d
require all their bravery and hardihood to conquer the place.

"It must be ours!" exclaimed John Deane, as he looked up at it while he
walked the quarter-deck.

"It shall be!" observed Captain Jumper, who overheard him. "Deane, you
shall accompany me on shore; and I hope before the world is much older,
you and I shall find ourselves inside those walls."

"Or buried under them," said Deane. "For my part, however, I would as
lief be on the top of them."

Meantime the marines, English and Dutch, to the number of eighteen
hundred, were landed on the isthmus by which the rock is joined to the
mainland, to cut off all communication between the town and the
continent.

It was only of late that this fine body of men had been organised and
received the name of marines, their duty being especially to serve on
board ships. They were under command of the Prince of Hesse. His
Highness, having taken post on the isthmus, summoned the governor to
surrender, but that brave officer returned an answer, that he would
defend the place to the last. On the 22nd, the admiral, at break of
day, gave orders that the ships which had been appointed to cannonade
the town, under the command of Rear-Admiral Byng and Rear-Admiral
Vanderdosen, as also those which were to batter the South Mole Head,
commanded by Captain Hicks of the "Weymouth," should arrange themselves
accordingly. The wind, however, blowing contrary, they could not get
into their places till the day was well-nigh spent. In the meantime, to
amuse the enemy, Captain Whitaker was sent in with some boats, and a
French privateer of twelve guns was burned at the Old Mole.

On the 23rd, soon after break of day, the ships being all placed in
their stations, the admiral gave the signal for beginning the cannonade;
and now the guns opened with a furious fire. The shot, like hail, flew
against the Spanish batteries. The British seamen firing as fast as
they could load, in five or six hours upwards of fifteen thousand shot
were calculated to have been discharged against the town, and the enemy
were driven from their guns, especially at the South Mole Head. Seeing
this, the admiral sent an order to Captain Whitaker to attack the town
with all the boats of the fleet. In the meantime, however, Captain
Jumper, who saw what was necessary to be done, and Captain Hicks, who
both lay next the Mole, had pushed on shore with their pinnaces and some
other boats before the rest could come