In order to facilitate the attack upon the breach a strong landing party of soldiers1 and seamen was put on shore on the Baradera side to distract the attention of the Spanish Garrison. Capt. Knowles, R.N., was in command, and lost no time in advancing upon the fascine2 batteries that guarded the south side of the entrance which he stormed without meeting with any opposition worthy of the name. Flushed with success the troops rushed into the water, and tried to wade out to the Island Fort of St. Joseph, which was on their side of the channel leading into the harbour. But though comparatively shallow there was abundance of pits and holes, many of them six feet deep, into which the red-coats stumbled and fell. They were further discomforted by a fire of partridge from the Fort. This kind of "partridge shooting" was poor sport for the attackers, so that the attempt to wade out to St. Joseph was given up, and the boats were called into requisition. However, when the Spaniards saw the armed flotilla pulling up to them they lost heart and the Fort was captured with very little opposition on their part.

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There were still the four big ships moored to command the boom to be dealt with, but the panic on shore had communicated itself to their crews, who, when they saw Captain Knowles and his boat-loads of armed men coming eagerly down upon them, after hoisting the British Colours upon Fort St. Joseph, took to their own boats and made off up the Harbour after setting fire to and blowing up the St. Philip and trying to sink the others. Two, the Africa and Carlos settled down in the water at once, but in their haste the Spaniards bungled the scuttling arrangements they had made on board the Galicia-the flagship of Don Blas de Leso-and the British were able to capture her intact together with her Captain, the Captain of Marines, an ensign and sixty men.

The seamen, assisted by a party of Harrison's Grenadiers, made short work of the boom, and the entrance to the outer harbour was now open to the British, though careful handling was required in warping in the Fleet on account of the blazing St. Philip on the one hand, and her sunken sisters on the other.

The next objective was the fortified entrance to the inner harbour upon which was situated the city of Cartagena itself.

But except for the obstruction offered by the two Spanish line-of-battle ships which had been sunk in the fair-way, no hindrance was offered to the passage of the British. The Mancinilla Battery was destroyed by the Spaniards as soon as the British ships were reported to be advancing, and the strong fortress of Grande Castillo was abandoned as soon as they began to take up their positions to bring their guns to bear upon it. "The wonderful success of this evening and night is so astounding," wrote Vernon to the Duke of Newcastle," that we cannot but cry out, it is the Lord's doing, and it seems marvellous in our eyes.'

The British might well have imagined that they were going to have it all their own way as there was nothing left for them to attack but the town walls and the outlying fort of St. Lazar.

1 Probably Marines.

2 A Fascine is a long thin faggot tightly packed and carefully bound together. A fascine battery would be one in which fascines were used to keep the earth in position on the inside.

3 Partridge" would technically mean the grenades projected from a species of mortar invented in 1693, which fired at once, a single large bomb, and thirteen smaller ones from barrels bored round the central one. As these never became common "partridge "here probably means grape shot.

red by the two Spanish line-of-battle -way, no hind vice was offered to the a Battery was destroyed by the Spaniards orted to be advancing, and the strong fortress as soon as they began to take up their positions n it."The wonderful success of this evening and Vernon to the Duke of Newcastle, "that we cannot doing, and it seems marvellous in our eyes.'

have imagined that they were going to have it all yas nothing left for them to attack but the town walls St. Lazar.

*urat tightly packed and carefully bound together. A fascine battery would be one ath in position on the laside the grenades projected from a species of mortar invented in 1693, which fired ones from barrels bored round the central one. As these never became common

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