the Glacis being pretty good, it hinders their Shot A. C. 'that are low placed from taking any other Effect, 1706. than coming over the Wall, and ftriking among . the Houses. Their Guns upon the Hill that flank us gaul us much, but their Bombs do lit'tle Mifchief. Our fmall Craft that went out to 'the Eastward returned with Fafcines, &c. fafe into "Harbour. We take Care in the Night to clear the Breach, but we go on very flowly with our Inner 'Works of Deferice. 5. The Enemy have opened another Battery, which flanks the Spur at St. Antonio, and gauls us 'much by Reason the Shot from thence that flies over the Spur, rakes our Curtain N. E. of St. Antonio. They ply their Batteries as ufual, but the Breach is not yet attackable: Their fmall Cruifers are returned again to their Station to the Eaft of 'the Port, and Two larger ones lie before: All their Ships are unmoor'd, and ride a Peek, having got News of our Fleet. It's faid they have taken a'board again fome of their Cannon. . . 6. Laft Night we neglected very much our Inner Works; and the Spanish Soldiers, who were to clear 'the Breach did it but very forrily. The Enemy had this Night the Guard of Boats, as formerly, " which came within Piftol-fhot of the Shoar. Firing One Gun at them from the Mole, it flew in pieces, (being a long time loaden) and killed Four, and wounded about Ten more. The fame "Night hapned a fingular Deliverance; all our English Officers (except only Three) fitting in a Circle together, upon Guard, a Bomb fell in amongst 'em upon a large Dog, (that lay fleeping 'there) whofe Blood choak'd the Fufee and confequently faved them all. This Day the Enemy 'continued their ufual firing. Their Two Bomb'Ketches are fail'd away to the Eaftward. There being fome fmart firing this Day at Noon about the Enemy's Camp near the Conventa of Gratia, our Dragoons were order'd out, who fally'd up almoft to the Enemy's Tents, and made double the Num⚫bers of the Enemy's Horfe to give Way; but they firing their Field-pieces on us, obliged us to withdraw, with the Lofs of feveral Men killed and 1706. difabled; but not without having cut off as ma ny of the Enemy, and taking fome Prifoners. 7. Laft Night they ply'd us with their Bombs as ufual, notwithstanding which; we not only clear'd the Breach without, but ftrengthen it within, by which we have rather gain'd upon the Enemy than they on us. We perceiving that they had a Defign of lodging upon the Counterfcarp at Fort Antonio, made a Salley with 21 Men and an Of ficer, who beat 2 or 300 from their Works, undid a Bomb-Battery they were raising, and took fome Prifoners, without the Hurt of One Man. Our InnerWorks went pretty forward laft Night. This 'Morning we perceived the Enemy to have advanced towards the Counterfcarp at the Breach, in order to mine or fap there: We interrupted 'em as well as we could with our Small Shot. At 11 a Clock all their Powder in One of their largest Batteries took Fire, blew up many of their Men, and laid open many of the Ambrafures, of that Battery; which Accident we back'd with our fmall and great Shot, to hinder their carrying off 'their Men or Guns. Laft Night Three of our fmall Barks were taken by the Enemy's GuardBoats. The Enemy have made a Lodgment as forward as the Glacis facing the Spur. This Afternoon the Enemy's Fleet loos'd their Fore-top-fails in the Top, and feveral of them weigh'd and stood off to Sea, by which we conclude our Fleet not far from hence. The Enemy have no less than 21 Mortars to gaul us with their Shells; and their "Guns that flank us within are no lefs troublesome. "This Afternoon our Dragoons made another Salley. 8. The French Fleet departed (or rather fled ) laft Night to the Eastward; but all the Barks got not away till this Morning, 2 or 3 whereof we took laden. Ábout 2 this Afternoon all our Fleet (being 50 Ships of the Line) came to Anchor before the Town, and immediately landed their Forces; fome Regiments march'd directly to the Breach concluding the Enemy would make one defperate Pufh before all our Forces were got afhore; and they fired their Mortars and Cannon as warmly as . ८ ever to put a good Countenance upon their Scur- A. C. vy Condition. 1706. The Motions under Sir Thus far our Journalist: Let's now attend the Motions of the Confederate Fleet, under the Command of the valiant and fortunate Sir John Leake, of the Fleet who as he had formerly the greateft Share of Ho-of the Fleet nour in the Railing the Siege of Gibraltar, fo had John now no les Succefs and Glory in the Deliverance Leake, of Barcelona. He had, the Year before, been left at Lisbon with about 25 English Men of War and Frigats, and 15 Dutch Ships, under the Command of Rear-Admiral Waffender; and having, towards the middle of February, got Intelligence that the Spanish Galleons were preparing to fail out of the Harbour of Cadiz for the West-Indies, he, and the Dutch Admiral, with great Diligence, fitted out Ten English and fix Dutch Men of War. On the 9th of March N. S. They fail'd down the River of Lisbon, in order either to take, or deftroy the He is flopt Spanish Flota; But, to their great Surprize, when in the Ri they came near the Bar, of that River, San Julian ver of Lis Caftle, and fome other Forts, fired feveral Shots at bon. them. Sir John Leake having fent a Lieutenant to know the Reafon, the commanding Officer anfwer'd, That he had received Directions from the Duke of Cadaval to ftop all Ships: Whereupon the Admiral came to an Anchor, and complain'd to the English Ambaffador. The latter having expoftulated with the Government about this ftrange way of Proceeding, the Embargo, was immediately taken off, tho' too late: For the lofs of Twenty four Hours, during which Sir John Leake had been detained, proved to be the Difappointment of his Spanif Defign; the Galleons and Flota, to the Number of Galleons. Thirty fix Ships, having fail'd from Cadiz the Eleventh of that Month. Upon the Receipt of this Information, which Sir John had from the Mafter of an Oftender taken by a Dutch Privateer, he' made all the Sail he could after the Flota, and the next Day difcover'd two ftrange Ships, one of which of Twenty four Guns, the Northumberland took, and the other the Dutch Admiral. The Maiters of thefe Prizes confirm'd the Report of the Oftender, adding, That they had certain IntelliK z 'gence He miles of 1706. A. C.gence at Cadiz of Sir John Leake's Defign, and had prepared against it accordingly, both afhore and at Sea with their Gallies. It was fhrewdly fufpected, That this Intelligence was brought thither, by means of Two Danife Ships, who were permitted to fail from Lisbon, after the Embargo was laid on the Shipping in that River: Which frangely encreafed the Sufpicion of foul Play in Portugal. Sir John Leake finding that the Galleons were got fo far before him, that 'twould be hardly poflible to overtake them, and having a greater Delign in View, viz. the carrying Succours to Barcelona, endeavou'd to enter the Streights, but was detain'd, by contrary Winds, in the Ocean till the tenth of April N. S. When he got to Gibraltar; and was there join'd, the Fourteenth, by Commodore Price, with fix English Men of War, having on Board Major General Stanhope, Her Majefty's Envoy Extraordinary to King Charles III. Colonel Richards, two English Regiments and feveral Companies of Spanish Deferters, who had been taken in at Lisbon And with Commodore Price arriv'd alfo at Gibraltar, April 16. fix other Dutch Men of War. Two days after, Sir John Leake receiv'd Difpatches from the Earl of Peterborough, with the following Letter from King Charles III. N. S. King Letter to 6 Admiral Leake, The KING. IT Take this occafion to acquaint you with the great hazzard, to which this Principality Charles's and my Royal Perfon are expofed, for doubtAdmiral lefs to morrow we fhall be ftreigthned by the Leake. Enemy, being already blocked up by a Squadron by Sea, and their Army having by their fpeedy Marches gained fome Paffes, almoft in fight of this Capital City, in which we might have retarded their Progrefs. I am refolved not to leave this place, altho my Garrifon confifts of fo fmall a Number as One Thousand Foot and Four Hundred Horfe, Regular Troops, apprehending that if in this juncture, 11hould leave ، . this Capital City, it would be loft, and confe- A. C. quently all the reft, which in the laft Campaign 1706. was by fo many happy Succeffes reduced to myn obedience; for which reafons I have thought fit to venture all, and undergo the Fatigues that attend a certain Siege; juftly confiding in your 'known.Zeal, and great Vigilance for the Common Caufe, and not doubting but that you have 'contributed all that has been poflible to haften the Succours, which I hope will, in a few days, appear before this place, where your known Valour and Diligence may meet a glorious Succefs, and thereby entitle your felf anew to my Royal . Favour Dated in Barcellona the 31st of March, 1706. I the King By Command of the King our Lord. Hereupon Sir John Leake, with the fame Extraordinary Care and Diligence with which he had fitted out the Ships that failed with him from Lisbon apply'd himfelf to carry the neceflary Succours to Barcelona. And for the greater Expediton, it was unanimoufly refolv'd, in a Council of War, to divide the Land-Forces on board the Men of War of the Two Nations. Sir John Leake failed from Gibraltar the Twenty fourth of April, N. S. and fent away Four Frigats, with Orders to make for Altea or Denia, to get Intelligence of what Strength the Enemy's Squa- . don was. The Twenty ninth, he got to Altea, and having Notice that a Sqadron was Sailed from Lisbon to join him, it was refolved in a Council of War, to fend to Veneros to get farther Intelligence of the Enemy, and to stay at Altea 24 Hours for the Squadron which was coming to joyn him; but if it did not arrive within the Time, to proceed to Barcelona. A Frigat was fent, at the fame time, to the Weft-ward, to get Intelligence of that Squadron, which met with 3 Men of War, fent before by Sir George Byng, with Notice that he was making what Sail he could after the Fleet; and accordingly he came up with Sir John Leake the 30th, about 10 in the Morning. The 3d of May Commodore Walker with his Squadron, and divers K 3 Tranf |