480 O M 
This town was firft eftabiifhed in 1751, under the com¬ 
mand of Don Jofeph Antodio de Palmo. At that period 
the inhabitants were about 20 white men, 60 mulattoes 
and free negroes, and 200 (laves to the king of Spain ; and 
the military force confided of about 30 foldiers, befides 
officers. The fort was originally compofed of fand con¬ 
fined in boarded coffers, and faced with half-burnt bricks. 
It was defended by 12 fine brals 24--pounders mounted, 
four or five iron guns of different bores, and fome field- 
pieces. The Spaniards, fenfible of the importance of the 
place, afterwards fortified it at an incredible expenie; the 
(tone of which the walls are built having been raifed from 
the fea, and brought from the diftance of twenty leagues. 
The outworks were not completely finifhed in the year 
- 1779, though a thoufand men had then been employed 
upon them for twenty years. 
Towards the end of that year an expedition was under¬ 
taken againfi this fortrefs, in confequence of one formed 
by the Spaniards againfi: the Britifh logwood-cutters in the 
Bay of Honduras and on the Mofquito fhore. The latter, 
finding themfelves hard prefied by their enemies, applied 
to the governor of Jamaica for afiifiance; who accordingly 
fent a detachment to their relief under captain Balrymple, 
with neceflary fupplies of arms, ammunition, and artil¬ 
lery. Before their arrival, however, the Spaniards had 
taken pofleffion of St. George’s Key, the chief fettlement 
of the Britiffi in thefe parts, which they plundered,- and 
took a number of priforiefs ; but thofe who efcaped, being- 
joined by a body of their countrymen, retook it, and 
forced the enemy to retire. In the mean time, captain 
Dairymple, who had been informed of the lofs of the 
• place, was haftening to the relief of the inhabitants, and 
in his way fell in with admiral Parker, who was in queft 
of fome regifter-fiiips ; but which, retreating into the 
harbour of Omoa, were too ftrongly protected by the fort 
there to be attacked by fea. As the Spaniards, however, 
had now been compelled to abandon St. George’s Key, it 
was propofed to unite the Britiffi forces by fea and land, 
and to attempt the conqueft of this fortrefs. As the force, 
under captain Dairymple, was too inconfiderable to at¬ 
tempt the fort by land, it was augmented by the mariners 
of the fquadron and a ftrong party of the fettlers ; though, 
after all, it did not exceed the number of the garrifon who 
oppofed them. 
The troops were landed at about nine miles diftance 
from the fort in the dufk of the evening, with a defign 
to march direftly forward, in order to furprife and carry 
it by efcalade in the night-time. No roads, however, 
being found, they were obliged to explore their way 
through narrow foot-paths, moraffes, and over mountains 
fo belet with precipices, that they were forced, in order 
to avoid them, to make ufe of torches from the cab¬ 
bage-tree. In confequence of thefe impediments, they 
were yet at a confiderable diftance from the fort, when the 
approach of day difcovered them to the enemy. An en¬ 
gagement enfued, in which the Spaniards were quickly 
routed, and driven into the town ; from whence as they 
continued to fire upon the Britiffi, it was found neceflary 
to fet fire to it, though very much againfi the inclination 
of the afiailants. The troops then, being mailers of the 
ground adjacent to the fort, erefted feveral batteries in 
luch fituations as were moll proper for annoying it_; but, 
though they carried on their operations with great vigour, 
it was ftill found that heavier artillery than any they pof- 
fefied w'ould be requifite, the walls being no lefs than 
eighteen feet in thicknefs ; in confequence of which they 
refolved ftill to attempt the place by efcalade. 
The attempt was made on the 21ft of October, early in 
the morning. The troops entered the ditch, which, for¬ 
tunately for them, happened to be dry, and fixed their 
■fcaling-ladders againfi the walls, which were near thirty 
feet high. Two feamen mounted firft ; and, with admi¬ 
rable courage and prefence of mind, flood by the ladder 
which they had mounted, to guard it till others afcended ; 
and boldly prefented their pieces againfi a large party 
O A. 
drawn up to receive them, though they prudently re¬ 
tained their fire till their comrades carrie up. The fqua¬ 
dron, now drawing near, kept up a heavy and continual 
fire upon the fort, while the Spaniards were ftruck with 
fuch furprife at the exceflive celerity and boldnefs of the 
afiailants, that they remained motionlefs and unable to 
oppofe their enemies, notwithstanding the exhortation 
and example of their officers. From this panic they never 
recovered ; and, while the feamen and foldiers continued 
to fcale the walls with amazing quicknefs, the Spaniards 
never made any effort to defend themfelves. About a 
hundred of them efcaped ever the walls on the oppofite 
fide of the fort. The remainder furrendered at diferetioh. 
The whole of this tranfaftion reflected the highell luftre 
both on the conduft and courage of the Britifh ; and an 
inftance of heroifm is related in a Britifh failor, to which 
liiftory affords nothing fupej-ior. This man, having fealed 
the w'alls, had armed himfelf with a cutlafs in each hand. 
Thus armed, he met with a Spanifh officer unarmed, and 
juft routed from fleep. The generous tar fcorned to take 
advantage of his condition, and therefore prefented him 
with one of his own cutlaffes, faying, £1 You are now on a 
footing with me !” The officer, however, was too much 
ftruck with admiration at his conduft to accept the offer; 
and took care to make the circumftance fufficiently known. 
This became afterwards the fubjeft of a very popular thea¬ 
trical entertainment in London. 
The value of the booty taken on this occafion amounted 
to three millions of dollars; but the lofs moft fenfibly felt 
by the Spaniards was that of 250 quintals of quickfilver, a 
commodity indifpenfably neceflary in extracting the pre¬ 
cious metals from their ores. They offered, therefore, to 
ranfom it at any price ; but, though the retention of it 
was far from affording a profit equal to that offered by 
the Spaniards, the Britifh commanders abfolutely refufed 
to part with it, on account of the advantages the enemy 
would derive from having the metal in their pofleffion. 
For the fame reafon they refufed to accept of any ranfom 
for the fort, though the governor offered to lay down 
300,000 dollars for it. The Spanifh military, and the in¬ 
habitants, were treated with the utmoft humanity, their 
perfonal effefts remaining untouched ; and this genera¬ 
lity muft have appeared to greater advantage, when con- 
trafted with the behaviour of their own countrymen at 
Honduras, where the Britifh were treated with remark¬ 
able feverity. The church-plate and ornaments were re- 
ftored, on condition that the terms of capitulation Ihould 
be faithfully kept. 
In a flrort time, however, it appeared that it would have 
been better to have accepted of a ranfom for the fort, as, 
from circumftances at that time, it could not be retained 
in the pofleffion of Britain. A garrifon was indeed left 
for its defence on the departure of the Britifh fquadron ; 
but, as it was very inconfiderable, on account of the fmall 
number of men that could be fpared, the Spaniards quickly 
determined to make an attempt to regain the fort. For 
this purpole a body of 2000 ineawas collected, who invefted 
it on the 25th of November. The Britifh defended it 
with the utmoft bravery ; keeping up a conftant fire on 
the enemy, and obliging them to retire for fhelter, and 
take up their quarters behind a hill. Here they made 
preparations for an aflault, in which their numbers left 
the fuccefs, as they fuppofed, by no means dubious. The 
garrifon was therefore fummoned to furrender, w'ith a 
promife of the honours of war and a fafe conveyance to 
Great Britain ; denouncing, at the fame time, the utmoft 
Vengeance in cafe of a refufal; which being refufed, the 
neceflary preparations were made for an efcalade. The 
'condition of the garrifon was now fuch as coidd afford 
very little hope of being able to make any effeftual feftft- 
ance. They were but eighty-five in number, moft of 
whom were become incapable of duty either from illiiefs 
or exceflive fatigue. They were now alfo obliged to make 
one centinel anfwer for five, by fluffing his place, and 
challenging as many times, There was no furgeon to 
attend 
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