pay the workmen employed upon the fortifications;
and such industry was used, that in a few days the town and harbour,
which had been greatly neglected, were put in a good posture of defence.
The allies took possession of the eminences that commanded the city, and
the ordnance being landed, erected batteries. From these they began to
cannonade and bombard the city, while the fleet attacked and reduced
two forts at the entrance of the Mole, and co-operated in the siege
with their great guns and bomb-ketches. The garrison was numerous, and
defended the place with great vigour. They sunk ships in the entrance
to the Mole: they kept up a prodigious fire from the ramparts: they made
desperate sallies, and even drove the besiegers from one of their posts
with great slaughter. The French king, alarmed at this design of his
enemies, ordered troops to march towards Toulon from all parts of his
dominions. He countermanded the forces that were on their route to
improve the victory of Almanza: a great part of the army under Villars
on the Bhine was detached to Provence, and the court of Versailles
declared, that the duke of Burgundy should march at the head of a strong
army to the relief of Toulon. The duke of Savoy being apprized of
these preparations, seeing no hope of reducing the place, and being
apprehensive that his passage would be intercepted, resolved to abandon
his enterprise. The artillery being re-embarked, with the sick
and wounded, he decamped in the night, under favour of a terrible
bombardment and cannonading from the English fleet, and retreated to
his own country without molestation.* Then he undertook the reduction of
Susa, the garrison of which surrendered at discretion. By this conquest
he not only secured the key to his own dominions, but also opened to
himself a free passage into Dauphine.

* Had the duke of Savoy marched with expedition from the
Var, he would have found Toulon defenceless; but he
lingered in such a manner as gives reason to believe he was
not hearty in the enterprise; and his operations were
retarded by a difference between him and his kinsman prince
Eugene.

SIR CLOUDESLEY SHOVEL WRECKED.

Sir Cloudesley Shovel having left a squadron with sir Thomas Dilkes for
the Mediterranean service, set sail for England with the rest of the
fleet, and was in soundings on the twenty-second day of October. About
eight o'clock at night his own ship, the Association, s