endurance, on the part of
the garrison. How long the latter might have held out cannot be said,
seeing the success with which the English sea power defied the efforts
of the allies to cut off the communications of the fortress; but it
was seemingly certain that the place must be subdued by main force or
not at all, while the growing exhaustion of the belligerents foretold
the near end of the war. Accordingly Spain multiplied her efforts of
preparation and military ingenuity; while the report of them and of
the approaching decisive contest drew to the scene volunteers and men
of eminence from other countries of Europe. Two French Bourbon princes
added, by their coming, to the theatrical interest with which the
approaching drama was invested. The presence of royalty was needed
adequately to grace the sublime catastrophe; for the sanguine
confidence of the besiegers had determined a satisfactory _denouement_
with all the security of a playwright.

Besides the works on the isthmus which joins the Rock to the mainland,
where three hundred pieces of artillery were now mounted, the chief
reliance of the assailants was upon ten floating batteries elaborately
contrived to be shot and fire proof, and carrying one hundred and
fifty-four heavy guns. These were to anchor in a close north-and-south
line along the west face of the works, at about nine hundred yards
distance. They were to be supported by forty gunboats and as many bomb
vessels, besides the efforts of the ships-of-the-line to cover the
attack and distract the garrison. Twelve thousand French troops were
brought to reinforce the Spaniards in the grand assault, which was to
be made when the bombardment had sufficiently injured and demoralized
the defenders. At this time the latter numbered seven thousand, their
land opponents thirty-three thousand men.

The final act was opened by the English. At seven o'clock on the
morning of September 8, 1782, the commanding general, Elliott, began a
severe and most injurious fire upon the works on the isthmus. Having
effected his purpose, he stopped; but the enemy took up the glove the
next morning, and for four days successively poured in a fire from the
isthmus alone of six thousand five hundred cannon-balls and one
thousand one hundred bombs every twenty-four hours. So approached the
great closing scene of September 13. At seven A.M. of that day the ten
battering-ships unmoored from the head of the bay and stood down to
their st