Chapter 16: A Cruise In The Brilliant.
While the bombardment continued, Bob had been constantly occupied.He had, some time before, put down his name as a volunteer forservice, if required; and he and several others, who had similarlyenrolled themselves, had been appointed to assist in looking afterthe removal of the soldiers' wives and children to the tentserected for them, and to seeing to their comfort there. He had alsobeen in charge of bodies of labourers, employed by the governor inthe work of levelling the ground and transporting stores.
Captain O'Halloran was constantly away on duty and, soon after thebombardment began, it was found necessary to drive the whole of thepoultry into the lower part of the house; the Spaniards retainingonly one room for their own accommodation. Had not this step beentaken, the chickens would speedily have been stolen by maraudersas, in the absence of Captain O'Halloran and Bob, there was no oneto protect them. After the issue of the governor's proclamation,discipline was speedily restored, and there was no longer anyoccasion to keep them under shelter.
The bombardment was followed by heavy rains, which caused verygreat discomfort to the troops. The water, pouring in torrents downthe face of the hills, swept away the newly raised banks; andbrought down the tents, the soldiers having to turn out in thewet--and as the troops, owing to their heavy duties, were only onenight out of three in bed, the discomfort and annoyance were verygreat. Great quantities of the provisions, too, were damaged; asthese were all stacked in the open air, with no other covering thanthat afforded by the sails of the colliers, which were cut off andused for the purpose. Until the end of the month the downfall ofrain was incessant, and was accompanied with heavy storms ofthunder and lightning. The batteries required constant repair, andthe labours of the troops were very severe.
Since the departure of Admiral Darby's fleet, the enemy appeared tohave given up all hopes of compelling the place to surrender byhunger. The convoy from Minorca had not been interfered with and,on the 2nd of May, two native craft came in from Algiers withsheep, wine, and brandy, unmolested by the enemy's cruisers.
The enemy's fire had never entirely ceased, since the commencementof the bombardment, and now amounted to about fifteen hundredrounds, every twenty-four hours; the gunboats generally coming out,every day, and sending their missiles into the town andbatteries--the latter being specially the mark of the enemy's landguns, which reached even the highest batteries on the Rock. Allthrough May and June the enemy's fire continued; dropping, towardsthe end of the latter month, to about five hundred shot and shell aday. The gunboats were specially annoying, directing their fireagainst the south end of the Rock, and causing great alarm anddistress among the fugitives from the town encamped there.Occasionally they directed their fire towards the houses that hadescaped the fire of the land batteries; and several shot and shellfell near the O'Hallorans' but, fortunately, without hitting thehouse.
The volunteers had now been released from duty, and Bob was free towander about as he pleased. As, since his exploit in fetching inthe fruit, he had become known to every officer in the garrison; hewas a privileged person, and was able to enter any of thebatteries, and to watch the effects of their fire against theenemy's forts and lines. He often spent the day on board theBrilliant. At the end of June the frigate went away for afortnight's cruise, and the captain invited Bob to accompany them.
"We shall all expect great things from you, Mr. Repton. As youmanaged to capture some fifty thousand pounds' worth of prizes,when you were on board that privateer brig, you ought to put thefrigate into the way of taking at least four times as much."
"It is easy to turn a brig into anything, Captain Langton; butthere is no making one of His Majesty's frigates look other butwhat she is. The mere sight of your topsails is enough to sendevery Spanish craft into port."
For three or four days the frigate sailed along the coast; keepingwell out during the day, and closing with the land in the evening.Two or three small coasters were picked up by the boats, but theywere scarcely worth sending into Gibraltar. On the fifth day alarge barque was seen, making in from the south. All sail was made,but the barque had the weather gage and, crossing her, ran into theshore and anchored under the shelter of a battery.
"That would be a prize worth having, Bob," Jim Sankey said. "Iwonder what she has got on board? Perhaps she is like that craftyou captured, choke-full of lead and silver, from Lima."
"I think I can tell you what she is full of," Bob, who had beenexamining her through a glass he had borrowed from the thirdlieutenant, replied.
"How do you mean you can tell, Bob? She has not got her bill oflading 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 athis friend in surprise.
"Because, Jim, I have been on board, and counted the guns. That isthe 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 boardbut, if there is, I should be glad to have a look through it. Yet Ifeel 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 wewere sailing with her. I can't be mistaken about it."
"I think the captain ought to know, then," Jim said. "I will speakto Mr. Rawdon. He is in charge of the watch."
Jim went up on to the quarterdeck, touched his hat, and informedthe second lieutenant what Bob had told him. Mr. Rawdon went up atonce to the captain, who was talking to the first lieutenant, andexamining the barque and battery through his glass.
"Mr. Sankey has reported to me, sir, that Mr. Repton is verystrongly of opinion that the barque, there, is the Spanish ship ofwar he boarded by night, just after the beginning of hostilities.He told us about it, sir, and we spent two or three days in lookingfor her."
"Of course I remember," the captain said. "Have the kindness topass 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, inthere, is the disguised Spanish sloop you boarded, two years ago?"
"Yes, sir, I am almost sure of it; but I should like to haveanother look at her, through your glass, before I speak withcertainty."
The captain handed his glass, which was a remarkably good one, toBob.
"That is her," Bob said, after a minute's examination. "I couldswear 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 willsee that, instead of standing nearly upright, he leans much moreforward than usual. I remember the captain saying he looked as ifhe 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 obligedto you for the news. It is very important. I was thinking ofcutting her out, tonight; and should have fallen into the sameerror you so nearly did, in the privateer."
Bob bowed and retired.
"We should have caught a tartar, Mr. Lyons, if we had sent theforce we were talking about to cut her out; but I think we musthave her, somehow."
"I hope so, sir. We have had a very dull time of it; with nothingto do but to exchange shots, occasionally, with those gunboats; andto get under sail, now and then, to escort some craft or other intoport. The navy hasn't done much to boast of, during this siege; andit has been very hard on us, being cooped up there in Gibraltar,while the fleet all over the world are picking up prizes, andfighting the French and Spanish. Why, we haven't
made enough prizemoney, in the last two years, to pay for pipe clay and powder."
"Yes, we all feel that, Mr. Lyons. We have certainly been terriblyout of luck. That privateer Mr. Repton was on board did more, inher week's cruise, than all His Majesty's ships in Gibraltar havedone, in the last two years.
"We must take that craft, inshore, if we can. There is no doubt sheis ably commanded, for she is so well disguised that we neversuspected her for a moment; therefore there is not the least chanceof our catching her napping. She is a formidable craft to cut outwith 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. Asfar as I can make out, with the glass, the battery mounts twelveguns."
"Yes, that is the number. Besides, you see, we dare not take thefrigate in nearer than a mile; and a mile and a quarter would besafer. So that we could not be of any assistance, beyond annoyingthe battery with long shot. It seems to me that there is only onechance."
"What is that, sir?"
"We must land a strong party, some distance along the shore; andmake an attack upon the battery, and carry it by surprise. I canmake out some huts behind it. I suppose they wouldn't have lessthan a hundred soldiers there--perhaps a hundred and fifty. If wecan drive them off, and capture the battery, we can open fire downupon the ship. At that distance, we could fairly sweep her deckwith 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. Thecrew of the barque would be so disorganized, by the fire of thebattery, that they should hardly be able to make very much of afight of it."
"That seems a capital plan, sir. The only question is the number ofhands. Suppose you send eighty to take the battery; we should onlyhave as many more to spare, for the boat attack on the ship; andthat would leave us with only a hundred, on board. I should thinkshe would carry a fighting crew of two hundred, at least. TheseSpaniards are always very strongly manned."
"I should think that would be about it. They are long odds, but nottoo 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 generalopinion was that the captain would try to cut out the craft lyingunder the Spanish battery. The navy had, for a long time, been verysore at their inactivity; and had fretted that no attempts had beenmade to cut out the Spanish vessels, across the bay. The admiralhad steadily set his face against all such attempts, consideringthat the benefits to be gained did not justify the risks; for, hadany of his small squadron been damaged, or sunk, by the guns of thebatteries, the consequences would have been very serious, as theSpanish gunboats would then have been able to carry on theiroperations, without check, and it would have been next toimpossible 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 totheir anxiety to cut the Spaniard out; for although the prize moneywould be less than if she had been a richly laden merchantman, thehonour and glory was proportionately greater. The undertaking wouldbe a serious one, but the prospect of danger is never deterrent toa British sailor.
There was great satisfaction when, presently, it became known thatthe crews of the whole of the boats were to muster. Arms wereinspected, cutlasses ground, and everything prepared. It was earlyin the morning when the Spanish barque had been first discovered;and ten o'clock when the frigate had sailed away from land, as ifconsidering the Spanish craft too strongly protected to beattacked. When five miles away from land, her course was laid eastand, under easy sail, she maintained the same distance on thecoast.
The plan of operations was that the first lieutenant, with thirtymarines and as many sailors, should land at a spot some two milesfrom the battery; and should make their way inland, and come downupon the position from the rear. A hundred men, in the rest of theboats, should make for the barque, direct. This party was to act intwo divisions, under the second and third lieutenants, respectively;and were to lie, one to the east and the other to the west of thebarque, and remain there until the guns of the battery opened uponher. Then they were to row for her at all speed; a blue light beingburned, by each division, when they were within a hundred yards ofthe enemy, as a warning to their friends in the battery; who were thento fire round shot, instead of grape. The frigate was to venture in asclosely 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 tothe captain, and requested leave to accompany him, as a volunteer.
"You see, sir," he said, "we may fall in with peasants, or bechallenged by sentries, as we approach the battery, and my abilityto speak Spanish might be an advantage."
"It would, undoubtedly," the captain said. "Well, Mr. Repton, Ishall be very glad to accept your services."
At four in the afternoon, the frigate's head was again turned westand, at ten o'clock, the boats for the landing party were loweredand, the men taking their places in them, rowed away for the shore,which was some two miles distant. The night was dark; but Mr. Lyonshad with him a pocket compass and had, before embarking, taken theexact 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 inits rear.
The strictest silence had been enjoined, and the little body ofsailors made their way inland, until they came upon a road runningparallel with the shore. They followed this for about half a mile,and then struck off inland, again. The country was highlycultivated, with orchards, vineyards, and orange groves. Theirprogress was slow; for they had, many times, to cut a passagethrough the hedges of prickly pear. At last, they reached a spotwhere they believed themselves to be directly behind the battery.Here there was a path, leading in the direction which they wishedto 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 ordersthey had before received.
"You are to go straight at the huts. As you approach them you areto break up into parties of ten, as already formed. Each party isto attack one hut, cut down all who resist, seize and carry awayall arms. Never mind the men, if you have once got their arms. Theycannot trouble us, afterwards. Waste no time but, directly you havegot all the firelocks in one hut, make for another. As soon as allhave been cleared out, make for the battery.
"Now, let the officers told off to command parties each fall in, atthe 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 sentinelchallenged:
"Who goes there?"
"Soldiers of the king," Bob answered, in Spanish, "withreinforcements for you."
"Halt till I call an officer," the sentry said.
But the lieutenant gave the word, and the whole party dashedforward at a run. The sentry hesitated in surprise, for a moment,and then discharged his piece. The sailors gave a cheer, and rushedat the huts. Taken utterly by surprise, the Spaniards at firstoffered no resistance, whatever, as the sailors rushed in. Indeed,few of them attempted to get out of bed. The blue lights, withwhich one man in each party was provided, were lighted as theyentered; and the arms were collected without a moment's delay, andthey were off again before the Spaniards were fairly awake to whathad happened.
There were ten huts, each containing twenty men. Two or three shotswere fired, as they entered the last two huts; but the Spaniardswere overpowered in an instant, as they were here vastlyoutnumbered. The officers were made prisoners and, ten men beingplaced over them, the rest of the force, now carrying three musketseach, ran down into the battery. The sentries here threw down theirarms, at once, and were allowed to go where they pleased.
"Pile the arms you have captured!" Lieutenant Lyo
ns ordered. "Runthe ramrods down them, and see if they are loaded. The Spaniardsare not likely to rally but, if they do, we can give them a hotreception.
"Now, gunner, break open the magazine, there, and load with grape."
By this time the drum was beating to arms, in the vessel below--theshots fired having given the alarm--and lights were seen to flashalong the deck. In two minutes the guns were loaded; and theseopened with a fire of grape upon the deck of the vessel, which wasnear enough to be distinctly seen, by the glare of the blue lights.As the first gun was fired, an answering flash came from sea, asthe frigate also opened fire. For five minutes the guns were workedfast, then two lights burst out in close succession, ahead andastern of the barque.
"Cease firing grape. Load with round shot!" the lieutenant shoutedbut, a moment later, a loud cheer broke from the sailors as, by thelights in the boats, the Spanish ensign was seen to run up to thepeak of the barque, and then at once to fall again to the deck. Thebarque had surrendered.
"Now, gunner, spike the guns," the lieutenant ordered, "and thentumble them off the carriages."
This was soon done.
"Now let each man take one of the muskets, and throw the rest ofthem over the parapet down the rocks.
"That is right. Now, fall in!"
The sailors fell in, and marched back to the huts. The Spanishofficers were placed in the midst, and twenty men were told off tofire the huts. This was soon done. The lieutenant waited until theywere well alight, and then gave the order to march. They took thecoast road, this time, for two miles; and then struck off to theshore and saw, a few hundred yards away, the lantern that had beenhoisted on one of the boats, as a signal.
They were challenged by the boat keeper, who had moored the boatstwenty yards from the shore. A cheer broke out, as the answer wasgiven. The grapnels were pulled up, and the boats were soonalongside. The party, embarking, rowed out in the direction wherethey knew the frigate to be and, as soon as they were fairly outfrom the shore, they saw the three lights she had hoisted as asignal. In half an hour they were alongside.
"I need not ask if you have succeeded, Mr. Lyons," the captainsaid, as the boats came up, "for we have seen that. You have nothad 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 elsehas as much as a scratch."
"I am truly glad to hear it," the captain said. "It has been a mostsuccessful surprise. I don't think the boats can have suffered,either."
"I don't think there was a shot fired at them, sir," the lieutenantsaid. "The Spaniard ran up his colours and dropped them again,directly the boats showed their lights. I fancy they must havesuffered very heavily from our fire. You see, they were almostunder our guns, and we must have pretty well torn up their decks."
"We shall soon hear," the captain said. "The boats are towing theSpaniard out. She will be alongside in a few minutes."
The wind had entirely dropped now and, in a short time, theSpaniard was brought close alongside the frigate, and Mr. Rawdoncame on board to report.
"The ship is the San Joaquin, mounting twenty-four guns, with acrew of two hundred and twenty men, sir. Her casualties are veryheavy. The men had just poured up on deck, it seems, when thebattery opened fire. The captain, first lieutenant, and fifty-sixmen are killed, and there are forty-three wounded. We have nocasualties. Their flag came down, just as we got alongside."
"Then, as far as we are concerned," the captain said, "this is oneof the most bloodless victories on record. There will be no deathpromotions this time, gentlemen, but I am sure you won't mind that.It has been a most admirably managed affair, altogether; and I amsure that it will be appreciated by my lords of the admiralty.
"You will take command of her at present, Mr. Lyons, with the crewnow on board. Dr. Colfax and his assistant will go off with you, toattend to the wounded, and will remain on board until we get intoGibraltar.
"Mr. Rawdon, you will be acting first, and I can only say that Ihope you will be confirmed."
The frigate and her prize at once sailed for Gibraltar. On theirarrival there, the captain took some pains--by sending up largeryards, and by repainting the broad white streaks showing theportholes--to restore the prize to its proper appearance as a shipof war.
"We should not get half so much credit for her capture, if you tookher into Portsmouth looking like a lubberly merchantman," thecaptain said to Mr. Lyons. "I don't care about patching up allthose shot holes in the bulwarks. That gives her the appearance ofhaving been taken after a sharp action, and the deck looks almostlike a ploughed field.
"I shall give you fifty men, Mr. Lyons, I can't spare more thanthat."
"That will do, sir. Nothing smaller than ourselves is likely tointerfere with us and, if a large frigate engaged us, we should nothave more chance with a hundred men on board than with fifty. Inthat case we shall have to trust to our legs. Of course, if we fallin with two or three of the enemy's ships, I should run up theSpanish flag. I will find out if I can, from the prisoners, what isher private number. If I hoist that, and a Spanish flag, it oughtto 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 togive you your step, I think."
Next day the San Joaquin sailed and, six weeks later, a sloop ofwar brought despatches to the admiral. Among them was a letter fromthe admiralty to Captain Langton, expressing their gratification atthe very able arrangements by which he had captured and silenced aSpanish battery; and cut out the sloop of war, San Joaquin,anchored under its guns, without any loss of life. It was, theysaid, a feat almost without parallel. They stated that they had, inaccordance with his recommendation, promoted Mr. Lyons to the rankof commander; and they confirmed Mr. Rawdon in rank of firstlieutenant, the third lieutenant becoming second, and the seniorpassed midshipman, Mr. Outram, being promoted to that of thirdlieutenant.
No change of any importance had taken place at Gibraltar, duringthe absence of the Brilliant; except that the governor haddetermined to retaliate for the nightly annoyance of the gunboatsand, accordingly, six guns were fixed at a very considerableelevation behind the Old Mole, and shells fired from them. Thesereached the enemy's camp; and caused, as could be seen from theheights, great alarm and confusion. It was determined that infuture, when the enemy's gunboats bombarded our camps and huts, weshould retaliate by throwing shells into their camp.
The day after the Brilliant returned the Helena, sloop of war--withfourteen small guns--was seen working in towards the Rock. Thewind, however, was so light that she scarcely moved through thewater. Fourteen Spanish gunboats came out to cut her off. For atime she maintained a gallant contest, against odds that seemedoverwhelming; although the garrison gave her up as lost. But whenthe wind suddenly freshened, she sailed through her opponents intothe port; where she was received, with ringing cheers, by thesoldiers lining the batteries.
Week after week passed in minor hostilities. There was a constantexchange of fire between our batteries and those of the enemy. Thegunboats continued their operations; and we, in return, shelledtheir camp. Fresh works were erected, on both sides. Casualtiestook place almost daily, but both troops and inhabitants were nowso accustomed to the continual firing that they went about theirordinary avocations, without paying any attention to the shot andshell, unless one of the latter fell close at hand.
November came in and, in spite of the heavy fire maintained by ourbatteries, the enemy's works continually advanced towards the Rock;and when, in the middle of the month, it was seen that the newbatteries were being armed and placed in readiness to open fire,the governor determined to take the offensive. Accordingly, aftergunfire on the evening of the twenty-sixth, an order was issued forall the grenadier and light infantry companies--with the 12th, andHardenberg's Regiment--to assemble, at twelve o'clock atnight--with a party of Engineers, and two hundred workmen from theline regiments--for a sortie upon the enemy's batteries. The
39thand 59th Regiments were to parade, at the same hour, to act assupport to the attacking party. A hundred sailors from the ships ofwar were to accompany them. The attacking party numbered 1014 rankand file, besides officers and noncommissioned officers. This wasexclusive of the two regiments forming the supports. The attackingforce was divided into three columns.
At a quarter to three in the morning, the column moved out. Theenemy's pickets discovered the advance, as soon as it passed theoutlying work known as Forbes' Barrier and, after firing, fellback. Lieutenant Colonel Hugo's column, which was in front, pushedon rapidly; and entered the enemy's lines without opposition, whenthe pioneers began to dismantle the work. Hardenberg's Regiment andthe central column attacked and carried the tremendous work knownas the San Carlos Battery. The enemy were unable to withstand, fora moment, the fierce attack of the troops and, in a very shorttime, the whole of the advanced works were in our hands.
The leading corps formed up, to resist any attempt the enemy mightmake to repel the sortie; and the working parties began to destroythe enemy's work. Faggots dipped in tar were laid against thefascines and gabions and, in a short time, columns of fire andsmoke rose from all parts of the works occupied. In an hour, theobject of the sortie was effected. Trains were laid to themagazines, 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 suddenattack upon their advanced works--the fugitives from which createda panic throughout the whole army--and although the main Spanishlines, mounting a hundred and thirty-five heavy pieces ofartillery, were but a few hundred yards behind the works attacked,not a single shot was fired at the troops engaged. The batteriescontinued burning for three days and, when they ceased to smoke,nothing but heaps of sand remained of the works that had cost theenemy months of labour to erect.
It was some days before the Spaniards appeared to come to anydefinite conclusion as to their next step. Then large numbers ofmen set to work, to reestablish their batteries; and things fellinto their old routine, again. Every day shots were exchanged,occasionally. Vessels made their way in and out; being sometimesbriskly chased by the enemy's gunboats, sometimes passing in withlittle interference--for, by this time, the Spaniards must haverecognized that there was no hope, whatever, of reducing Gibraltarby blockade. There was a great deal of sickness in the garrison;but comparatively little of this was due to scurvy, for everyavailable corner of ground was now cultivated, and the supply ofvegetables--if not absolutely sufficient to counteract the effectsof so long and monotonous a diet of salt meat--was yet ample toprevent 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 hourslater, four transports with the 97th Regiment, under the convoy oftwo frigates, came in.
A singular series of casualties was caused by a single shot, whichentered an embrasure in Willis's Battery, took both legs off twomen, 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 thewarning of a boy who was looking out for shot. There were two boysin the garrison whose eyesight was so keen that they could see theenemy's shot coming, and both were employed in the batteriesespecially exposed to the enemy's fire, to warn the men to withdrawthemselves into shelter, when shot were coming.
This quickness of eyesight was altogether exceptional. Standingbehind a gun--and knowing, therefore, the exact course the shotwill take--it is comparatively easy for a quick-sighted man tofollow it; but there are few, indeed, who can see a shot comingtowards them. In this respect, the ear is a far better index thanthe eye. A person possessed of a fair amount of nerve can judge, towithin a few yards, the line that a shot coming towards him willtake. When first heard, the sound is as a faint murmur; increasing,as it approaches, to a sound resembling the blowing off of steam byan express engine, as it rushes through a station. At first, thekeenest ear could not tell the direction in which the shot istravelling but, as it approaches, the difference in the anglebecomes perceptible to the ear, and a calm listener willdistinguish whether it will pass within twenty or thirty yards, tothe right or left. It would require an extraordinary acute ear todetermine more closely than this, the angle of flight being so verysmall, until the shot approaches almost within striking distance.
The garrison had been trying experiments with carcasses and red-hotshot. A carcass is a hollow shot, or shell, pierced with holes; butinstead of being charged with powder, to explode it either by meansof a fuse or by percussion, it is filled with a fierce-burningcomposition so that, upon falling, it will set on fire anythinginflammable near it. Red-hot shot are fired by putting a wet wad inover the dry wad, next to the powder. The red-hot shot is then runinto the gun, and rammed against the wet wad; and the gun fired inthe usual way. The carcasses several times set fire to the enemy'sworks, but the use of the red-hot shot was reserved for a pressingemergency. A number of furnaces were constructed, in the variousbatteries, for heating the shot; which necessarily required aconsiderable amount of time, to bring them to a white heat.
News came, in April, that great preparations were making, at Cadizand other Mediterranean ports, for a fresh and vigorous attack onGibraltar; and that the Duc de Crillon--who had lately capturedMinorca--would bring twenty thousand French and Spanish troops, inaddition to those at present engaged in the siege; that a largefleet would also be present, and that the principal attack would bemade by means of ships turned into floating batteries, andprotected by an immense thickness of cork, or other wood.
On the 9th of May, the ships began to arrive. Among them were sevenlarge vessels, which appeared to be old men-of-war. A large numberof workmen immediately went on board them, and began to lower thetopmasts. This confirmed the news in respect to the floatingbatteries.
About this time, three store ships fortunately arrived fromEngland, with powder, shell, and other stores. As there could be nolonger any doubt that the attack was, this time, to be delivered onthe sea face; strong working parties were employed in strengtheningthe water batteries, in erecting lines of palisades, to prevent alanding from boats, and in building furnaces for the heating ofshot in these batteries, also. At this time the Engineers began todrive a gallery through the Rock, facing the neutral ground, inorder to place guns there. This work was carried on to the end ofthe siege, and the batteries thus erected are now among thestrongest of the defences of Gibraltar.
At the end of the month a great fleet, consisting of upwards of ahundred sail, entered the bay and anchored off Algeciras. Some nineor ten thousand troops were landed and, from that time, scarce aday passed without fresh vessels, laden with stores and materialsfor the siege, arriving in the bay.
Early in May twelve gunboats, that had been sent out in pieces fromEngland, were completed and launched. Each carried one gun, and wasmanned by twenty-one men. Six of these drew their crews from theBrilliant, five from the Porcupine, and one from the Speedwell,cutter. These craft had been specially designed for the purpose ofengaging the enemy's gunboats, and for convoying ships into theport.
On the 11th of June a shell from the enemy burst, just at the doorof one of the magazines of Willis's Battery. This instantly blewup, and the explosion was so violent that it seemed to shake thewhole Rock. Fourteen men were killed, and fifteen wounded, and agreat deal of injury done to the battery; but strong parties atonce set to work to repair it. A few days later a French convoy ofsixty 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 tookcommand of the besiegers. A private letter, that was brought in bya privateer that had captured a merchantman, on her way, gave thegarrison an idea of the method in which the attack was to be made.It stated that ten ships were to be fo
rtified, six or seven feetthick, with green timber bolted with iron, and covered with cork,junk, and raw hides. They were to carry guns of heavy metal, and tobe bombproof on the top, with a descent for the shells to slideoff. These vessels, which they supposed would be impregnable, wereto be moored within half gunshot of the walls with iron chains; andlarge boats, with mantlets, were to lie off at some distance, fullof troops ready to take advantage of occurrences; that the mantletsof these boats were to be formed with hinges, to fall down tofacilitate their landing. There would, by that time, be fortythousand men in camp, but the principal attack was to be made bysea, to be covered by a squadron of men-of-war with bomb ketches,floating batteries, gun and mortar boats, etc.; and that the ComteD'Artois--brother to the King of France--with other greatpersonages, was to be present at the attack.
At this time the enemy fired but little, and the garrison were ableto turn their whole attention to strengthen the points mostthreatened. The activity of the enemy on their offensive works onthe neutral ground continued and, in one night, a strong and loftywork, five hundred yards long, with a communication thirteenhundred yards long to the works, was raised. It was calculated thatten thousand men, at least, must have been employed upon it; and noless than a million and a half sandbags used in its construction.
There could be no doubt, now, that the critical moment wasapproaching; and that, ere long, the garrison would be exposed tothe most tremendous fire ever opened upon a besieged place.