i 92 L O R D A N S O N ’ S V O Y A G E
During our preparations, the (hips themfelve's flood towards the
Port with all the fail they could make, being fecure that we were
yet at too great a diftance to be feen. But, about ten o’clock at
night, the (hips'being then within five leagues of the place, Lieutenant
Brett, with the boats under his command, put off,, and arrived
at the mouth of the bay, without being difcovered; though no
fooner had he entered it, than fome of the people on board a veflel,
riding at anchor there, perceived him, who, inftantly getting into
their boat, rowed towards the fort, (homing and crying, t h e E ngl
i s h ! t h e E n g l i s h d o g s ! & c . by which the whole town was
fuddenly alarmed ; and our people foon obferved feveral lights hurrying
backwards and forwards in the fort, and other marks of the
inhabitants being in great motion. Lieutenant Brett, on this, encouraged
his men to pull briikly up, that they might give the enemy
as little time as poffible to prepare for their defence. However,
before our boats, could reach the (hore, the people in the fort had
got ready (bme of their cannon, and pointed them towards the
landing-place; and though, in the darknefs of the night, it might
be well fuppofed that chance had a greater (hare than (kill in their
dire&ion, yet the firft (hot paffed extremely near one.'of the boats,
whiffling juft over the heads o f the crew. This made our people
redouble their efforts ; fo that they had reached the (hore, and were
in part difembarked, by the time the fecond gun fired. As foon as
our men landed, they were conduced by one of the Spanijh Pilots
to the entrance of a narrow ftreet, not above fifty yards diftaut from
the beach, where they were covered from the fire o f the fort; and,
being formed in the beft manner the (hortnefs of the time would
allow, they immediately marched for the parade, which was a large
fquare at the end of this ftreet, the fort being one fide of the
fquare, and the Governor’s houfe another, as may be feen more
diftimftly in the plan, where likewife the road they took from
their landing to the fort is marked out by a pricked line. In this
march (though performed with tolerable regularity) the (houts and
clamours of threefcore failors, who had been confined fo long on
(hipboard,
R O U N D t h e w o r l d . 193
ftiio-board, and were now, for the firft time, on (here in. an enemy’ s
country, joyous as they always are when they land, andl animate
befides in the prefent cafe with the hopes of an mrmenfe pillage ,
the huzzas,. I fay, of this fpirited detachment joined with the
noife of their drums, and favoured by the night, had augmented
their numbers, in the opinion of the enemy, to at leaft three hundred
• by which perfuafion the inhabitants were fo greatly intimidated
that they were much more felicitous about the means of
flight'than of refiftance: fo that though upon entering the pa-
rale our people received a volley from the Merchants who owned
the treafure then in the town, and who, with a few others had
ranged themfelves in a gallery that ran round the Governor s houfe,
ye that poft was immediately abandoned upon the firft fire made
b y our people, who were thereby left m quiet poffiffion of the
f i l l fuccefs, Lieutenant Brett divided his men into two patties
ordering one of them to furround the Governor s houfe, and,
f poffible to fecure the Governor; whilft he himfelf at the head
of the other, marched to the fort, with an intent to force it. But
contrary to his Hi he entered it without opposition; for
the enemy, on his approach, abandoned it, and made their efcape
the enemy, t means whole g g | was maftered m
over the M M * hour’ s time from the firft landing, and with
lefs than a quarter o an hou | | killed on the fpot, and two
J m m M was the ^ Pilot of refa who
wounded, 01 _ . a baU which grazed on his wnft : m-
■ M « J U a* " «'• m *• “ H 1 „ f /tlhemarle had a very narrow efcape ; for, having on a
jockey-cap, one fide o f the peak was ffiaVed offclofe to his temple
W i L . which, however, did him no other injury
^Lieutenant Brett, when he had thus far happily fucceeded,
nlac d guard at the fort, and another at the Governor s houfe, a:id
placed a gua avenues of the town, both to prevent
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