ke to the mountains on the heights with all your men. The Conde
de las Torres must take the plains, the hills on the left being almost
impassable, and secured by five or six thousand of the country people.
But what will gall him most will be the whole regiment of Nebot, which
revolted to us near Valencia, is likewise among us.

"I was eight days ago myself in Barcelona, and I believe the Conde de
las Torres must have so good intelligence from thence that he cannot be
ignorant of it. What belongs to my own troops and my own resolutions
I can easily keep from them, though nothing else. You know the force I
have, and the multitudes that are gathering from all parts against us,
so I am forced to put the whole into this action, which must be decided
to give any hopes to our desperate game. By nine or ten, within an hour
after you can receive this, you will discover us on the tops of the
hills, not two cannon shot from their camp.

"The advantages of the sea are inconceivable, and have contributed to
bring about what you could never expect to see, a force almost equal
to the enemy in number, and you know that less would do our business.
Besides, never men were so transported as to be brought in such secrecy
so near an enemy. I have near six thousand men locked up this night
within the walls of Traguera. I do not expect you will believe it till
you see them.

"You know we had a thousand foot and two hundred dragoons in Tortosa.
Wills and a thousand foot English and Dutch came down the Ebro in boats,
and I embarked a thousand more at Tarragona when I landed at Vinaroz,
and the artillery from thence I brought in country carts. It was easy
to assemble the horse. Zinzendorf and Moras are as good as our own,
and with our English dragoons make up in all near two thousand. But the
whole depends upon leaving them a retreat without interruption.

"Dear Jones, prove a good dragoon, be diligent and alert, and preach the
welcome doctrine to your Miquelets, plunder without danger.

"Your friend, PETERBOROUGH."

The two letters fell into the hands of Las Torres, and so artfully had
the capture been contrived, that it never occurred to him to doubt the
truth of these mendacious documents. Orders were instantly given to
prepare for a march, and almost at the same time two events occurred in
the siege works which caused confusion of the troops. Several mines had
been unskillfully sunk and charged; one of these prematurely exploded
and de