D. Ormond'i D. Ormond's "2. Whereabout did you find those Depths? A. It was between the Island St. Pedro, the main “Land, and the Island of Lyons. "Q. What Time of the Tide was it, when he "founded? "A. It was about Half Tide, as near as I can re- "Q. Whether was it in the Midft of the Channel Q. How far diftant from the Island of St. Pedro were you in the River? "A. About Half a Mile Distance. "the Inland any other Way; for the Weather is fo "violently hot, that we cannot march, for Want of "Horfes and Carriages to eafe the Officers and Sol"diers, who have no Way of carrying their Tents or "Provifions but on their Backs: The Enemy have "about 700 Horse, that keep within lefs than Half a "Mile of our advanced Guard; and when we try to "attack them, they immediately retire; and, it being "an open Country, having not Horse enough to encounter them without our Foot, we never can get at "them. "Two Pieces of heavy Cannon, with Ammunition "proportionable, is all that we can march with at a "Time. I do not fee that our Declarations do us any "Good; fome of the poor People that received them "have been hanged for delivering them; and the Ge"neral of the Coaft has fent out a Proclamation, to "forbid any Spaniard to have any Communication with us upon Pain of Death, fo that all the Towns we come at are left; which is of very ill Confequence; "for our Men, coming into the Town, find the Houses "A. I found Five or Six Places fit for landing, and furnished, and Wine in the Cellars, and not One "at those Places the Water was very smooth. "Q. How did you find the Strand between Hercules "Pillars and the Ísland of St. Sebaftian; did you find "it a smooth Shore, and fit for landing? 66 66 66 ૬૮ "Fort St. Catalina, during the Defcent, conftantly "My Lord, "I here fend your Lordship the Account of our landing in The Bay of Bulls the 15th; it was with "fome Difficulty, by reafon of a great Surf on the "Shore. Some of the Boats were ftaved, and fome "few Men loft, but not One Officer: As foon as about Sixty of the Grenadiers were landed, there came down a Party of Spanish Horse, about the fame Number, commanded by a Lieutenant General, who "charged our Men, commanded by my Lord Donnegal "and Colonel Pierce; who received them fo well, that "they foon beat them off, killing the Lieutenant General and other Officers. Your Lordship will fee, by "the Refult of the Council of War, why we landed "where we did; though, I must own, I was for landing on the Backfide of the Island of Cadiz; and now "fome of the Sea Officers think I was not in the Wrong. "I am fure, there is no Likelihood of our getting into 66 66 66 living Creature in the Houfes, which makes Dif"orders which cannot be helped. "Your Lordship will fee in the enclosed, an Account "of our Transactions fince our landing. I wish we had "had more Horfe, and then we might have had better "Intelligence when we came into the Bay; but we do "not find that People are at all willing to come to "us; and all the Priests leave the Convents, though "we did all we could to invite them. "We are trying now to get one of The Pontals, "which is called The Matagorda, and to endeavour to open the Paffage for our Ships; though some of the "Seamen differ in their Opinions, whether they can 66 get in, if we take the Place. "The City is in good Order as to its Fortifications; "and though it was thought to be eafy when I had the "Honour to talk with your Lordship, we find it quite contrary. "I hope your Lordfhip will let Her Majefty know, "what I here write to you. I wish it were in my "Power to do Her more Service; but with the few "Horse we have, it is hardly to be done. "I much wonder, my Lord, to fee that Sir George "Rooke fhould have Orders fent to him, not to think nor "of Letters be tween the D. of Ormond and Sir G. Rooke. "In the Council of War of the 16th of Jaly, it is "expreffed, that Her Majefty's feveral Orders and In"ftructions to Sir George Rooke, of the 8th, 16th, and "17th of June, and of the 12th Inftant, were read, "and maturely confidered. "On the 13th of Auguft, in Sir George Rook's Jour"nal, it is faid, Her Majefty's Inftructions were con"fidered again; on the 12th of September, it is faid, All my Orders and Inftructions from Her Majefty, and "the Secretaries Letters thereupon, were deliberately ❝ read. 66 66 "This we will do, if you will confent to it; if not, "I defire with the fooneft your Answer. "I fhould think it very much for the Service, that "Mr. Methwen should acquaint the King of Portugal "of this Succefs; which I can't but fancy will make "Him entirely leave the French Intereft, fince He has now nothing to fear from it. I am, "Since I find you cannot afford Provifions "The Two Days Fatigue in our happy past Service, "October 15th, 1702. "This Morning I received the Admiral's Anfwer "to mine of the Fourteenth. "Royal Soveraigne, October 14th, 1702, "paft Nine at Night. "My Lord Duke, "I have just now received the Favour of your Grace's "Letter of this Day; and am very ready and willing to do every Thing I can that may contribute to the "public Service; and if your Grace thinks it fo, to "remain in this Part of Spain with the Army, I will "venture to leave Five or Six Frigates with you, though "I can hardly think thofe Ships fafe any longer than "they are at Sea, confidering that the French who had "fuch Advantages were not; and I believe I can also "leave your Grace Six Weeks or Two Months Pro"vifions for the Army, which is the moft I can do, great Part of what was intended for that Purpose "having 66 3 66 having been fent to The Weft Indies. If your Grace has Intentions to continue here, I believe it will be beft & to let the Guns remain at the Fort; I fhall order "Boats to Redondello To-morrow in the Evening, to bring off the fick Men; and then your Grace will "have Time to determine, whether to march to Vigo, or to the Place you propofe for embarking the Day following; and if you march to Vigo, I believe the Pri"foners fhould be fent to the other Side, that they may not reinforce the Garrifon. As foon as the Frigates come in from Sir Cloudefly Shovell's Station, "Ifhall fend an Express to Lisbon, to give Mr. Meth"wen an Account of our Succefs here, as I fhall fend "The Pembroke to England on Friday Mornings. 66 ઠંડ The Admiral is fo very ill with the Gout, both in "his Right Hand, Knees, and Feet, that he cannot "ftir; therefore has commanded me, to defire you "will acquaint my Lord Duke, that he has received his "Letter of this Day, and will give Orders for Boats bringing off the Regiments he defires To-morrow; and "is very willing and ready to give the Dutch their "Third Part of the Cannon at the Fort; the Reafon he did not before order it, being from my Lord "Duke's Directions, that they fhould all be delivered to him. He is alfo ready to call a Council of War "about Vigo, whenever his Grace pleafes. I am alfo "directed to defire you will let his Grace, know he cantt not ftop The Pembroke longer than To-morrow; for "he thinks the News of the Succefs here will found but ill from Portugal, fince he may be blamed for not fending an Exprefs fooner'; but, if his Grace "pleafes, he will fend another Way as foon as hé "thinks fit. I am, &c. "SIR, &c. "ORMONDE. "My Letter to the Admiral, from Redondello, "Octo. 16th, 1702, to put off the Embar"kation of the Forces. "SIR,. "Baron Sparr having acquainted me, that, by reason "of the Dutch wanting their Boats, it is almoft im"poffible to march the whole Army To-day; I defire 66 you will be pleased to order Boats enough to be in "Readinefs To-morrow, at the Entrance of the River "that goes from this Place. Monfieur Wafencir (who is "now with me) has alfo defired me to write to you concerning the Divifion of the Cannon and Aminu"nition of the Fort among the Dutch; it was always "my Opinion, they had a juft Pretenfion to a Third "Part; and I am very willing they fhould have it. "Yours, &c. "P. S. "ORMONDE. "The Dutch Admirals feem deûrous of a "Council of War about l'igo; if you "confent to it, I defire the Ship defigned for England may be delayed "till that is over. . 66 Beef. Weeks. Days. 4. 5 3. Oatmeal. Weeks. Days. 61. 4. "At the Council of War June 15th, conditional Re"folutions were taken in relation to attacking the Enemy, if at Corunna; as alfo conditional Refolutions "for attacking the Enemy at Vigo. Sir George Rocke feems to think he was, by his Inftructions, tied up "from taking the fame Method in relation to Cadiz. "Sir Staff'd Fairbone fworn at the Bar. Q. Being asked, Where they anchored when the Sir Staff. "Fleet came firft before Cadiz; what moved them to Fairbone. "anchor there; and whether they anchored in Pur"fuance of any Refolution of a Council of War; and "whether they faw any of the Enemy's Ships in The Bay of Cadiz at their First Arrival there? "A. He faith, The Fleet anchored to the Southward "of St. Sebaftian's, moft Part of them in a Line; he "knows not that they anchored in Pursuance of any "Council of War, nor why they anchored there. "The other Difficulties ftarted were, thofe of the "Batteries, and a new Fort within. "In the Part of the Fleet where he was, he faw Two or Three Sail of Ships running up above The Pon"tals; One of them feemed to have pretty fquare Sails, "and he believes was a Man of War. "If any Ships were funk between or above The "Pontalls, he believes it was Three or Four Days after "the Fleet arrived before Cadiz: To the best of his.. "Remembrance, The Kent, and a Ship or Two more, "were fent to gain Intelligence off of Rota, or there 66 Q. Did not the Inftructions lie on the Table at "the Council of War held the 13th of August, for any "one to read that pleased? "A. He faith, He doth not remember that the In"ftructions were then read; but the Heads of them "were partly communicated by Sir George Rooke: He "remembers not that that particular Article of the "Fleet's being as offenfive to the Enemy as it could, "was either read or communicated to the Council on "the 13th August. "He remembers that Article was read at a Coun"cil held the 12th September; when the Council broke up, by reafon of an Alarm from his Grace the Duke "of Ormond's Camp at S'ta Victoria. 66 "A. He faith, He believes there was; and he was "of Opinion, that, though Anchors were funk between "The Pontals, it needed not have hindered our going 66 up. Q. The Councils of War of 13th and 29th Auguft "being read to him: "A. He faith, Reasons were offered, at the Council "of War of 13th August, why it was not advisable to "land upon the Ifland of Lyons: He faith, He did, at "that Council of War, offer to go up above The "Pontals, if the Admiral, or that Council, had thought fitting; but it was argued, it would be inevitable "Ruin to whatever Ships were fent in. 66 Q. Who, at that Council of War, were of the "Opinion that the going above The Pontals would be "inevitable Ruin to the Ships that fhould be fent on "that Service? A. He faith, He cannot remember every body. "Q. Did not the Weather permit the throwing "Bombs while you were there? 66 "A. He faith, The Weather did ferve before we came away; but then the Boats of the Squadron within "the Bay, as well as of the Ships without, were employed in re-imbarking Men that were fick, Tents, "and Baggage, &c. fo the Boats could not be spared "for that Service; and if there was good Weather be"fore the Refolution of Bombarding, it was omitted "at the Inftance of his Grace the Duke of Ormonde, VOL. XVII. "who thought it moft neceffary to make our Bombard"ment when the Defcent would be made on the Ifland "of Cadiz or Lyons; he acquainted Sir Geo. Rooke, by "a Letter of the 11th or 12th September, that the Water was then smooth; the Subftance of which Letter 66 was confidered, though not read, at the Council of "War the 12th of September, which broke up upon "the Account of the Alarm from the Duke of Or-' "mond's Camp. "Q. Did all the Flag Officers, at the Council of "War on 13th Auguft, agree that it was not feasible, to go above The Pontals? 66 the Attack at Vigo? Q. Were the Ships in any Sort of Huddle during "A. He faith, They were in fome Sort of Huddle, "occafioned by the Boom that brought fome of the Ships up. Q. Whether the whole Inftructions that you have "heard read were laid before the Council of War on "the 13th Auguft; and whether they were read at that "Council, or laid upon the Table ? "A. The First Inftructions of the 7th June were all "read; and thofe of the 17th were laid upon the Table, but he is not pofitive whether they were read; "and at all the Councils of War that he was at, they "had Liberty to read any Order; and Sir G. Rocke de"nied not to let him, or any of the Council of War, "read any Order defired. "A. They did; they moved back the First Night to the Squadron commanded by Sir Stafford Fairborne: "In the mean Time, I went afhore to Port St. Marie's; "I left the Captain on board, to receive Orders from "the Flag concerning the Bomb Veffels: After that, I "was ordered to Matagorda, to land fome Field Pieces "and Battering Pieces; as I was on Shore in the Even"ing, I faw fome Shells thrown (about Three), but "know not by what Order; they came a great Distance "A. From Matagorda and the Gallies, One of them "was in the Reach of the new Battery of Sixteen "Guns; and where we rid, the Guns at S'ta Philippi" from the Shore: Two or Three Days after, One "reached beyond us. "Bomb Veffel moved again, to throw Bombs at the "Gallies; but threw none. "Q. What Weather was it during that Time? "A. It was always a fwelling Sea, fo I thought it "to no Purpose to throw at the Gallies: One Evening "I had Order from Sir Staff'd Fairbone to be in a "Readiness with my Veffels; this was Two or Three "Days before Sir Stafford failed out of the Bay of Ca"diz: The Weather was pretty well that Night, "otherwife there was conftantly a Swell when I was at Sea; but I was often on Shore. "Q. Was the Swell fo great, that, if the Bomb Vef"fels had been hawled within a proper Distance for "bombarding Cadiz, you could have done Service? "A. In cafe I had had an Order to have gone in "to have viewed the Ground that calm Evening, and "had found Depth of Water at a proper Diflance, I "believe I could have done Service: There must have "been at least Five Fathom Water; the Veffels draw "Twelve or Fourteen Foot Water. "Q. Were you at any Time directed, or knew of "any Direction to any other, for viewing, whether, "at any proper Place or Station for bombarding the "Town of Cadiz, there run fuch a Swell as would "have made the Bombardment ineffectual? "A. I had no fuch Direction, nor knew of any fuch. " Q. Does |