re that the confederates were enabled to extinguish
the flames before they had spread far. They then pulled, as fast as
they could bend to their oars, up the harbour towards the galleons which
lay at the farther end. Every man had heard of the vast amount of
wealth reputed to be on board these vessels, and all were eager to
capture them, therefore, before they were destroyed by the enemy.
Already flames were bursting out from some of them, and the French and
Spanish boats were alongside, preparing for their destruction. The
Dutch and English joined each other in the race. They rowed past the
town, which the British troops, having captured the forts, were already
entering. Now the boats got alongside the long-looked-for galleons.
Already some were in flames, which had extended too far to allow of
their being extinguished, but many others were saved. So rapid had been
the movements of the allies, that the Spaniards had not had time to
remove the cargoes of several of the galleons. These were in truth real
prizes, and the wealth found on board them stimulated the crews of the
boats to make desperate attempts to save the rest. Several, however,
just as the flotilla approached them, went down at their anchors, but
altogether the larger number were saved.

Great was the disappointment of the allies when they found that the
Spaniards had landed the larger portion of the money with which the
galleons had been freighted. Seldom, however, has a naval expedition
been more judiciously planned and more completely carried out. This
glorious and memorable victory, too, was obtained with a very
inconsiderable loss on the side of the British; for, with the exception
of the loss on board Vice-Admiral Hopson's ship, as already described,
very few seamen were either killed or wounded, nor did the ships receive
more than a slight damage. Of the land forces, two lieutenants and
about forty rank and file were killed, and five officers and about
thirty men wounded. Of the French, about four hundred officers and men
were taken prisoners, among whom was the Spanish Admiral Don Joseph
Checon, several French captains, and other officers of note.

The result of this victory was a vast booty, both of plate and other
things, the value of which cannot well be computed. The fleet, indeed,
was the richest that had ever come from the West Indies to Europe. The
silver and gold was computed to amount to twenty millions of eight, of
which fou