the island; but without
having attempted anything against the fort, fell to leeward of Cape
Mola. Next day they came in sight again, but soon bore away, and never
afterwards, during the whole course of the siege, approached so near as
to give the garrison the least disturbance.

On the twenty-second day of April, the governor sent a drummer to the
French general with a letter, desiring to know his reasons for invading
the island. To this an answer was returned by the duke de Richelieu,
declaring he was come with intention to reduce the island under the
dominion of his most christian majesty, by way of retaliation for the
conduct of his master, who had seized and detained the ships belonging
to the king of France and his subjects. If we may judge from the first
operations of this nobleman, he was but indifferently provided with
engineers; for instead of beginning his approaches on the side of St.
Philip's town, close by the outworks, where he might have been screened
from the fire of the garrison, his batteries were erected at Cape Mola,
on the other side of the harbour, where they were more exposed, their
fire much less effectual, and indeed at too great a distance to be of
any service. The fire of St. Philip's was so severe, and the cannon so
well served on this quarter, that in a little time the enemy thought
proper to change their plan of attack, and advance on the side of
St. Philip's town, which ought to have been the first object of their
consideration, especially as they could find little or no earth to fill
their gabions, and open their trenches in the usual form. On the twelfth
of May, about nine at night, they opened two bomb-batteries, near the
place where the windmills had been destroyed; and from that period an
incessant fire was kept up on both sides, from mortars and cannon, the
French continuing to raise new batteries in every situation from whence
they could annoy the besieged.

On the seventeenth day of the month, the garrison were transported with
joy at sight of the British squadron, commanded by admiral Byng; and Mr.
Boyd, commissary of the stores, ventured to embark in a small boat, with
six oars, which passed from St. Stephen's cove, a creek on the west side
of the fortification, through a shower of cannon and musketry from the
enemy's post on the other side, and actually reached the open sea, his
design being to join the squadron; but this being at a great distance,
stretching away to the south