g to storm the works, which, covering a
vast extent of ground, were defended by less than eleven thousand. Sir
Sydney Smith had volunteered to destroy the magazines and ships.

On the 18th of December, all the troops, having been withdrawn from the
forts, were concentrated in the town. Happily the weather was fine and
the sea smooth. The enemy had been so severely handled that they
advanced cautiously. Among those who volunteered to accompany Sir
Sydney Smith was Mr Alston, one of the lieutenants of the _Ruby_. Mr
Nott, too, was of his party, as was Abel Bush, and True Blue got leave
to go also.

The Neapolitan troops, by their dastardly desertion of the fort of the
Mississi, at which they were stationed, nearly disconcerted all the
arrangements. Great numbers of the inhabitants had already gone on
board the ships of war.

Sir Sydney Smith had with him the _Swallow_, a small lateen-rigged
vessel, three English and three Spanish gunboats, and the _Vulcan_
fireship, under charge of Captain Charles Hare, with a brigade of boats
in attendance.

The ships had got out; the boats of the fleet were waiting to carry off
the troops. Already shot and shell from the surrounding heights were
beginning to fall thickly into the harbour. The galley slaves in the
arsenal, 800 in number, were threatening to interfere, but were kept in
check by the gunboats; the Republicans were descending the hill in
numbers, and opening fire with musketry and cannon on the British and
Spanish.

Night came on; the fireship, towed by the boats, entered the basin. Her
well-shotted guns were pointed so as to keep the enemy in check. The
Spaniards had undertaken to scuttle the _Iris_ frigate, which contained
several thousand barrels of powder, as also another powder vessel, the
_Montreal_ frigate.

Hitherto Sir Sydney Smith and his gallant companions had performed all
their operations in darkness, the only light being the flashes of the
cannon and muskets playing on them. At length ten o'clock struck--a
single rocket ascended into the air. In an instant the fireship and all
the trains leading to the different magazines and stores were ignited.
The boats lay alongside the former, ready to take off the crew. There
was a loud explosion--the priming had burst, and the brave Captain Hare
narrowly escaped with his life. "To the boats, lads, for your lives!"
he shouted.

Mr Nott and True Blue were assisting him. Not a moment was to be lost.