ired to the camp near Almeida,
resolving to invade Castile; but they found the river Aguada so well
guarded by the duke of Benvick, that they would not attempt a passage.
They therefore retired into the territories of Portugal, and the army
was put into winter quarters. The Spaniards were now so weakened by
detachments sent with the marquis de Villadarias towards Gibraltar, that
the duke of Berwick could not execute any scheme of importance during
the remaining part of the campaign.

SIR GEORGE KOOKE TAKES GIBRALTAR.

The arms of England were not less fortunate by sea than they had been
upon the Danube. Sir George Rooke having landed king Charles at Lisbon,
sent a squadron to cruise off Cape Spartell, under the command of rear
admiral Dilkes, who on the twelfth of March, engaged and took three
Spanish ships of war, bound from St. Sebastian's to Cadiz. Rooke
received orders from the queen to sail to the relief of Nice and Villa
Franca, which were threatened with a siege by the duke de Vendome; at
the same time he was pressed by king Charles to execute a scheme upon
Barcelona, projected by the prince of Hesse d'Armstadt, who declared his
opinion, that the Catalonians would declare for the house of Austria,
as soon as they should be assured of proper support and protection.
The ministry of England understanding that the French were employed in
equipping a strong squadron at Brest, and judging it was destined to act
in the Mediterranean, sent out sir Cloudesley Shovel with a considerable
fleet, to watch the motions of the Brest squadron; and he was provided
with instructions how to act, in case it should be sailed to the
Mediterranean. Meanwhile, sir George Rooke, in compliance with the
entreaties of King Charles, sailed with the transports under his convoy
to Barcelona, and on the eighteenth of May appeared before the city.
Next day the troops were landed by the prince of Hesse, to the number
of two thousand, and the Dutch ketches bombarded the place; but by this
time the governor had secured the chiefs of the Austrian party; and the
people exhibiting no marks of attachment to king Charles, the prince
re-embarked his soldiers, from an apprehension of their being attacked
and overpowered by superior numbers. On the sixteenth day of June, sir
George Rooke, being joined by sir Cloudesley Shovel, resolved to proceed
up the Mediterranean in quest of the French fleet, which had sailed
thither from Brest, and which Rooke h