weft monfoon should fet in with any degree of violence, before they were advanced on their voyage, the fuccefs of the whole enterprife would have been rendered exceedingly precarious. There was, befides, another confideration, which demanded all poffible hate; this was, that the English army might come to its deftination, before the news of a war being actually broke out between England and Spain could reach the Manilas, and, by rouzing the Spaniards from their ill-grounded fecurity, give them time to put themselves into the best posture of defence.

The judgment, with which every arrangement was made, equalled the celerity of the preparations. A fhip of force was difpatched before the fleet through the ftreights of Malacca, in order to watch the entrance of the Chinese fea, and to intercept whatever veffels might be bound to Manila, or fent from the neighbouring fettlements, to give the Spaniards notice of the defign. As it was neceffary to take in water at Malacca, a divifion of the fquadron, with a confiderable part of the land forces, was fent off, before the reft

29th of Ju- could be got ready, in ly, 1762.

order that a moment of fuperfluous delay might not happen to the fleet in procuring this neceffary refreshment.

Before they failed, every thing was fettled with relation to the cooperation of the land and fea forces, to the diftribution of the plunder, and to the government of the place, in cafe it fhould be taken, that no difpute might arife in the course of their operations. The Eaft India company were, by agreement, to have a third of the booty, or the ranfom; by orders

from England, the government of the conquered country was to be vested in that body; the land and fea forces, by common confent, were mutually to participate in the diftribution of their feveral captures, according to the rules eftablifhed in the navy. These precau tions had fo good an effect, that no circumftance of difagreement once arose between the army and the marine, either in the conduct of the enterprife, or in the divifion of the advantages of it. Nothing dif tinguishes this war more from every former war, in which we have been engaged, than that, in so many conjunct expeditions, and in fuch a vaft variety of difficulties and of fervices, there was so perfect an harmony, and fo cordial a co-ope ration between the land and the fea forces, that there is not a fingle inftance of the leaft degree of difcord or diffention between them. Nothing can more advantageously characterise the spirit of the age.

All things being thus judiciously difpofed, and all difficulties forefeen and provided for, the last and grand divifion of the fleet fet fail from Madrafs the first of Auguft 1762. On the 19th of the fame

month they arrived fafe at Ma

lacca, formerly confidered as the key of the Indian commerce, and ftill the center of a very confiderable trade. It had formerly been difputed between the then great naval powers in India, Por tugal and Holland, as a port of the utmoft moment in determining the abfolute fovereignty in thofe feas; because it commands the grand communication between China and Indoftan, and that it is a fituation, which has a confiderable influence on all the islands that compofe the great Indian Archipelago. But at

this time, fo great was the revolution in this part of Afia, and the fuperiority of the English was fuch, that it was of no great moment to them, in whofe hands Malacca was. The Dutch, who could look with no very favourable eye upon our progrefs in thofe caftern regions, were neither in fpirit nor condition to give any check to it. The English fleet ufed Malacca as a port of their own, and there they fupplied themselves, not only with refreshments, but with every ne

ceffary not already provided for the fiege they meditated.

The weather favoured them ve ry much. Without the leaft diftrefs to the fquadron, or the difperfion of any of the fhips which compofed it, in thirty-one days from Malacca they 19th of Sepcame in fight of Lu- 19th of Sepconia. At that time, indeed, the fquadron was feparated, and driven out to fea, but they foon recovered the fhore, and again completed their junction.

tember.

HEN the British armament arrived upon the coast of Luconia, they found the Spaniards abfolutely unacquainted with the breaking out of the war, confequently unprepared, and in all that confufion, which neceffarily at tends a fudden and precipitate difpofition against an attack. That they might have as little time as poffible to recover from this confufion, fo favourable to our enterprize, it was determined that the forces fhould be landed, and the operations commenced immediately. A fmall fort and town lay upon the harbour of Cavite, which was conveniently fituated to ftrengthen Manila, and might afford an ufeful ftation for hips during the fiege. The firft idea was to begin with the attack of this fort; but on confultation between Mr. Draper and the admiral, it was concluded more advifeable to pro

ceed directly to the grand object, judging very properly, that a conqueft there would of course occafion, and draw after it the fall of Cavite. The delay naturally attendant on the firft plan would have given time to the Spaniards to recover their fpirits, dismayed by the fudden appearance of an enemy on their coafts, which had been long unaccustomed to the alarms of the war, they would have had leifure to clear away the buildings which obftructed their fortifications, to put their works in repair, and to take every step towards an orderly, and therefore, probably, an effectual defence. Befides, the shifting of the mORfoons began to display itself by very evident and alarming figns. The weather grew uncertain and menacing; the rain began to pour down in torrents; the winds became boisterous; and it was greatly to

[B] +

be feared, that, if the operations fhould be drawn into any confiderable length, the overflowing of the country of the country would have made all approaches to the place by land impracticable, whilft the tempeftuous weather would have rendered the affiftance of the fquadron precarious in the fiege, and even its fafety very doubtful,

The difpofitions for landing were made a little to the fouth of the town. The boats were ranged in three divifions, under the protection of the men of war. Frigates were ordered to the right and left, by a brifk fire to cover their flanks, and to difperfe the enemy, who began to affemble in great numbers, both horfe and foot, to oppofe the defcent. Measures were fo well taken, that the enemy retired from the fire of the fquadron, and left the coaft clear. The English with an even front made towards the fhore, and thro' a violent furf, which dafhed many of their boats to

tember.

24th of Sep- pieces, (but fortunately without any lofs of lives) gained the coaft, and formed upon the beach.

The days which immediately fucceeded their landing were spent in feizing the most advantageous pofts, in fecuring the communication with the navy, and in reconnoitring the roads and approaches to the town. They found it regularly fortified, and defended by fome good works, a number of excellent cannon, garrifoned by about 800 regular troops, and incapable by its extent of being compleatly invested by fuch an army as ours, and in a condition, therefore, of being conftantly fupplied from the country, and reinforced by the na

tives, a fierce and daring people, who in a fhort time came to the affiftance of the place with a body of ten thousand men, armed in their barbarous fashion.

The governor was, indeed, a churchman, the archbishop of the Manilas, by a policy not wholly without precedent in the Spanish colonies, in which they have been known more than once to unite not only the civil government, but the command of the forces, with the ecclefiaftical dignity. But however unqualified by his character, for the defence of a city attacked, the archbishop seemed not unfit for it by his fpirit and refolution. Thefe, together with the obftructions which arofe from the season, (which grew daily more embarraffing) were the difficulties our army had to contend with. On the other hand they had many circumftances in their favour. The ditch of the town, in fome impor tant parts, had never been compleated; the covered way was out

of repair; the glacis was too low; fome of the out-works were not armed; and the fuburbs, which they had not time to burn, afforded fhelter to our troops, and covered them in their approaches.

The ability of the commanders, and the fpirit of the troops, made use of all these advantages, and overcame all thefe difficulties. The country being almost wholly flooded, they were obliged to throw themselves into the houses, which were under the fire of the baftions, and the Spaniards cannonaded their quarters, which were nearer to the walls than the ordinary rules of war prefcribed. Neceffity fuperfeded thefe rules; and even the precipitation with which

they

they were obliged to urge their motions, had a good effect, and probably haftened the decifion of the fiege in their favour fooner than could be expected from a more regular proceeding, and more favourable circumstances.

Before batteries could be erected, the enemy attempted a fally with about four hun26th of Sep- dred men. But this tember. effay of their strength proved extremely difcouraging to them, and they were obliged to retire with lofs and precipitation. The superior skill and bravery of our troops appeared in fo ftriking a light in this little engagement, that it was thought it might prove an inducement to the governor to endeavour at advantageaus terms by an early furrender. But his anfwer to the fummons of our commander was more fpirited than the behaviour of his garrifon had hitherto proved. It was plain we had to expect nothing but what we were able to command.

Through all the difficulties of the feafon our works proceeded, and by the indefatigable vigour and unconquerable fpirit of our foldiers and feamen, three batteries for cannon and mortars were raifed, and played on the town with confiderable effect. The Indians from time to time continued their attack; but they rather molefted our troops, than obftructed their progrefs. Equally ignorant of the laws of humanity and of arms, they murdered our people, whereever they met them difperfed from the army; and even perpetrated the fame cruelty on an English of ficer, employed under the protection of a flag of truce, and of an act of generofity to an enemy, in

conducting into the town the governor's nephew, who had been taken. Their favage cruelty entitled them to no mercy; and whenever they fell into the hands of the English foldiers, they found none.

As little fuccefs attended the attempt in which this cruel action was committed, as they met with in their former fally. The operations against the town proceeded with unremitted vigour and diligence, The bombardment continued day and night. The navy, who had hitherto affifted no otherwife than by furnishing men and ftores, (in which, however, it was of the greateft fervice) began now to take a direct part. They placed themselves as near the town, as the depth of water would admit, and began a fire in order to fecond the operations of the land forces, by enfilading the front they propofed to attack. Although the fhallows obliged the ships to keep at too great a distance to have all the effect they wished, this fire, which was opened on a new quarter, and was kept up without intermiflion, added not a little to the fatigue of the garrifon, and to the confufion and terror of the inhabitants.

14 of Oc.

tober.

Whilft the fiege advanced in fo fuccessful a manner by the perfeverance, and by the uncommon harmony and united efforts of the land and fea forces, the elements threatened to destroy at once all the effects of their indullry and courage. A deluge of rain poured down, accompanied by a mighty ftorm of wind. The fquadron was in the greatest danger; all communication with it was entirely cut

off.

off. A ftoreship, which had lately arrived, and contained the greatest part of the tools and neceffaries, of which they were now in the greatest want for compleating their works, was driven on fhore. The governor of the place added to the advantage of these appearances in his favour, by calling in the aid of his ecclefiaftical character. To raise the spirits of the inhabitants, funk by the progrefs of the befiegers, he gave out that an angel from the Lord was gone forth to deftroy the English like the host of Sennacherib.

By an extraordinary fpecies of good fortune, thefe menacing circumftances were attended with their particular advantages, and rather facilitated than obftructed the progrefs of the fiege. The ftorefhips, by being driven afhore, without any confiderable damage, gave an eafy and ready accefs to all the military ftores and provifions fhe contained, and which, if it had not been for this accident, could not have been fupplied by boats in many days, as the wind continued to blow for a long time after, and that a violent furf broke high upon the beach. Befides, in the fituation, in which this veffel lay on fhore, her cannon became, in a great degree, a protection to the rear of the English camp. At the fame time, the confidence, which the enemy repofed in the natural helps derived from the ftorm, and in thofe fupernatural ones added by their fuperftition, rendered them more remifs and languid in their defence; and during that time they gave lefs obftruction to the progrefs of our troops, than in any other period of the fiege. Another advantage alfo arofe to the Eng

lish from the ftorm; for the roar ing of the waves prevented the Spaniards from hearing the noise of our workmen in the night.

Every circumftance of the storm, by a fortunate turn, or by a judicious management, became favourable to the attack, and they proceeded with fo much conftancy and refolution, that in the midst of this violent tempeft, and deluged as they were with the heavy tropical rains, they compleated one large battery for heavy cannon, and another for mortars, made good their parallels and communications, fecured their moft material pofts, and put themselves in a condition, immediately on the ceafing of the form, to batter the place in breach.

Twelve pieces of cannon, on that face of the baftion which they at tacked, were filenced in a few hours, and fo vigorous a fire was kept up from the cannon and mortars upon all the parts, whence the Spaniards could annoy our troops, that in lefs than two days all their defences were deftroyed. The Spaniards, feeing their fortifications no longer tenable, determined to make a conclufive effort, and to avail themselves of the ftrength of the garrifon, which their free communication with the country had made as numerous as they could wifh. For that purpose they projected a fally, difpofed in two attacks upon the two most important pofts of the English. The first was to be made upon a cantonment of the feamen, in which they judged, if they could fucceed, they muft lay the English under unfurmountable difficulties, because the feamen were known to have had the most confiderable part in the

manage.