from _Boccachica_ and the Ships: But the Truth was, the Army was
not accustomed to work in that brisk Manner: No! Working was no Part of
their Trade. However, when the sixty Gun Ship went in against the
Battery, that the Enemy was obliged to bring their Guns to fire at her,
the Army cooled in their Resentments, and all was well, while the Enemy
was quiet.

[_M_] This grand Affair having taken up near a Fortnight in raising,
and many more Men employed to work, than was necessary (for there were
five hundred Seamen, between two and three hundred Blacks, besides as
many Pioneers as could be spared out of the Army) much Execution may be
expected therefrom: But alas! the Engineers would by no Means outdo
themselves; the Battery was constructed in a Wood! and no more Ground
was cleared, than a Space necessary for so stupendous a Building (lest
the Enemy should see the Army!). For so great Caution was used, that
before the Wood in the Front of the Battery was cut down, it was a
Doubt, whether any Guns could be brought to bear on the Castle; and as
it was, no Guns could be brought to play on the Enemy's Shipping,
although it was expected they would instantly fire on the Battery, and
be capable of doing it the greatest Damage; (which they did) and had
not an Epaulment been thrown up at the East End, every Shot from the
Ships must have raked the Battery, and destroyed Numbers of Men. The
Army allowed the Tars behaved gallantly; for it must be remarked, they
had Seamen to fight the Guns in the Battery, as well as help to build
it. Whether the Engineers proposed to batter the angular Point of the
Bastion in Breach is Matter of Doubt, at the first laying out of their
Battery; (but infinite Reasons may be assigned for the Absurdity,
besides that great one, of having the Fire of two Flanks to destroy,
instead of one) however it is generally believed, it was Hap-hazard;
for the most impartial Judges in the Navy and Army agree, if the Enemy
had cut down eighty or an hundred Paces of the Woods further round the
Castle, the Undertaking would have been so difficult, as to have
shocked the Science of all the Engineers, if not quite disheartened
them, from so daring an Enterprise.

[_N_] The Position the Enemy had lain their Ships in, was beyond all
Doubt the most advantageous, could be formed by Man; both for opposing
any Attempt, that might be made by Shipping on the Entrance into the
Harbour; or annoy any Battery, that could be raised as