the whole Fleet, offer'd of himself to take care of the Landing and
Conveyance of the Artillery to the Camp. And answerable to that his
first Zeal was his Vigour all along, for finding it next to an
Impossibility to draw the Cannon and Mortars up such vast Precipices by
Horses, if the Country had afforded them, he caus'd Harnesses to be made
for two hundred Men; and by that Means, after a prodigious Fatigue and
Labour, brought the Cannon and Mortars necessary for the Siege up to the
very Batteries.

In this Manner was the Siege begun; nor was it carry'd on with any less
Application; the Approaches being made by an Army of Besiegers, that
very little, if at all, exceeded the Number of the Besieg'd; not
altogether in a regular Manner, our few Forces would not admit it; but
yet with Regularity enough to secure our two little Camps, and preserve
a Communication between both, not to be interrupted or incommoded by the
Enemy. We had soon erected three several Batteries against the Place,
all on the West Side of the Town, _viz_. one of nine Guns, another of
Twelve, and the last of upwards of Thirty. From all which we ply'd the
Town incessantly, and with all imaginable Fury; and very often in whole
Vollies.

Nevertheless it was thought not only adviseable, but necessary, to erect
another Battery, upon a lower Piece of Ground under a small Hill; which
lying more within Reach, and opposite to those Places where the Walls
were imagin'd weakest, would annoy the Town the more; and being design'd
for six Guns only, might soon be perfected. A _French_ Engeneer had the
Direction; and indeed very quickly perfected it. But when it came to be
consider'd which way to get the Cannon to it, most were of opinion that
it would be absolutely impracticable, by reason of the vast Descent;
tho' I believe they might have added a stronger Reason, and perhaps more