TIERRA FIRMx\. 



land, the next year Admiral Vernon and Sir Chaloner Ogle, with the Brkijh 

 fleet' and tranfports arrived off this city on the 4th of March, they landed the 

 forces under the command of General Wentworth, who opened the fiege of 

 Boca Chica on the 9th, which, after a great oppofition, was taken on the 

 25th, when the boom was cut, on which our fliips entered the harbour, and 

 took poflefTion of Cajlillo Grande, without oppofition, on the 31 ft. — The 

 whole army landed on the 5th of April near La ^inta, and entered the 

 convent of La Popa without oppofition. On the 8th it was determined to 

 attack the fort of St. Felipe de Baraxas (called by the Englifj, fort St. LazarJ 

 which commanded the city, and had been reconnoitred by our engineers, 

 who affirmed, that the walls might be eafily efcaladed, as there was no ditch 

 at the foot of it, and that the road leading up the hill to it was broad, and of 

 an eafy afcent, and that there was a wooden door on the left of the fort, 

 which might be forced without much difficulty. Accordingly, before break 

 of dav on the 9th, the troops bt^an to mount the hill, but that divifion, 

 which was, by order, to have gone up an open acce'^' oad, was, in the 

 dark, by a fatal miftalve (as it w.is faid of the guide) led up the centre, where 

 the afcent is very ileep, and f^e ground broken : fome of the mod forward 

 gained the top, and puflied on to the enemy's entrenchments, but not being 

 immediately fuftained, by rcafon of the great difficulty found in mounting 

 the hill, and that the reft of the platoons advanced flowly v/iiL the ftreet- 

 firing, they were moft of them killed or wounded. Soon after day-break 

 it was difcovered that the enemy had aflembled out of the city, upon the hill, 

 a force fuperior to this detachment, and the General, finding it was too late 

 to pufh forward in the attack, ordered them to retreat. In this fkirmiHi, 

 the Englijh loft 179 killed, 459 wounded, and fix taken prifoners. 



After the mifcarriage of this fcheme, the troops fickened furprifingly fail:, 

 and thofe that were killed being efteemed the liower of the army, the Ge- 

 neral declared he was no longer in a condition to defend himfelf, and much 

 lefs to carry on a fiege againft the place, and in a general council of war of 

 fca and land officers held on the 15th, they came to a refolution, upon the 

 General's reprefentation of the bad ftate of the army, to have the cannon 

 and forces reimbarked with all convenient fpeed, and the 17th in the night 



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