rince of
Savoy) may be mentioned that daring action of Messieurs de Luxembourg
and Tournefort, who, with a body of horse and dragoons, carried powder
into the town, of which the besieged were in extreme want, each soldier
bringing a bag with forty pounds of powder behind him; with which
perilous provision they engaged our own horse, faced the fire of the
foot brought out to meet them: and though half of the men were blown up
in the dreadful errand they rode on, a part of them got into the town
with the succors of which the garrison was so much in want. A French
officer, Monsieur du Bois, performed an act equally daring, and
perfectly successful. The Duke's great army lying at Helchin, and
covering the siege, and it being necessary for M. de Vendosme to get
news of the condition of the place, Captain Dubois performed his famous
exploit: not only passing through the lines of the siege, but swimming
afterwards no less than seven moats and ditches: and coming back the
same way, swimming with his letters in his mouth.

By these letters Monsieur de Boufflers said that he could undertake
to hold the place till October; and that if one of the convoys of the
Allies could be intercepted, they must raise the siege altogether.

Such a convoy as hath been said was now prepared at Ostend, and about to
march for the siege; and on the 27th September we (and the French
too) had news that it was on its way. It was composed of 700 wagons,
containing ammunition of all sorts, and was escorted out of Ostend by
2,000 infantry and 300 horse. At the same time M. de la Mothe quitted
Bruges, having with him five-and-thirty battalions, and upwards of sixty
squadrons and forty guns, in pursuit of the convoy.

Major-General Webb had meanwhile made up a force of twenty battalions
and three squadrons of dragoons at Turout, whence he moved to cover the
convoy and pursue La Mothe: with whose advanced guard ours came up upon
the great plain of Turout, and before the little wood and castle of
Wynendael; behind which the convoy was marching.

As soon as they came in sight of the enemy, our advanced troops were
halted, with the wood behind them, and the rest of our force brought up
as quickly as possible, our little body of horse being brought forward
to the opening of the plain, as our General said, to amuse the enemy.
When M. de la Mothe came up, he found us posted in two lines in front of
the wood; and formed his own army in battle facing ours, in eig