1782, they submitted to this neceffity. The day light at length appearing, two Spanish feluccas, which had not escaped with the others, attempted to get out of the danger; but a fhot from a gun-boat having killed several men on board one of them, both were glad to furrender.

The horrors of the night were terrible; but the opening of the day disclosed a fpectacle ftill more painful. Numbers of men were seen in the midst of the flames crying out for pity and help; others floating on pieces of timber, expofed to equal danger from the oppofite element. Those in the ships where the fire had made a lefs progrefs, expreffed in their looks, geftures and words, the deepest distress and defpair; and were equally urgent in imploring affistance. The fire both from the garrifon and gun-boats instantly ceased; and every danger was encountered by capt. Curtis and his marine brigade, in endeavouring to rescue the diftreffed enemy from surrounding deftruction. In thefe efforts the boats were exposed to the peril arifing from the continual discharge, on all fides of the artillery, as the guns became heated to a certain degree, and from the blowing up of the battering fhips as the fire reached their magazines. more ftriking inftance of the ardor and boldness with which the marine brigade acted, needs not be given, than that of an officer and 29 privates (all feverely wounded) being dragged out from among the flain in the holds of the burning veffels, moft of whom recovered in the hofpital at Gibraltar.

A

Captain Curtis was repeatedly in the most imminent danger; particularly fo when his pinnace was close to one of the largest fhips at the time she blew up; while every object was for a confiderable while buried in

a thick

a thick cloud of fmoke, gen. Elliot and the garrison 1782. fuffered the most poignant diftrefs, confidering the fate of their friend as inevitable. Thirteen officers and 344 men were faved by the exertions of the brigade. It was happy, that the greater part of the troops and feamen had been removed, before capt. Curtis could make his attack with the gun boats. It is thought however that the enemy loft 1500 men, prifoners and wounded included, in their attack by sea.

Admiral Don Moreno left his flag flying when he abandoned his fhip, in which state it continued, till it was confumed or blown up with the veffel. Eight more fhips blew up fucceffively in the courfe of the day. The tenth was burnt by the British, there being no poffibility of preferving her for fervice. The lofs fuftained by the allies on the ifthmus during the attack cannot be ascertained. The lofs of the garrison was nearly con'fined to the artillery corps and the marine brigade. From the 9th of Auguft to the 17th of October, the whole number of non-commiffioned officers and private men flain, amounted to fixty-five only, the wounded were 388, befide twelve commiffioned officers.

Such was the fignal and complete defenfive victory, obtained by a comparatively handful of brave men, over the combined land and naval efforts of two great and powerful nations, who for the attainment of a favorite object, exceeded all former example, as well in the magnitude, as in the formidable nature of their preparations.

The allies were now compelled to reft their hopes of recovering Gibraltar, on the reduction of the garrison to a furrender, through the mere failure of ammunition and provifions. But this was not to be effected, unless

1782. they could defeat lord Howe, or at least prevent his throwing in the intended relief. Mean while his lordship met with much delay, through winds and weather, on his way to Gibraltar; which was rendered exceedingly irksome, by the anxiety that prevailed relative to the fortrefs, under a knowledge of the menaced attack. This anxiety was not removed till the fleet had arrived near the scene of action; when advice was alfo received, that the united fleets, confifting of 50 fail of three and two deckers, had taken their ftation in the bay of Gibraltar.

At this critical point of time, a violent gale of wind in the Straits, threw the combined fleets into the greatest oa. diforder, and expofed them to no fmall danger. It 10. happened in the night of October the 10th; and during the ftorm a frigate and one fhip of the line were driven afhore, a fecond loft her foremaft and bowfprit, two more were driven out of the bay to the eastward, and many others fuffered more or lefs damage. The St. Michael, a fine Spanish ship of 72 guns, was driven un"der the works of Gibraltar, where the ran aground and was taken by the boats of the garrifon. Her commander, with 650 feamen and foldiers, became prifoners of

The allies difcovering the fate of the St. Michael, -threw a number of fhells in hope of deftroying her ast The lay afhore. The British however got her off in three or four days, without her having fuffered any effential damage.

On the morning that fucceeded the ftorm, the British fleet entered the Straits, in a close line of battle a-head; and about an hour after night, the van arriving off the bay of Gibraltar, an opportunity was afforded to the

ftore

flore fhips of reaching their deftined anchorage without 1782. any moleftation from the enemy; but for want of timely attention to the circumstances of the navigation, pointed out in the inftructions communicated to the captains, only four of the 31 fail which accompanied the fleet effected their purpose. The reft having miffed the Bay, were driven through the Straits into the Mediterranean during the night, and were no fmall encumbrance to the fleet in its fubfequent operations.

While lord Howe was collecting his convoy in the Mediterranean, and preparing to escort them back to Gibraltar, the enemy were under no small anxiety for the two line of battle fhips, which had been driven into the Mediterranean on the night of the ftorm. To recover these, and in hope of intercepting, or preventing the return of the ftore fhips, the combined fleet failed from Algeziras on the 13th.

The British fleet was abreast of Fungarola, a large port town between Malaga and Gibraltar, when advice was received of the approach of the enemy. While, upon this intelligence, the fleet was clofing and forming a line of battle, the Buffalo of 60 guns was detached with those store fhips which had been collected, to the Zefarine inlands, lying on the coaft of Barbary, about 60 leagues above Gibraltar. The Panther, of the fame force, being left in the bay of Gibraltar for the protection of the ftore fhips as they arrived, lord Howe's force now amounted only to 31 fail of the line.

Near fun-fet, the combined fleets were defcried in great force at about fix leagues distance, in line of battle, with a ftrong wind full in their favor, and bearing directly down upon the British fleet. They amounted to

13.

1782. 64 fail, about 42 appeared to be of the line, including

feveral large three deckers. By day light the next morning, they were perceived clofe in with the land, and at fuch a diftance as not to be vifible from the deck. During their movements they had recovered the two miffing fhips.

In the morning it was discovered, that several transports had not proceeded with the Buffalo, and that others had joined lord Howe in the night. Upon this account, the wind becoming favorable, the fleet proceeded in order of battle toward the Straits, and paffed eighteen of the convoy fafe to Gibraltar bay. By the 18th, the veffels under the care of the Buffalo rejoined the fleet and were fent in. The two regiments on board the ships of war and frigates were landed; and the fcarcity of ammunition in the garrison was removed by a supply of 1500 barrels from the fleet. Gibraltar being now fully relieved, lord Howe concluded on taking immediate advantage of the easterly wind, which had prevailed a few days, for returning through the Straits to the weftward. When he was in the entrance of the gut, and enclosed between the oppofite points of Europa and Ceuta, the combined fleets appeared at no great diftance to the north east, at the break of day on the 19th. They followed his lordship, and the next morn20. ing were perceived at about five leagues diftance to the windward. The British formed in order of battle to leeward. At fun-fet the enemy began a cannonade on the van and rear of Howe's fleet; but generally at fuch a distance as to produce little effect. Perceiving however a part. of his rear much feparated from the reft, they made a bolder attempt upon that divifion. The French and

Spanish