under the command of Admiral Sir George Rooke, and has remained ever since in our hands. The Spaniards, justly esteeming it a place of great value, and jealous that a foreign nation should hold so strong a fortress on their own shores, have employed the utmost exertions at various times to regain it. In these attempts they lost many thousands of their best troops, while the garrison, secure in their fortifications, suffered little loss, and so greatly strengthened their defences after every attack, as to render the next still more hopeless than the former.

The last and most formidable attempt was undertaken by the Court of Spain in 1779, when, having joined the French in supporting the American States which had revolted from the British crown, it was resolved to make a combined attack upon Gibraltar, in order to divert the attention of the English cabinet from more distant operations; and the plan was commenced with a force so overwhelming as to promise the most certain success.

The garrison, which, at that period, consisted of scarce 5000 men, was commanded by General Eliott, an officer who had already much distinguished himself in the field, as well as at the siege of Havannah. This brave man was the youngest son of Sir Gilbert Eliott, of Stobbs, in Roxburghshire, descended from a long line of ancestors, in whom the union of energy and suavity of character is happily expressed in the motto of the noble family of Minto, who are descended from the same line.

General Eliott took the most vigorous and prudent measures to resist the enemy's designs, who commenced their operations by a strict blockade of the fortress by land and sea. The supplies being thus cut off, the inhabitants soon began to suffer severe privation. Provisions rose to an extravagant price; and the prospect of famine threatened to compel a surrender which force could not effect. The arrival of Admiral Rodney with a fleet of ships from England, bringing stores and provisions for the garrison, dispelled their anxiety; and having defeated the Spa

nish fleet, and taken several of their ships of the line, the place was effectually relieved for the time; the garrison was reinforced by a strong battalion of Highlanders, and a large portion of the inhabitants of the town took the opportunity of withdrawing from the approaching danger. On the departure of the British men of war, the enemy continued their operations, resuming the blockade with the utmost vigour, and constructing additional batteries to bombard the place. They made an attempt to burn the few British ships remaining at anchor in the bay; but this was repulsed by our seamen; and soon after, the garrison, by a successful sally, succeeded in destroying great part of the new works, which the besiegers had constructed with infinite labour and expense. At this juncture an unexpected enemy, more dangerous than the Spaniards, appeared within the walls. This was the scurvy, which broke out in the garrison with fatal violence, and carried off great numbers in a short period. The calamity arose from the necessity of feeding the troops on salted provisions of bad quality. The virulence of the disorder was so great that the men were reduced to the most deplorable state; wounds, which had long healed, re-opened, and many cases occurred where the bones of old fractured limbs disunited. The ranks were so reduced that there were scarce men sufficient to mount guard upon the ramparts; and many of these poor fellows were to be seen crawling to their posts, supported by crutches, in the last stage of the disease. Fresh fruit and vegetables, which are the only sure specific in such cases, were obtained by every exertion; but the enemy, aware of their value, succeeded in destroying the gardens on the neutral ground, which had hitherto afforded great part of these supplies. Such was the state of the siege, when, in April 1781, another fleet was sent to their relief from England; the number and force of the Spanish gunboats were now so greatly increased, that the ships with great difficulty effected their object, by throwing the required succours into the garrison. The operations of the assailants were carried on with extraordi

nary zeal and activity on every side. A general bom bardment was opened upon the town and fortress, by which great part of the houses were shattered to pieces, some of the inhabitants were killed, and many more took refuge on board the British ships.

A highly interesting narrative of the siege, which was published by the present Colonel Drinkwater (an eye-witness of the whole scene), records many curious circumstances attending, this tremendous bombardment. He states that the soldiers became at length so insensible to danger, that their officers could scarcely prevail on them to remove out of the reach of the bursting shells, which were continually falling among them; and he mentions two boys of the Artificers' company, gifted with a surprising facility of discerning the enemy's shot from the instant they quitted the mouth of the cannon: the boys were stationed on the ramparts to warn the men of their approach, although these precautions were at length generally disregarded.

The repeated destruction of the enemy's works did not abate their zeal or weary their patience. They diligently repaired them, and gradually extended their approaches towards the British fortifications. General Eliott, whose eye was everywhere, and who beheld all these formidable preparations with the utmost coolness, perceiving that they were now on the point of completion, in November 1781 ordered a general attack on the Spanish lines. At two in the morning, 2000 of the garrison marched out in profound silence, and so effectually surprised the enemy, that in a few hours the labour of several months was totally destroyed, and the works blown up, which had cost the Spaniards upwards of two millions sterling to execute.

This blow suspended all operations on the part of the besiegers, for several days; but they once more resumed their labours, and redoubled their exertions, for one grand attack; which, notwithstanding former failures, was expected to prove irresistible. While these works were carrying on by land, the Chevalier D'Arcon, a French engineer of distinction, was en

gaged in constructing several immense floating batteries, formed of line of battle ships cut down, mounted with the heaviest cannon and mortars, and protected by a covering of wet skins, which it was supposed would prove impenetrable to the red-hot shot, the use of which was just then introduced by Sir Robert Boyd, Lieutenant-Governor of the British garrison; and which had already done terrible execution upon the Spanish gun-boats.

The French Ministry warmly co-operated in the efforts making by the Court of Madrid to reduce this obstinate fortress to surrender. The Duc de Crillon, who had distinguished himself by the capture of Minorca, was sent, at the head of 12,000 French troops, to join the besiegers; and the whole operations were committed to his guidance. To these was added a body of the ablest engineers. Volunteers from the first families of France also entered the trenches, to partake of the honour of the expected triumph. Among them two of the French Princes repaired thither with the Duc de Crillon; who, on their arrival, sent presents, accompanied by a very flattering message, to the British General, expressive of their admiration of his character and conduct in the defence of the fortress.

When all was prepared for the grand attack, on September 13, 1782, the land batteries re-opened on the British, while the huge floating batteries, attended by the gun-boats, advanced, and took up a position in face of the town, about a 1000 yards from the walls, and began a furious cannonade. This was answered with equal spirit by the garrison; and the firing continued, without intermission, till noon, when that of the enemy began to slacken. Towards evening the battering ship of Moreno, the Spanish Admiral, was observed to be on fire; and, as the night advanced, eight more were in flames.

Sir Roger Curtis, who then commanded the English gun-boats, immediately pushed forward to take advantage of the confusion thus produced among the Spanish flotilla; who retreated on his approach, and

abandoned their comrades to their fate. The British seamen, with their accustomed intrepidity and benevolence, lost no time in succouring their unfortunate enemies, and rescued several hundreds from instant destruction, at the moment when the explosion of the largest floating battery sunk Captain Curtis' own boat, and wounded several of his men. In the morning the work of destruction presented a dreadful spectacle, and so effectually disheartened the assailants, that though they continued the blockade they made no attempt to renew the bombardment. On the 13th October, Earl Howe, at the head of 35 sail of the line, bringing a convoy of vessels laden with supplies, entered the bay, and effectually relieved the gallant defenders from the severe privations to which they had so long and so cheerfully submitted.

The preliminaries of peace were signed in February following; and the garrison received the acknowledgments alike of their countrymen and their late enemies, for the distinguished bravery which they displayed. General Eliott was raised to the peerage by the title of Baron Heathfield of Gibraltar, and held the government until his death; which took place in 1790, in his 73d year. He was succeeded in the government by the gallant Sir Robert Boyd, who lies buried on the ramparts.

We have more than once visited this celebrated fortress, and partaken of the hospitality of the commandant, Sir George Don, which was spread on tables of cedar, made from the wreck of the Spanish floating batteries; and we have also shared in that feeling of natural pride, with which every English visitor walks through the extensive galleries exca vated in the living rock, from whose heights the brave defenders forced their destructive fire on the besiegers. No one was more sensible of the value of Gibraltar, as a military position, than the late Napoleon Bonaparte. We once heard him, at his own table, speak with the highest admiration of the skill and gallantry of the British garrison, but he observed that the Spanish Government should have never