555 
SIEGE OE MINORCA, 1756. 
BY 
AN OFFICER WHO WAS PRESENT AT THE SIEGE. 
(Continued from page 544). 
In tlie Morning a Shell from the Enemy broke into one of the sub- May 19 th 
terranean apartments near the well in the Center of the Castle, where 
it burst and killed five Sailors, and wounded two, who were asleep in 
their Beds. A Serjeant of the Artillery had his Leg shattered by a 
shell on the top of the Castle, of which he died. At Daybreak the 
Besiegers shewed six Embrazures in their work near the burying 
Ground, from this and their bomb Batteries they made a very brisk 
fire, having been pretty quiet during the night. 
About one o’clock a Fleet of 17 Sail appeared from the West with 
English Colours ; the Admiral carrying a Blue Flag at the Main Top 
Mast Head, and the rear Admiral a Red Flag at the Mizzen ; the 
Garrison seemed Convinced they were our own Fleet, their Ships 
being much larger than those of the French which we had seen not 
long before, but their coming pretty near to us without sending in 
even a boat, where the communication was so safe and short, and 
their standing off again where there was not even the least appeai’ance 
of Danger, brought us all (a very few indeed excepted) to conclude 
this Fleet to have nothing English about it. The Council of War 
about 7 o’clock at night sent Mr Boyd in a boat to this Fleet, whose 
behaviour in standing off, could not be accounted for; when he had 
got a little way from St Stephens Cove, a large party of the Enemy 
fired at him with Small Arms, he likewise sustained some Cannon Shot 
which did him no harm, and was pursued by two small Vessels, which 
missed him in the night, by the favour of which he returned, not 
being able to come up with this supposed English Fleet which stood 
off again ; the Enemys Troops beat to Arms at the sight of the Fleet, 
and were all drawn out of their Camp, they did not fire till night, 
when they threw about 100 shells, their Carriages were heard in 
several parts of the Town. This night the Garrison were very alert, 
least the Enemy should upon this occasion make an attack. 
Mr Boyd discovered that the Enemy were forming’ a very strong 
Battery upon the Coast ; which he says must be designed to Command 
the usual Anchoring place called the moorings; and between six or 
eight hundred of the Enemy upon the Hills looking at the Fleet, 
which we afterwards understood were the Piquets of the Army, turned 
out to guard the Coast. The Enemy hoisted a red Flag at the signal 
house, and made fires or smoaks on different rising grounds. 
The Enemy’s works by Major Innes’s were greatly demolished, and .. 20th 
the houses thereabouts battered down by four 32 Prs we kept continu- 
11 . YOL. XX, 
