802

1705.

And takesDenia

The Fleetarrives airBarcelona.

The Troopslanded .

Annals ofA Ann.

Life of

Ana.

Ann. Naval Expeditions, &c. of the English, Book V*

in Order to water there. («) His Ca-tholick Majesty ordered a Body of Footto be landed, as well to secure theFleet’s Watering, as to hinder the Sai-lors from committing any Disorders:And the Earl of Peterborough caused aManifejto to be dispersed in the SpanishTongue. (*)

While the Fleet was in the Bay,certain Advice was brought, that eightHundred or a Thousand of the Inhabi-tants of the Towns and Places, in theNeighbourhood, who were assembled inthe Mountains, had declared for KingCharles , and seized the Town of Denia ;Upon which General Ramos was ap-pointed Governour of that Place, anda Garrison of four Hundred Men putinto it.

The eleventh of Æguft, the Fleetarrived in the Bay of Barcelona ; ( y)Where, as soon as the Fleet had anchor-ed, the Spaniards began to Pre from theMole, and a Battery they had near theSea, upon some of the Transport-Ships,which stood in for the Shoar. The nextDay, the Prince of Darmfladt havingjoined the Fleet, the Forces began toland in very good Order, and withoutany Opposition, between the Town anda Place call’d Badelona 3 at about three

Quarters of a League Distance from the i7°Tformer, the Inhabitants lending themall possible Astistance. The thirteenth,all the Troops being landed, the Citywas invested, and, as it was so large thatthe Forces from the Fleet could notguard all the Posts,, the Inhabitants as-sisted them in securing all the Avenues.

(2) , ,

The seventeenth, His Catholick Ma- The. TifS^jesty went on Shoar, the whole Fleethaving saluted Him, at his Departure;

And, at His Landing, He was not on-ly welcomed by the loud Acclamationsof the People of the Country, who camein Throngs to receive him, (s) but bya Treble Discharge of the small Arms,from the Camp on Shoar. The Gene-rals, however, found the Place so wellprovided, that they almost despaired ofSuccess. The Sea-Officers, on theirSide, were, indeed, for Bombardingand Cannonading the Place, from theFleet, while the Approaches were madeby Land; But as the King of Spain.would by no Means consent to this, theUndertaking was thereupon very nearbeing laid aside, (b) and the Resolutionalmost taken to leave the Place, andtry their Fortune at Tarragona, (c)

The.

( u ) As soon as the Flees was come into the Bay,all the People came to offer their Service to HisCatholick Majesty, and to implore His Protecti-on ; Bringing with them all Sorts of Provisionsand Refreshments; For which, meeting with a li-teral Payment, all the Inhabitants of the Neigh-bouring Villages came, in like Manner, to do himHommage, and offer what the Country afforded.

(x) The Substance of this Manifesto was, toassure the Spaniards , that the Confederate Fleetwas not come to take Possession of any Place, inan Hostile Manner, for the Use of Her Majestyof Great Britain, ox the States General, nor tobring into that Country the usual Calamities ofWar; But to defend and protect those who shouldsubmit, in due Obedience, to their lawful Sove-reign ; But that, if, by opposing these good Inten-tions, they brought Hostilities upon themselves,they only would be answerable for them.

(y) The Prince of Darmstadt had been sentbefore, with two Frigats, to enquire into the Po-sture of Affairs, in those Parts, and of whatStrength the City might be. His Highness put in-to Mataro, four Leagues from Barcelona, wherehaving informed himself of what he thought ne-cessary, and advised the People at Vich, who haddeclared for King Charles, to come down, he re-joined the Fleet, the Day after their Arrival.

(#) It was much wondered at, that the Ene-my made no Opposition, since they had all theConvenience for it imaginable, on their Side ; Forthey might have come under Cover, very nearthe Landing-Place, so that the Fire from onBoard the Ships could not have disturbed them »But it was believed, that the Viceroy had no Con-jldeace in his own Troops, and was jealous, that

should He have suffered them to march out ofthe City, the People, who had a strong Inclina-tion for King Charles, might, in the mean-Time*rise in his Favour.

{a) De Larrey fays, His Catholick Majesty, p ewas surprized, at his Landing, to find, instead of kj dt.the whole Country, which he expected, only a o'd s

few Deserters, and a small Number of Peasants,, P-i-y,who expected to be well rewarded for their Zeal.

{b) The seven and twentieth, the Earl of Pe- Purch eti “terborugh sent a Proposal, by Brigadier Stanhope,that a Number of Seamen might be- landed fromthe Fleet, to assist in the Attempt against Barcelo-na , and it was determined by the Admiral, andthe Rest, of the Flag-Officers, to land two Thou-sand four Hundred Men, well-armed, includingthose already on Shoar, the doing of which wouldreduce the Ships to their middle Complements,the Dutch Admiral agreing also to assist with fixHundred Men : However, if the French Fleetapproached, it was thought necessary ; that those-Men, as well as the Marine Soldiers, should im-mediately come on Board again. ,

(c) When a Council of War was held, on this B'T 1 ■Occasion, at which the King of Spain himself waspresent, both Englijh and Dutch Officers wereof Opinion, the Siege could not be undertakenwith so small a Force, the Garrison being near asstrong as they were. The Debate lasted someHours. In Conclusion, the King himself spakenear Half an Hour : He answered all the Objec-tions which were made against the Siege, and treat-ed every one of those who had made them, as heanswered them, with particular Civilities : Fiesupported the Truth of what the Prince of Hejfe,had asserted, (concerning the good Affection ot’ v many