468 THE GREAT SIEGE OF GIBRALTAR. 
Butchers, and ours are not trusted with medicines. When Major B. 
was wounded no proper dressings were at the Main Guard, where a 
Mate attends, the Director being accused of it next morning, answered 
there were, having sent them just before at daylight.” 
“2nd October.—The Enemy firedabout2,000rounds lastnight. Every 
gun that could bear kept going.” 
“6th October.— The Dons fire now at our working parties, from ten to 
twenty guns at a time, yet we continue to have about 200 men at work 
on the Hill perfectly exposed, when half the number, well attended, 
would do more work, and not be in one anothers way.” 
“ Some cows killed on the Hill, when a shell falls they go and smell 
to it.” 
“ 12th October.—The gunner that fired the Rock Mortar when it burst 
is dead, having broke a blood vessel in his head,’ and another, “A 
drummer of the 12th punished for beating two Surgeon’s mates,” and 
again “The officers of Artillery dine with the Governor the day they 
come off guard.” 
“ 16th October.—It seems a remarkable circumstance happened on the 
10th instant. A gunon Montagu” (Montagu Bastion) “ being loaded 
with a shell, and a hole as usual bored in the cartridge for the priming 
it was fired with a Tube, and the contents shell and all fell on the Glacis 
Waterport, the shell having got fire lay a short time and burst, but the 
Cartridge was taken up untouched by the Fire, and reported to the 
Governor.” 
The above statement can, I fear, scarcely be swallowed by a gunner. 
A few days later we read ‘‘ The men have only one or two nights in 
bed,” which shows how hard the duty was at this period. 
On the 25th October the daily entry concludes with “The officers 
riot a little.” 
“ 29th October.—On complaint that the sick have not Room enough 
at the Hospital all the Interlopers are turned out, but the Governor’s 
Housekeeper ; the Doctor B. is not to have a whole ward to himself.” 
“ 6th November.—A man or two that came with the Boats are taken 
up aS spies, and one a native of Gibr. has confessed he was sent here 
for that purpose. The Line Wall about Montagu and the Demi Bastions 
very much damaged by their shot, and our men in the Works do any- 
thing but work. Old Junk has been hung over the Batteries and has 
preserved them very much.” 
“19th November.—The Dons throw long Rangers now from the Mill 
Batty. all about the South Barracks.” 
‘21st November.—The Dons continue their long Rangers, and the 
splinters fly all about even to Bona Vista.” 
We now come to one of the most important and perhaps the most 
remarkable event of the siege—the celebrated and successful sortie of 
November 27th 1781. 
Captain Spilsbury’s entry is unfortunately a very meagre one, which 
is odd from one who paid so much attention to trivial details, and whose 
regiment was actively engaged. From the way he words it it would 
