Page:Royal Naval Biography Marshall sp1.djvu/406

did not get there till the 21st. The signal-post displayed a flag of truce, which was answered by both ships. The captain of the port, Don Vincento Camino, came on board: he told us the French army was soon expected to make an attack on the pass in the mountains that guarded the approach to the town; and he invited us to anchor in Sardenero bay (which we did at 5 P.M.): but until he had made his report to the bishop, who was the present governor, he wished us not to land. No boat returning by one o’clock the next day, I concluded that some sudden attack or unexpected event must have taken place. In the afternoon a brig came out of the harbour full of people of all descriptions, who had left the town on the report that the French were advancing. I immediately got under weigh, and sent Captain Daly, of the Comet, up the harbour, to gain some confirmed intelligence, and should the report prove true, to reconnoitre the fort, and find out where the principal magazine was, and, if possible, to destroy it. Between 8 and 9 P.M., Captain Daly returned with certain information, that the French army had gained the pass, halted only a few miles from the town, and were expected to enter it that night or next day.

“Captain Daly also made every possible observation, and had himself spiked the guns in two forts near the town; he likewise requested permission to go and destroy the magazine, and the guns in the forts that guard the entrance of the harbour. I should certainly have sent the boats that night, but the great chance of their being taken by surprise, should the enemy advance, and the night being very dark and squally, with every appearance of bad weather, made me defer it till the next morning: at daylight we stood into the bay, and manned and armed two boats from each ship, under the orders of Captain Daly, who was accompanied by Lieutenant Herbert, of the Cossack, Lieutenant Read, R.M., and several of the younger officers, who all volunteered their services: they left this ship soon after six o’clock, and landed about eight; spiked all the guns in fort St. Salvador de Ano, and fort Sedra, wedging shot in the chambers of them, by which they are rendered quite useless. The magazine was at some little distance, and had 500 whole barrels of powder in it, besides quantities of other stores, all of which was completely destroyed, great part by throwing it over the cliff into the sea, leaving sufficient to blow up the magazine: the train was laid for a considerable distance, and it was let off about ten o’clock, which instantly levelled the whole building to the ground. Finding some more powder in fort Sedra, a train was laid to it, which took effect, and blew part of the guard and store-houses up; the two other forts on the west side of the bay they could not attempt, as the surf was so high it was impossible to land; and to walk round was too far from the boats, as they had not a moment to spare, having heard, before they set fire to the first train, that the French had entered the town, and expecting that a strong guard would immediately be sent to the forts. The boats left the shore by eleven o’clock, and had just got round the point of de Ano when a considerable body of French dragoons appeared on the hill, and took post near