltar, afforded an opportunity to the Duke de Crillon of accompanying them with a letter to General Elliot, in which, befides informing him of the arrival of the French princes in his camp, and of this particular mark of attention fhewn by the Count de Artois, he farther acquainted him, that he was charged by them, refpectively, to convey to the general the strongest expreffions of their regard and esteem for his perfon and character. The duke expreffed his own regards for the general in the most flattering terms; eagerly wishing to merit his. efteem, and declaring the pleafure with which he looked forward in the hope of becoming his friend, after he had learnt to render himfelf worthy the honour of facing him as an enemy. He likewife requested, in the moft obliging terms, that he would accept of a prefent of fruit and vegetables for his own ufe, which accompanied the letter, and of fome ice and partridges for the gentlemen of his household; farther intreating, that as he knew the general lived entirely upon vegetables, he would

acquaint him with the particular kinds which he liked beft, with a view to his regular fupply. The whole letter may be confidered as a model of military politeness.

General Elliot was not, however, lefs polite or obliging in his anfwer, whether with refpect to the duke himfelf, or to the princes. But, he informed the duke, that in accepting the prefent, he had broken through a refolution which he had invariably adhered to from the commencement of the war, which was, never to receive, or to procure by any means whatever, any provifions or other commodity for his own private ufe: he declared, that every thing was fold publicly in the garrifon, fo that the private foldier, if he had money, might become a purchaser with the fame facility as the governor; and that he made it a point of honour to partake of both plenty and scarcity in common with the lowest of his brave fellow-foldiers. He therefore intreated the duke not to heap any more favours of the fame kind upon him, as he could not in future apply them to his own ufe.An anfwer and conduct worthy of General Elliot, and of the brave garrifon which he commanded.

The French princes arrived at the camp about the middle of Auguft, and after examining the state of the preparation by land, reviewed the new and extraordinary machines contrived by the Chevalier de Arcon. They were accompanied on this occafion by all the principal commanders of both nations, whether in the land or naval fervice; and the battering fhips, if the French and Spanish accounts are to be credited, not[P*] 4 withstanding

withstanding their vaft bulk and immenfe weight, not only gave the greatest fatisfaction, but aftonished even the most intelligent of the officers prefent, when they faw them go through their various evolutions with all the eafe and dexterity of frigates. The confidence now placed in the dreadful and immediate effect to be pro-, duced by their action, went beyond all bounds. Twenty-four hours was a longer time than the public opinion would admit to be neceffary, from the commencement of their attack, for the utter deftruction of Gibraltar. Even the commanders held fimilar fentiments; and the Duke de Crillon was thought extremely cautious of hazarding an opinion, when he allowed fo long a term as fourteen days to the certainty of being in poffeffion of the place.

Thofe who are acquainted with the temper and difpofition of the French armies, or even of the people in general, will not be furprized that the arrival of the princes of the blood fhould excite an extraordinary enthufiafm in the troops of that nation. The contagion was foon communicated to the Spanish army; and as foon triumphed over the conftitutional or habitual gravity of that nation. The impatience of the combined forces both by fea and land for action became exceffive; and every hour appeared an age until they could have an opportunity, upon fo confpicuous a theatre and under the eyes of fo great a number of illuftrious fpectators, of fignalizing their refpective valour and emulation. The infection even reached to and produced its effect upon the commanders. The

engineer has fince complained, that much time was loft before the preparation in confequence of his fcheme was commenced; and that the precipitancy afterwards, in hurrying on meafures before his plan was entirely completed, militated no lefs against its fuccefs than the original delay.

It is not however to be forgot ten, that the apprehenfion of Lord Howe's arrival to the relief of the place, which began now to be every day expected, although the great inferiority of any force which he could bring was wellknown, would, notwithstanding, independent of any other circumftances, have effectually ferved, both to quicken the determinations of the court, and to accelerate the operations of the fleet and the army. It is likewife to be obferved, that the arrival of the princes contributed, on various accounts, to further this effect; and that the inconveniences of their being detained long in the camp, and the prodigious expence which it occafioned to the Count de Artois, were probably matters of confideration.

Although the intrepid defender of Gibraltar had long obferved the ftorm gathering, and faw that it muft foon fall with unparalleled violence, yet he could only obtain fome general knowledge of the immenfe preparations that were making, and of the invention of tome terrible machines, which had infpired the enemy with a confidence of fuccefs, to which they had been before ftrangers; but was utterly in the dark as to the nature, conftruction, and mode of operation of thofe new-invented vefels. This uncertainty as to

the

and mischief it fuftained, through the exertions of fo inferior a number. If vanity was capable of producing fuch effects, there would have been an opportunity now for its full gratification.

This fresh affront recalled the memory of the lofs and difgrace fuffered by the fally of the preceding year, and was refented fo much by the allied commanders, that it feems to have contributed not a little to precipitate their measures. A new battery of 64 heavy cannon was opened by break of day on the following morning, which, with the cannon in their lines, and above 60 mortars, continued to pour their fhot and fhells, without intermiffion, upon the garrifon, through the whole courfe of the day. At the fame time, a fquadron of feven Spanish and two French fhips of the line, with fome frigates and fmaller veffels, taking the advantage of a favourable wind, dropped down from the Orange Grove at the head of the bay, and paffing flowly along the works, difcharged their fhot at the fouth bastion and the ragged staff, continuing their cannonade until they had paffed Europa Point, and got into the Mediterranean. They then formed a line to the eastward of the rock, and, the admiral leading, came to the attack of the batteries on Europa Point, and, under a very flow fail, commenced a heavy fire with all their guns, which continued until they were entirely paffed.

The fmall marine force at Gibraltar had for fome confiderable time been commanded by Captain Curtis of the Brilliant frigate, who had been much distinguished

in feveral fpirited actions with the Spanith frigates and gun-boats, and had been particularly fuccefsful in refcuing the vessels that were coming in to the garrifon, from their attacks in the bay. We have already feen that the feamen had held a diftinguished part in the laft fally; where, as they were attached to different garrifoncorps, this gentleman acted only as a volunteer. In the prefent feafon of danger, when the fuperiority of the enemy fhut them up from exertion on their proper element, it was thought neceflary not to lofe their fervices in the immediate defence of the place by land. They were accordingly formed into a diftinct corps, under the name of the marine brigade; and Captain Curtis held the rank and title of brigadier, as their com mander. To that officer and his marine corps, was committed the defence of the works and batteries on Europa Point: a truft which they difcharged fo well, that having repeatedly ftruck the enemy in the firft attack, they were afterwards glad to keep a more guarded diftance; and two of the Spanish fhips found it neceffary to go to Algeziras to repair their damages.

The firing from the ifthmus was renewed on the next, and conti nued the fucceeding days; while the enemy boafted, that it should be fupported on the fame fcale until the reduction of the place, that being at the rate of 6,500 cannonfhot, and 1,080 fhells in every 24 hours. The hips likewife made repeated attacks upon Europa Point; but the batteries were fo excellently ferved, and the guns fo well pointed, that they did not

approach