ty or thirty yards, to
the right or left. It would require an extraordinary acute ear to
determine more closely than this, the angle of flight being so very
small, until the shot approaches almost within striking distance.

The garrison had been trying experiments with carcasses and red-hot
shot. A carcass is a hollow shot, or shell, pierced with holes; but
instead of being charged with powder, to explode it either by means
of a fuse or by percussion, it is filled with a fierce-burning
composition so that, upon falling, it will set on fire anything
inflammable near it. Red-hot shot are fired by putting a wet wad in
over the dry wad, next to the powder. The red-hot shot is then run
into the gun, and rammed against the wet wad; and the gun fired in
the usual way. The carcasses several times set fire to the enemy's
works, but the use of the red-hot shot was reserved for a pressing
emergency. A number of furnaces were constructed, in the various
batteries, for heating the shot; which necessarily required a
considerable amount of time, to bring them to a white heat.

News came, in April, that great preparations were making, at Cadiz
and other Mediterranean ports, for a fresh and vigorous attack on
Gibraltar; and that the Duc de Crillon--who had lately captured
Minorca--would bring twenty thousand French and Spanish troops, in
addition to those at present engaged in the siege; that a large
fleet would also be present, and that the principal attack would be
made by means of ships turned into floating batteries, and
protected by an immense thickness of cork, or other wood.

On the 9th of May, the ships began to arrive. Among them were seven
large vessels, which appeared to be old men-of-war. A large number
of workmen immediately went on board them, and began to lower the
topmasts. This confirmed the news in respect to the floating
batteries.

About this time, three store ships fortunately arrived from
England, with powder, shell, and other stores. As there could be no
longer any doubt that the attack was, this time, to be delivered on
the sea face; strong working parties were employed in strengthening
the water batteries, in erecting lines of palisades, to prevent a
landing from boats, and in building furnaces for the heating of
shot in these batteries, also. At this time the Engineers began to
drive a gallery through the Rock, facing the neutral ground, in
order to place guns there. This work was carried on to the end of