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off. A forefhip, which had lately arrived, and contained the greateft part of the tools and neceffaries, of which they were now in the greatest want for compleating their works, was driven on fhore. The governor of the place added to the. advantage of thefe appearances in his favour, by calling in the aid of his ecclefiaftical character. To raife the fpirits of the inhabitants, funk by the progrefs of the befiegers, he gave out that an angel from the Lord was gone forth to deftroy the English like the host of Sennacherib.

By an extraordinary fpecies of good fortune, thefe menacing circumftances were attended with their particular advantages, and rather facilitated than obftructed the progrefs of the fiege. The ftorefhips, by being driven afhore, without any confiderable damage, gave an eafy and ready accefs to all the military ftores and provifions fhe contained, and which, if it had not been, for this accident, could not have been fupplied by boats in many days, as the wind continued to blow for a long time after, and that a violent furf broke high upon the beach. Befides, in the fituation, in which this veffel lay on fhore, her cannon became, in a great degree, a protection to the rear of the English camp. At the fame time, the confidence, which the enemy repofed in the natural helps derived from the form, and in thofe fupernatural ones added by their fuperftition, rendered them more remifs and languid in their defence; and during that time they gave lefs obftruction to the progrefs of our troops, than in any other period of the fiege. Another advantage alfo arofe to the Eng

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lifh from the ftorm; for the roaring of the waves prevented the. Spaniards from hearing the noife of our workmen in the night.

Every circumftance of the storm,, by a fortunate turn, or by a judicious management, became favourable to the attack, and they proceeded with fo much conftancy and refolution, that in the midft of this violent tempeft, and deluged as they were, with the heavy, tropical rains, they compleated one large battery for heavy cannon, and another for mortars, made good their parallels and communications, fecured their most material pofts, and put themfelves in a condition, immediately on the ceafing of the form, to batter the place in breach.

Twelve pieces of cannon, on that face of the bastion which they attacked, were filenced a few hours, and fo vigorous fire was kept up from the cannon and mortars upon all the parts, whence the Spaniards could annoy our troops, that in lefs than two days all their defences were deftroyed. The Spaniards, feeing their fortifications no longer tenable, determined to make a

conclufive effort, and to avail themselves of the ftrength of the garrifon, which their free communication with the country had made as numerous as they could with. For that purpose they projected a fally, difpofed in two attacks upon the two most important pofts of the English. The first was to be made upon a cantonment of the feamen, in which they judged, if they could fucceed, they must lay the English under unfurmountable difficulties, becaufe the feamen were known to have had the most confiderable part

in the

manage.

management of the artillery during the whole fiege. A thousand Indians were to be employed in the operation.

The fecond body, confifting of Indians, and of a ftrong detachment from the Spanith garrifon, were to attack a church, which lay near the fea, covered a flank of the army, and had been of great confequence for protecting the befiegers in their approaches, both against the enemy's fire and the inundation. An attack had been made, as we have before related, upon this poft, and they thought it of importance enough to juftify a fecond. Thefe defigns were not ill conceived, and they were executed with fufficient refolution.

About three hours before day on the fourth of October, the Indians marched out upon the firft attack, They were much encouraged by the inceffant fall of rain, which they flattered themfelves would have rendered our fire arms ufelefs. As fthemselves, they had nothing to apprehend, habituated as they were to the accidents of that climate, and armed only with bows and lances. Their approach was favoured by a great number of thick bufhes, that grew upon the fide of a rivulet, which they paffed in the night. By keeping clofe to them, they cluded the vigilance of the patroles, and fell unexpectedly, and with infinite violence, upon the quarters of the leamen. Al though furprifed and adulted in the night, when they could difcern nothing of the enemy, but the fury of his attack, they maintained their ground with fteadiness, and repelled the enemy. Prudently fatisfied

it, they remained firmly in their poft until day-break, when a picquet of the 79th regiment came to their relief, and falling upon the right flank of the Indians, thefe barbarians fled, were purfued, and routed, with the lofs of three hundred men.

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It is fomewhat remarkable, that the Afiatic Indians of the peninfula of Malacca, and, in general, of all their iflands, fhould differ fo extremely from the Chinefe, and every other nation of the caftern continent. The former are as diftinguished for their fierce valour, and for a fingular contempt of death, as the latter have always been for their cowardice, and the foftnefs and effeminacy of their manners. In our wars on the Indian continent, the European troops were almoft the only object of attention. In our attack upon the Philippines, the natives were, at leaft, to be equally dreaded. In this fally, had their difcipline or arms been at all equal to their ftrength and ferocity, the iffue of the event had been very doubtful. Even armed as they were, they boldly rufhed on the very muzzles of our pieces; on every repulfe they repeated their affaults with redoubled fury; and died at length, like wild beafts, gnawing the bayonets of their enemies."

The fecond attack, which began just as they had been defeated in the former, appeared at first, in a manner, more favourable to the hopes of the Spaniards. The body of feapoys, which defended the church, which was the object of this attack, not being endowed with the refolution, which diftin

with this advantage, and not rifque-gui our English feamen, were ing it by an attempt to improve cafly diflodged, and driven from

their poft. The enemy, as foon as they had feized the church, immediately climbed to the top, and from thence poured down a ftorm of fire on our people who were pofted behind it, and who now lay entirely expofed to their fhot. In this difadvantageous pofition, the European foldiers maintained themfelves with refolution and patience, until a detachment with ten field pieces came to their relief. The Spaniards were at length driven off with the loss of 70 men: nor were we freed from this refolute attack without lofs on our fide, a brave officer having fallen, and forty men being killed or wounded in the

encounter.

This was the enemy's laft effort, They were now confined to the walls. Difcouraged by their frequent and bloody repulfes, the greatest part of the Indians returned home. The fire of the batteries, which had been a little interrupted by thefe attacks, recommenced with greater fpirit, and with a more decifive effect than ever; fo that the next day the enemy's cannon were all filenced, and the breach appeared practicable. Any other people but the Spaniards of this, garrifon, in thefe circumftances, would have immediately prepared a capitulation, when no law of honour, because no profpect of fuccefs, required a further defence; at leaft, if they had defperately, refolved on the lafts extremity, they would have made fuch works, and posted their men in fuch a manner, as to have made the firft, attempt to form as defperate on our fide, as this too late defence was on theirs. But their refolution was only a fullen obftinacy, uninspired by a true military

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fpirit, as it was wholly uninformed by any true military kill.

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Our commander, not finding any defire of capitulating in the enemy, prepared, without 6th of delay, and with the moft judicious arrangements, for the ftorm. All our troops were gradually and privately affembled in proper pofts, fo as to give the enemy no alarm or notice of the defign; whilft the batteries kept a continual fire, in order to clear every part of the works, from whence we might apprehend any moleftation. This fire had so good an effect, that a body of Spaniards who had begun to affemble on the baftion, which was the object of the attack, were dispersed by the explosion of fome shells.

The English took immediate advantage of this event, By the fignal of a general discharge of their artillery and mortars, and under the cover of a thick smoke, which blew directly upon the town, they rushed on to the affault. Sixty volunteers of different corps led the way, fupported by the grenadiers of the 79th regiment. body of pioneers to clear the breach, and, if neceffary, to make lodgments, followed; a battalion of feamen advanced next, fupported by two grand divifions of the 79th regiment; the troops of the Eaft India company clofed the rear.

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Difpofed in this excellent order; led by officers in whom they had the utmost confidence, and animated by the profpect of a speedy conclufion of their labours, they mounted the breach with amazing fpirit and rapidity. The Spaniards difperfed in a moment; the Britifa troops advanced with little refift

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ance into the city, and compleated the conqueft. Ah hundred Spaniards and Indians pofted in a guard houfe refufed quarter, and were cut to pieces. Three hundred more, who endeavoured to cfcape over a deep and rapid river, were drowned in the attempt. The governor retired into the citadel; but as that place was not tenable, he foon furrendered at difcretion. In-Aluenced by a generofity familiar to our commanders, and willing to preferve fo noble a city from deftruction, general Draper and the admiral, though able to command every thing, admitted the inhabitants to a capitulation, by which ~ they enjoyed their liberties, lives,

properties, and the adminiftration of their domeftic government. A ranfom of a million fterling párchafed thefe terms". "And thus Great Britain, after a fiège, fhort indeed in the duration, but confiderable for its difficulties and hardships, became poffeffed of this important place. They found here every refreshment fit to recruit the troops after their fatigues, and abundance of all ftores neceffary to refit the fquadron. The furrender of Manila comprehended that not only of the whole country, of which it is the capital; but of all thofe numerous and valuable islands which are its dependencies.

CHA P. III.

Troo frigates fent after the Acapulco galleon. Difappointed. Fall in with that from Manila. She is taken. Advantages from the conquest of the Philippines. General Draper returns."

"

During the fiege, admiral Cor- rapidity of a counter current, the nish received intelligence by the was drove among fhallows, and capture of an advice-fhip, that her chace not only became uncerthe galleon from Acapulco was ar- tain, but the frigate herself was in rived at the ftreights which form the utmoft danger of being loft. the entrance into the Archipelago In this condition the was obliged of the Philippines. This intel-to caft anchor. But by ftrenuous ligence was not to be neglected. exertion and dexterous manageThe acquifition of fo rich a prize ment the foon efcaped the danger, muft greatly enhance the value of got under fail, overtook the galleon, a conqueft, and not a little com- and began a hot engagement with penfate the disadvantage of a re- her, which continued for two pulfe. Two fhips of the fquadron, hours. Fortune feemed again unthe Panther man of war and the certain. The Argo was to ime4th of Argo frigate, were therefore qually matched and fo roughly re-. immediately difpatched af-received by the Spaniard, that the ter her: was obliged to defift from the enIn twenty-fix days, the Argo-gagement, and to big to, in ordifcovered in the evening a fail,der to repair the damage the had which they did not doubt to be the fuffered. 40 est fame they looked for. But just asfhe approached her object, by the

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In this paure of action the current flackened, the Panther eime

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The English were furprised to find so obftinate a refiftance, with fo little activity of oppofition. In her firft engagement with the Argo, this galleon mounted only fix guns, though the was pierced for fixty. She had but thirteen in her engagement with the Panther; but the was a huge veffel, fhe lay like a mountain in the water, and the Spaniards trusted entirely to the exceffive thickness of her fides, not altogether without reafon; for the shot made no impreffion upon any part, except her upper works.

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Another, and more disagreeable fubject of furprife, occurred upon the ftriking of the enemy. They then discovered that this veffel was not the American galleon, but that from Manila bound to Acapulco. She had proceeded a confiderable way on her voyage, but meeting with a hard gale of wind in the great South Sea, fhe was difmafted, and obliged to put back to refit. Though the captors were difappointed in the treafure they expected, their capture, however, proved a prize of immenfe value. Her cargo was computed to be, in rich merchandize, worth more than half a million.

Through the whole of this victorious war, there was fcarcely any conqueft more advantageous in it felf, nor more honourablyatchieved, than that of the Philippines. The British forces effected their landing before Manila on the 24th of September, their battery of cannon

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was not compleated until the 3d of October, and on the 6th they were masters of the city. In this enterprize the number of troops employed was fmall, the season of operation rainy and tempeftuous, the communication between the land and fea forces always difficult, frequently hazardous, and fometimes impracticable; and our little army surrounded and harraffed, and as it were befieged itfelf, by numerous bodies of Indians, who, though undisciplined and ill armed, yet, by a daring refolution and contempt of death, became not only troublesome, but formidable.

With regard to the value of the acquifition, a territory fell into our hands, confifting of fourteen confiderable iflands, which from their extent, fertility, and convenience of commerce, furnished the materials of a great kingdom. By this acquifition, joined to our former fucceffes, we fecured atl the avenues of the Spanish trade, and interrupted all the communications between the parts of their vaft but unconnected empire. The conqueft of the Havannah had cut off, in a great meafure, the intercourfe of their wealthy continental colonies with Europe. The reduction of the Philippines excluded them from Afia; and from both they were liable to be further and moft effentially offended, if it had been our true interest to have continued longer a war, which the calamities of mankind loudly called upon us to put an end to. The plunder taken was far more than fufficient to indemcharges of the expedi

nify the

tion; a

circumftance not very

ufual in

our modetn wars. It

amounted

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