DIARY OF CAPTAIN LAMSON 221 



it is easy to excavate. The Spaniards had 

 begun to mine at the foot of the hill and 

 had excavated a large place nearly per- 

 pendicular with the center of the fort, and, 

 having placed in it a large quantity of 

 powder, they sprung the mine, and singu- 

 lar as it may appear, the eruption sev- 

 ered half the hill, destroying most of the 

 garrison. From the hill you have a fine 

 view of the country and of the bay of Ali- 

 cante. On the return of post I commenced 

 lading for Dublin and in six days I sailed. 

 In eight days I was in Gibraltar and pro- 

 ceeded in my boat for Algesiras where I 

 found my companions still detained. Cap- 

 tain Foster of Boston and some others were 

 adopting the mode I took, bonding their 

 vessels. Mr. R. Meade had intimated to 

 Captain Foster that I was headstrong in 

 my business, and he hoped he would not 

 pursue the plan I had. But when Mr. 

 Meade had heard, by my letters to him 

 overland, of the high freights I had ob- 

 tained, he wrote me by way of Algeciras, 



