erect
another Battery, upon a lower Piece of Ground under a small Hill; which
lying more within Reach, and opposite to those Places where the Walls
were imagin'd weakest, would annoy the Town the more; and being design'd
for six Guns only, might soon be perfected. A _French_ Engeneer had the
Direction; and indeed very quickly perfected it. But when it came to be
consider'd which way to get the Cannon to it, most were of opinion that
it would be absolutely impracticable, by reason of the vast Descent;
tho' I believe they might have added a stronger Reason, and perhaps more
intrinsick, that it was extremely expos'd to the Fire of the Enemy.

Having gain'd some little Reputation in the Attack of _Monjouick_, this
Difficulty was at last to be put upon me; and as some, not my Enemies,
suppos'd, more out of Envy than good Will. However, when I came to the
Place, and had carefully taken a View of it, though I was sensible
enough of the Difficulty, I made my main Objection as to the Time for
accomplishing it; for it was then between Nine and Ten, and the Guns
were to be mounted by Day-light. Neither could I at present see any
other Way to answer their Expectations, than by casting the Cannon down
the Precipice, at all Hazards, to the Place below, where that fourth
Battery was erected.

This wanted not Objections to; and therefore to answer my Purpose, as to
point of Time, sixty Men more were order'd me, as much as possible to
facilitate the Work by Numbers; and accordingly I set about it. Just as
I was setting all Hands to work, and had given Orders to my Men to begin
some Paces back, to make the Descent more gradual, and thereby render
the Task a little more feasible, Major _Collier_, who commanded the
Train, came to me; and perceiving the Difficulties of the Undertaking,
in a Fret told me, I was impos'd upon; and vow'd he would go and find
out Brigadier _Petit_, and let him know the Impossibility, as well as
the Unreasonableness of the Task I was put upon. He had scarce utter'd
those Words, and turn'd himself round to perform his Promise, when an
unlucky Shot with a Musket-Ball wounded him through the Shoulder; upon
which he was carry'd off, and I saw him not till some considerable time
after.

By the painful Diligence, and the additional Compliment of Men, however,
I so well succeeded (such was my great good Fortune) that the Way was
made, and the Guns, by the Help of Fascines, and other lesser
Preparations below, safely