on the evening of the 11th, when I learnt that the castle had surrendered the preceding day, and that 2000 of the enemy’s troops were in the town; a tower, however, about a mile from Oropesa, and only a short distance from the sea, had the Spanish flag still flying, and the enemy were discovered constructing a strong battery against it, within musket-shot.
“Having found means to communicate with the tower, I received a letter from the commandant, informing me, that although he had refused to capitulate when summoned the day before, it would be impossible for him to hold out many hours against such a force as the enemy had brought against him: an arrangement was in consequence immediately made to withdraw the garrison. At daybreak the following morning, the enemy opened their fire, which was returned with spirit from the tower; but it was not till near nine o’clock, when the breeze sprung up, that I could proceed in with the Magnificent: I then anchored as close to the shore as the situation would admit, and sent our launch and pinnance, together with the gun-boats, to bring off the garrison, which consisted of two officers and eighty-five soldiers, all of whom I have the satisfaction to inform you were, by the exertion and steady conduct of the officers and boats’ crews, embarked by ten o’clock.
“The fire from the Magnificent kept the battery in check; but the moment the enemy perceived that the tower was abandoned, they drew down to the water-side, under shelter of a little point of land, and amongst the rocks, in great numbers, keeping up against the boats an incessant and heavy fire of musketry, from which three of our men were wounded; one of them, I am sorry to say, very dangerously.
“The officers who commanded the Magnificent’s boats upon this occasion were Lieutenants Astley and Hiatt; and I have great pleasure in representing to you, that for every duly of danger or trouble, they have always volunteered their services; and their conduct on this, as upon every former occasion, has been very satisfactory to me, and highly creditable to themselves.”
Lieutenant Astley subsequently served under Captains William Wilkinson, Charles Inglis, Sir John Louis, Bart., and William Elliot, C.B., in the Monmouth 64, Queen Charlotte 108, and Scamander 42, from which latter ship he was appointed acting commander of the Childers sloop, at Barbadoes, in the beginning of Sept. 1816. On his super-cession, he received the following letters from the commander-in-chief at the Leeward Islands, and the physician of the naval hospital at Antigua:–
