der. The brave governor replied that as
he had been appointed to the command of the place by his lawful
sovereign, he would not yield it up as long as he could hold it. On the
15th the Duke of Ormond therefore landed with the troops, and in a few
days took possession of the forts of Saint Katharine and Saint Mary. It
being found difficult to approach Cadiz while the Spaniards were in
possession of Matagorda Fort, an assault was ordered. The Spaniards
defended the place bravely, and it was found that the English force was
far too small to hope for success. The troops were therefore
re-embarked with the intention of returning home. Soon after this,
while the fleet was off the coast of Portugal, Captain Hardy of the
"Pembroke" brought the intelligence that the galleons from the West
Indies had put into Vigo Bay, under convoy of a French squadron. Sir
George Rooke immediately called a council of war, and it was resolved to
make an attack at once on the enemy in the port of Vigo. A strong gale
of wind, however, drove the fleet to the north of Cape Finisterre, which
prevented their getting off Vigo before the 11th of October. The
passage into the harbour was extremely narrow, and well defended by
batteries on both sides. Across the entrance a strong boom also was
laid, at each end of which was moored with chains a seventy-four-gun
ship. Nearer the boom were laid, also moored, five ships, each carrying
sixty to seventy guns, with their broadsides to the sea to defend the
passage. The shoals and sand-banks, and the shallowness of the water
within the harbour, made it dangerous for ships of the first and second
rates to enter without a leading wind.

Notwithstanding the strong force opposed to them and the batteries on
either side of the harbour, the English admirals resolved to attempt the
capture of the galleons, and it being considered impossible for the
larger ships to get up the harbour, they shifted their flags on board
smaller vessels. A boat was then despatched up the harbour to gain
intelligence respecting the disposition of the French and Spanish ships.
This being obtained, it was resolved that as the whole fleet could not
together act upon the enemy's ships, but would from crowding the harbour
impede each others' movements, fifteen English and ten Dutch men-of-war,
with all the fire-ships, should proceed in to destroy the enemy's fleet.
The frigates and the bomb-vessels were directed to follow this
detach