being fill'd with Sand instead of Gun-powder.

The very Day on which the Besiegers design'd to spring the Mine, they
gave Notice of it; and the People of the Neighbourhood ran up in Crowds
to an opposite Hill in order to see it: Nevertheless, altho' those in
the Castle saw all this, they still remain'd so infatuated, as to
imagine it all done only to affright 'em. At length the fatal Mine was
sprung, and all who were upon that Battery lost their Lives; and among
them those I first mentioned. The very Recital hereof made me think
within my self, _who can resist his Fate_?

That Engineer added further, that it was with an incredible Difficulty,
that he prepar'd that Mine; that there were in the Concavity thirteen
hundred Barrels of Powder; notwithstanding which, it made no great Noise
without, whatever it might do inwardly; that only taking away what might
be not improperly term'd an Excrescence in the Rock, the Heave on the
Blast had render'd the Castle rather stronger on that Side than it was
before, a Crevice or Crack which had often occasioned Apprehensions
being thereby wholly clos'd and firm.

Some further Particulars I soon after had from Colonel _Syburg's_
Gentleman; who seeing me at the Play-house, challenged me, tho' at that
Time unkown to me. He told me, that the Night preceeding the unfortunate
Catastrophe of his Master, he was waiting on him in the Casemet, where
he observed, sometime before the rest of the Company took notice of it,
that General _Richards_ appeared very pensive and thoughtful, that the
whole Night long he was pester'd with, and could not get rid of a great
Flie, which was perpetually buzzing about his Ears and Head, to the
vexation and disturbance of the rest of the Company, as well as the
General himself; that in the Morning, when they went upon the Battery,
under which the Mine was, the General made many offers of going off; but
Colonel _Syburg_, who was got a little merry, and the rest out of a
Bravado, would stay, and would not let the General stir; that at last it
was propos'd by Colonel _Syburg_ to have the other two Bottles to the
Queen's Health, after which he promised they would all go off together.

Upon this my Relator, _Syburg's_ Gentleman, said, he was sent to fetch
the stipulated two Bottles; returning with which, Captain _Daniel
Weaver_, within thirty or forty Yards of the Battery, ran by him,
vowing, he was resolv'd to drink the Queen's Health with them; but his
Feet were