POST-CAPTAINS OF 1801.
365
as the reduction of this fortress. Besides the combined fleet, forty gunboats with heavy cannon, as many bomb-vessels, with each a twelve-inch mortar, and five large bomb-ketches on the usual construction, were destined to second the powerful efforts of the battering ships; 300 large boats were collected from every part of Spain, which were to be employed in landing the troops so soon as the breach should be made.
“About eight o’clock on the morning of the 13th September, the battering ships lying at the head of the bay, under the command of Rear-Admiral Moreno, were observed to be getting under sail, and proceeded to the attack of the garrison. At ten o’clock, that officer having taken his station opposite the capital of the King’s bastion, the other ships extended them, selves at moderate distances from the Old to the New Mole, in a line parallel with the rock, at the distance of about 1000 yards, and immediately commenced a heavy cannonade, supported by the cannon and mortars from the enemy’s lines. The garrison at the same time opened a tremendous fire; the red hot shot were thrown with such precision, that about two o’clock in the afternoon smoke was seen to issue from the Spanish Admiral, and another ship; and men were perceived pouring water into the holes, endeavouring to extinguish the fire. Their efforts proved ineffectual: by one o’clock in the morning those two ships were in flames, and seven more took fire in succession. Evident marks of confusion appeared among them; and repeated signals of distress were made by throwing up rockets. The launches, feluccas, and boats of their fleet, were observed to be taking the men out of the burning ships, it being impossible to remove them. Captain Curtis availed himself of this favourable opportunity to employ his gun-boats, twelve in number, each carrying a 24 or 18-pounder, with which he advanced, and drew them up so as to flank the enemy’s battering ships, while they were extremely annoyed by an incessant, heavy, and well-directed fire from the garrison. The Spanish boats were so assailed by showers of shot and shells, that they dared no longer to approach, and were compelled to abandon their ships and friends to the flames, or to the mercy of their enemy. Several of the enemy’s boats were sunk before they submitted to this necessity; in one of these were fourscore men, who were all drowned excepting an officer and twelve of them, who floated on the wreck under the walls, and were taken up by the garrison. At day-light two Spanish feluccas, which had not escaped, submitted upon a shot being fired from a gun-boat, which killed some of their men. Nothing can exceed the horrors of the scene which now appeared: numbers of men were seen in the midst of the. flames, imploring relief; others floating on pieces of timber; even those on board the ships where the fire had made but little progress, expressed the deepest distress and despair, and were equally urgent in soliciting assistance. The number saved amounted to 13 officers and 344 men, 29 of whom were wounded, and taken from among the slain in the holds of the ships. Upon a moderate estimate, it is supposed that the Spaniards lost in their attack by sea not less than 1500 men. The intrepidity, conduct, and generous humanity of Captain Curtis, and the marine brigade, reflect on
