Schomberg found Antrim and Belfast deserted; but the garrison at
Carrickfergus, consisting of two regiments, prepared vigorously for a
siege. Schomberg at once prepared to invest it, and in a short time
attacked it by land and sea. The siege was pressed with vigour, but the
garrison, under M'Carty Moore, defended themselves with the greatest
skill and bravery. As fast as breaches were battered in their walls, they
repaired them, and repulsed every attempt of the besiegers to gain a
footing in the town. The garrison were badly supplied with ammunition,
but they stripped the lead from the roofs of the castle and church to
make bullets.

But all this time, no attempt whatever was made to relieve them. The
French and Irish generals were disputing as to what was the best plan of
campaign. The king was busy making money with his trade with France; and,
after holding out until they had burned their last grain of powder, the
gallant garrison were forced to capitulate. Schomberg was too glad to get
the place to insist on hard terms, and the garrison marched out with all
the honours of war--drums beating, and matches alight--and were conveyed,
with all their stores, arms, and public and private property, to the
nearest Irish post.

The effect of this determined resistance, on the part of the little
garrison at Carrickfergus, was to impress Schomberg with the fact that
the difficulty of the task he had undertaken was vastly greater than he
had supposed. The success with which Londonderry had defended itself
against the Irish army had impressed him with the idea that the levies of
King James were simply contemptible; but the fighting qualities of the
garrison of Carrickfergus had shown him that they were a foe by no means
to be despised, and convinced him that the force at his command was
altogether inadequate to his necessities.

He therefore moved south with extreme caution. He found the country
altogether wasted and deserted. The Protestants had long since fled, and
were gathered round Derry and Enniskillen. The Catholics had now deserted
their homes, at his approach; and the troops, in their retreat, had
burned and wasted everything, so that he had no means of subsistence for
his army, and was obliged to rely upon the fleet, which he ordered to
follow him down the coast.

Schomberg was soon joined by three regiments of Enniskillen horse. The
appearance of these troops astonished the English. They resembled rather
a horde of