she reft Spaniards, having join'd Sir John Leake, A. C. who was cruizing off of Port Mahon, Major Ge- 1708. neral Stanhope landed, the fame Day, with part of the Forces under his Command, and the next the rest of the Troops were fet on Shore. Hereupon all the Inhabitants declar'd for King Charles; but the Enemy had Three Places in their Hands, viz. Ciutadella, to the Weftward of the Ifland,and the Capital of it; Fort Fornelle, to the Northward; and Three ftrong Forts defending the Entrance into Port Mahon. The Two moft confiderable of thefe are on the Weft-fide of the Mouth of the Harbour, Fort Charles, clofe to the Sea-fide, and Fort Philip, above it, a little more into the Harbour; being a Square with Four Baftions, Three Ravelins, and a large and very deep Ditch: Thefe Two Forts were defended by a strong Line,reaching from Sea to Sea, made of dry Stones, near Nine Foot High, and Four Towers or Redoubts, within Gun-fhot of one another, each having Four Guns upon it; and the Garrifon confifted of 1000 Men. The 17th, Sir John Leake, with the Dutch, fail'd for England, and left Sir Edward Whitaker, Rear-Admiral of the Red, with his Squadron, before Port Mahon: Having order'd Cruifers all round the Island, to cut off any Supplies from France or Spain, and Caplain Butler, in the Dunkirk, and Captain Fairbone, in the Centurion, to go and batter Fort Fornelle, that the Tranfports might fafely ride into the Harbour of that Name. Accordingly, the 20th, they anchor'd before it, and, after a long Refiftance, oblig'd the Garrifon, confifting of about 50 Men, to furrender themselves Prifoners of War. They found in the Harbour, a Tartane, laden, from Marfailles, and a great deal of Corn in the Fort. The 22d, at the Sight of a Detachment from the Army,Ciutadella furrendred, the French Prifoners of War, the Spaniards at Difcretion. All this while Preparations were made for attacking the Forts at Port Mahon; and tho' the Allies found great Difficulties in landing and tranfporting their heavy Artillery and Stores through a Country very rocky, in which there are but few Beafts of Burthen: Yet with continual Labour they did in 12 Days bring up all their Artillery, confifting of 42 Pieces of Cannon, and 15 Morrars,

to

A. C. to the Place near which they propofed to make use 1708. of them. On the 28th, at Break of Day, they mounted Nine Pieces of Cannon in Battery against the Two middlemoft Towers, which fupported the Line. Within few Hours they beat down those Towers, and made fome Breaches in the Line it felf, which Major-General Stanhope defigned to have attacked the next Day: But Brigadier Wade being posted on the Right with Two Battalions at fome distance from the Major-General, fome of his Grenadiers, without Orders, advanced to the Line, and got into it; whereupon the Brigadier march'd, with what Men he could immediately get together, to fupport them. As foon as the Fire was heard, the Major-General himself took the ordinary Guard of the Battery, and advanced to that Part of the Line which was next to him. The Enemy were in fo great a Confternation at this fudden Approach of the Allies, that they abandoned the Two other Towers, which could not otherwife have been taken without Cannon. Notwithstanding the brisk Fire from the Three Forts, both with great Shot and Bombs, the Lofs of the Confederates did not amount to above 40 kill'd or wounded; and in the Captain actual taking of the Line, none was kill'd, but Stanhope Captain Stanhope, of the Milford-Galley, the Major General's Brother, a young Gentleman of great Hopes, who was extreamly regretted. The Begefiers lodg'd themfelves, the fame Evening, at the Foot of the Glacis of the main Castle; and traced their main Battery to play upon it: But the next *Sept.29. Morning, the Enemy beat a Parley; and the Capitulation being agreed to, and figned at Five aClock in the Afternoon; on the 30th of September, N. S. in the Morning, the British General took Poffeffion of one Gate, and of all the Outworks. The Befiegers found in the Castles and Forts about 100 Pieces of Cannon, 3000 Barrels of Powder, and all Things neceffary for a good Defence; And Major-General Stanhope appointed Brigadier Petit, a Skilful Enginier, Governor of the Iland, in the Name of King Charles, in Confideration of his eminent Services, both in this Expedition, and at the Taking and Defence of Barcelona. According to the Capitulation, the Garrifon, which confifted

kill'd.

N. S.

of

of above 1000 Men, was to be tranfported, in the A. C. Ships of the Allies; the French into their own Coun- 1708. try, and the Spaniards into Spain; which was punctually perform'd with refpect to the Latter: The French But Major-General Stanhope, thought fit to detain in Garrison the French, for which he gave his Reafons to the in Port Ma Chevalier d'Hasfelt, in the following Letter: hon, de

SIR,

tain'd.

"THIS Lee Caftle of St. Philip, who StanHIS Letter will be deliver'd you by the Maj. Gen.

hope's Let

ter to the

⚫ will inform you of the Capitulation of that Place, and with what Exactnefs the fame was perform'd Chevalier on our Side, till this very Day; there being no d'Hasfelt, Officer or Soldier who can complain, that he has about it. loft the Value of a Pin; though the Treatment the Garrison of Tortoza lately met with, would have juftify'd us in acting otherwife. I fhould, according to that Capitulation, have fent the French Soldiers and Officers into France, had not I receiv'd 'the ftricteft Orders from the Queen my Miftrifs, to use Reprizals, the first Opportunity I had, for the Garrifon of Xativa, which, by the Capitulation, fhould have been reftor'd us. As you know, better than any body, how that Affair was manag'd, I apply my felf to you, with Demands of Juftice; And, according to the Orders I have receiv'd, I am oblig'd to let you know, That we demand the English and Dutch, who made up the faid Garrifon, to be fent back to us in Catalonia, arm'd and cloathed. We know, indeed, That a great many of those poor Wretches have perifh'd, by the ill Ufage they receiv'd; That the reft are difpers'd; and, That feveral were forc'd into the French Service; But in a like Cafe, in the late War, " when the Garrifon of Dixmuyde was to be reftor'd, the French King order'd the like Number of Men to be fent back. This is what we now demand; and while you wait for an Anfwer from Court thereupon, the French Officers and Soldiers, which are here, fhall remain on Board, and be well us'd. If the Anfwer happen not to comply with our juft Demands, you ought not to be furpriz'd, if, not having the fame Extent of Country, to ruin them by prodigious Marches, we make them

་

6

' work

A. C.

1708.

' work on Fortifications, till there be a Peace, or 'till they are otherwife agreed to be exchang'd. "I am, with a great deal of Refpect, &c.

Sign'd,

Mahon, 08. 1. 1708.

JAMES STANHOPE,

Advanta

As by the Reduction of Sardinia, King Charles ges gain'd was feafonably fupply'd with vaft Quantities of by the Con- Corn, and great Numbers of Horfes; fo, by the quefts of Taking of Port Mahon, the Confederates gain'd a Sardinia fpacious and fafe Harbour in the Mediterranean : and Mi- And thofe Two Conquefts brought a further Ad

norca.

ral rich

Sloops.

vantage to the Confederate Caufe, by Defeating the French King's Project of Uniting the Princes and States of Italy, in a League against the Emperor, in order to kindle a new War in that Country. And the Confederate Fleet was very feasonably at Hand, to affift the Imperialifts, who made a confiderable Progrefs in the Ecclefiaftical State, and threaten'd to march to Rome, in order to force the Partial and Refractory Pope, to acknowledge King Charles, and give full Satisfaction to the Emperor.

Nor were her Britannick Majefty's Maritime Forces lefs fuccefsful in the West-Indies, than in Europe: For, in the Month of May, Captain Coleby, Captain Commander of a Privateer Sloop, of about 100 Coleby takes ve- Men, meeting with 14 Sail of Brigantines and Sloops, laden with valuable Goods, going from the the Galleons at Porto-Bello, to Panama, under Convoy of the Duke of Anjou's Guard-Sloop, of between 70 and 80 Men, bravely fought the GuardSloop, and Two others that ftood by her, for Two Hours, and took her and Six more. The Spaniards offer'd Captain Coleby 180000 Pieces of Eight for the Ranfom of the Sloops, which he refufed; brought Five of them into Jamaica and the other Two, after he had taken the Goods out, he gave to the French and Spaniards to carry them afhore.

But

But much more glorious and profitable to him- A. C. felf, (tho' ignominious, and, in the End, fatal to 1708. his Companions) was the Action perform'd by in Commodore Wager,who having an had Account by Commodore feveral Trading Sloops, That the Spanish-Galleons Wager lay at Porto-bello, and were epuipping with all Ex-fights the pedition, to fail for Carthagena, and thence to the Spanish Havana or Cuba, there to join with Monf. du Caffe, Galleons, who attended with a French Squadron to convoy, which he one of them to Europe; he immediately made ready, and takes, and fail'd, on the 6th of March, from Port Royal in Ja- defroys maica, himself in the Expedition, accompany'd with others. the Kingston, Portland, and Vultur Firefhip, defigning, if poffible, to intercept fome of them in their Paffage. They continued at Sea till the 23d of April, without any Adventure, at which time they bore away to Santa Martha to water; and having fupply'd themselves, they ftood away for Motherly Papps, and thence to cruize off Carthagena, where they lay off and on, feveral Days, without meeting with any Thing, till the 2d of May in the Morning, when they difcover'd a Sloop coming from the Southward, who gave the Commodore an Account, That there were 13 Sail of Galleons and 3 Firefhips lying at Porto-Bello, ready to fail; whereupon they lay waiting for them feveral Days. The Commodore being now out of Hopes, difpatch'd a Sloop to Jamaica, to give an Account, That he feared he had mifs'd the Galleons; but on the 28th of May, they faw 17 Sail of Ships to Leeward, between the Brew, and Friends Islands. The Commodore being fully refolv'd, notwithstanding all Difficulties, to make himself Mafter of fome of them, immediately form'd a Line of Battle, with his fmall Number of 4 Sail, and bore down on the Enemy, who took little Notice of it, not thinking he would be fo refolute as to engage them. But contrary to their Expectation, about 6 in the Evening, the Commodore came a long fide of their Admiral, who mounted 64 Brafs Guns; and had. prefently 3 Sail more on him, viz. the Vice-Admiral of 50 BrafsGuns, the Rear-Admiral of 44, and a French Ship of 36 Guns. With thefe 4 Sail, did the Expedition engage for the fpace of 4 Hours, in which time the Spanish Admiral blew up, and of 700 Men, only