ision, to be off without any delay, was fully
justified by the appearance of a Spanish squadron in the bay, three
days after his departure. It consisted of two seventy-fours, two
frigates, five xebecs, and a number of galleys and small armed
vessels. The men-of-war anchored off Algeciras; while the rest of
the squadron kept a vigilant patrol at the mouth of the bay, and
formed a complete blockade.

Towards the end of the month, the troops were delighted by the
issue of an order that the use of powder for the hair was,
henceforth, to be abandoned.

Vessels were now continually arriving from Algeciras, with troops
and stores; and on the 26th the Spaniards began to form a camp, on
the plain below San Roque, three miles from the garrison. This
increased in size, daily, as fresh regiments arrived by land.

Orders were now issued that all horses in the garrison, except
those whose owners had a store of at least one thousand pounds of
grain, were either to be shot or turned out through the gates.

There was much excitement when two Dutch vessels, laden with rice
and dried fruit, made their way in at night through the enemy's
cruisers. Their cargoes were purchased for the troops; and these
vessels, and a Venetian that had also got through, carried off with
them a large number of Jewish, Genoese, and other traders, with
their families, to ports in Barbary or Portugal. Indeed, from this
time every vessel that went out carried away some of the
inhabitants.

The position of these poor people was indeed serious. The standing
order on the Rock was that every inhabitant, even in time of peace,
should have in store six months' provisions; but the order had
never been enforced, and few of them had any supplies of
consequence. As they could not expect to be supplied from the
garrison stores, the greater number had no resource but to leave
the place. Some, however, who were better provided, obtained leave
to erect wooden huts at the southern end of the Rock, so as to have
a place of shelter to remove to, in case the enemy bombarded the
town.

The Spaniards had, by this time, mounted their cannon in forts St.
Philip and St. Barbara. Vast quantities of stores were landed at
Point Mala, at the end of the bay. Some fifteen thousand men were
under canvas, in their camp; and strong parties were constantly
employed in erecting works near their forts. The garrison on their
side were continually strengthening and adding to their batteries