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Read Ebook: A Tour Up the Straits from Gibraltar to Constantinople With the Leading Events in the Present War Between the Austrians Russians and the Turks to the Commencement of the Year 1789 by Sutherland David Captain
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Ebook has 767 lines and 74128 words, and 16 pages
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TOUR
FROM
GIBRALTAR
CONSTANTINOPLE.
TO CAPTAIN SMITH.
Carthagena, August 14th.
MY DEAR FRIEND,
In compliance with your request, I I have kept a regular Journal of my Voyage, which I now inclose you:
Tuesday, August 7th, Noon.
At eight o'clock, yesterday morning, we left Gibraltar, with a contrary wind; and, on the first tack, we passed Ceuta, a place of no great intrinsic value, but an indifferent port. It is situated on a peninsula of Africa, which, with Gibraltar, Spartel and Trafalgar, forms the Straits, and is so strongly fortified by Nature, that, although the Moors have often besieged it, it has withstood all their efforts.
It is not easy to determine who were the first inhabitants of Spain. We know that it was subdued by the Carthaginians before the Christian aera, and that they were conquered by the Romans; who, in their turn, yielded to the Goths, from whom Roderigo was descended.
At this time, the Saracens emigrating from Arabia, had overrun the neighbouring parts of Africa, which they have kept possession of ever since. To these people, Count Julian, with great truth, represented Roderic as a Prince universally detested, and whose tyranny promised a general insurrection among the Goths. The Saracen Chief at first doubted the Count's sincerity, but at last sent over a large army, which gained a complete victory over Roderigo, who was killed in the action; and the whole country submitted to the Moors.
Divisions arising among the conquerors, the natives, in less than six years, again appeared in arms, and the Saracens gradually declined for near two centuries. Almanzor then arose, and, by his repeated victories, revived the affairs of his countrymen: But, on the death of this great General, the Christians again made head, and reduced the Moors to such straits, that, although Mahomet Ben Joseph, Sovereign of Barbary, came over to their assistance with all his forces, he was entirely defeated. A. D. 1212.
The same dissensions, however, which had ruined the Saracens, now broke out among the Christians, and enabled the former to shelter themselves in Grenada, the only province now remaining to them in Spain. Here they continued till the different monarchies which had been erected on their ruin, were all, except Navarre, united under Ferdinand and Isabella. Grenadawas then taken; but the Moors were allowed to remain in the country, as subjects, till the reign of Philip the Third, who, in apprehension of an insurrection, banished them entirely from out of his kingdom. The depopulation which this measure occasioned, is sensibly felt to the present day. Count Julian was himself put to death by the Moors, on a suspicion that he intended to desert their cause. His fate afforded us an ample field for reflection.
We continued our course along the Barbary shore till midnight. We were then obliged to tack, and are now opposite Malaga, twenty leagues from Gibraltar. This, considering that the wind has been constantly easterly, is no bad specimen of our sailing.
On the spot we are passing, Sir George Rooke, soon after he had taken Gibraltar, engaged the Grand Fleet of France, consisting of fifty-two sail of the line. The English and Dutch had as many ships; but the French, being later from port, were much better manned, and in superior condition. The battle lasted all the day. Both sides suffered a very severe loss in men; but not one vessel was taken or destroyed. Each claimed the victory; but the French Admirals took care not to face us again during the whole of the war.
August 8th and 9th.
Calms and light easterly winds. The sea, for several miles round us, is entirely covered with the spawn of fish. Philosophers have not been able to determine how these animals are engendered: I will therefore pass them over. The Grenada mountains rise to a stupendous height on our left, and, even at this late season, their heads are covered with snow.
August 10th, Noon.
We have been, all this morning, in sight of Almeria. The more, for two or three leagues on each side, is almost flat, with a very fine beach; but the town itself displays all the variety of hill, dale and water. It stands on a river, whose banks seem in high cultivation, and are over-hung by prodigious mountains; whilst the low ground, particularly to the east, rises in a gradual slope, covered with groves and avenues of olive, and cork-trees, interspersed with vines and green canes. This beautiful spot forms a kind of amphitheatre, enclosed by the Grenadines, whose rugged summits appear almost inaccessible.
On a steep ascent, at the West end of the town, stands a large Moorish castle, in very good repair. At present it is only respectable for its antiquity; but, in 1147, it made a most vigorous defence against Conrad the Third, assisted by the French, Genoese, and Pisans; and, after a glorious resistance, it was taken by assault, and all the Moors most inhumanly put to death. Vast riches were found in the place, particularly the famous Agate ship, which is still shewn by the Genoese, as one of the most valuable curiosities in Genoa. The castle of Almeria is an exact copy of that at Gibraltar, and, like it, is commanded by an height immediately above it.
Dusk. Early in the afternoon, a breeze sprang up, and we are now off Cape de Gatt, about six leagues from Almeria, and fifty-two from Gibraltar. On the point, the Spaniards have a small barbette battery. The land, for some miles on each side, is almost perpendicular; but, although we are near a league from the shore, we have soundings in sixteen fathoms. The easterly wind continuing, we have just tacked, and are standing to the South.
August 11th.
In the morning, we made Abido, an island of rocks, on the Barbary shore, Lat. 35? 44?, Long. 51? W. and, in the afternoon, passed between the island and the main, which no British ship, I believe, ever did before. The passage is barely three leagues wide; but the shallowest water, three quarters of a mile from the rocks, was thirty-seven fathoms. The wind being contrary, we were several hours in working through.
August 12th.
During last night, we crossed from the African to the Spanish shore, where the wind has left us in a calm.
August 13th, Mid-day.
We are now in sight of Almazaron, a scattered village, at the bottom of a small bay, well flanked by some little works on the cliffs on each side. At 4 P. M. tacked in fifteen fathoms water, one mile off Cape Tignose. On the west side of this point, there is good anchorage, well sheltered from the east wind. The Spaniards have a white tower on the point, on which they have mounted two or three small guns; and, indeed, we have scarce seen a spot on the coast of Spain, that a boat could land on, but what is defended by a tower or a little battery. Slight as these works appear, they not only check the smugglers, but have frequently been of service in protecting the coasters from the depredations of the Barbary corsairs; while they also communicate intelligence, by signals, from one extremity of the kingdom to the other, in very few hours.
Tuesday, August 14th.
The wind blowing hard from the East, with a heavy swell, we have anchored off the mouth of Carthagena harbour.
Notwithstanding the adverse winds, nothing could be more pleasant than our voyage. We have crossed the Mediterranean several times, but have never been more than twelve hours out of sight of land; and the weather, till last night, was so moderate, that not a soul has been sea sick.
The Spaniards have been remarkably civil. They have made a thousand apologies for putting us under quarantine, and have promised to send us every thing we may want. Carthagena is in Lat. 37? 42?, Long. 58? W. two hundred and fifty miles from Gibraltar. It was built by Asdrubal, from whose country it took its name. I will be more particular in my next letter.
TO CAPTAIN SMITH.
Carthagena, August 15th.
MY DEAR FRIEND,
The entrance of this harbour is not more than six hundred yards wide, and is flanked by about thirty guns on the east side, and two-and-twenty on the west: But, as troops coming from the town, must take a considerable circuit round the water, I imagine that, on a sudden attack, these batteries would not be manned in less than two hours. I can discern no embrazures on the line wall towards the sea; but, on the pier without the gates, there is a low battery of fifty heavy guns, to defend the entrance of the bason at the west end of the town. This passage has no defence on the opposite side, but is scarce fifty yards wide. The King's ships are laid up immediately within it. At present, they amount to twenty-one sail of the line, besides frigates; but they are so closely lashed together, that, if one took fire, the whole, in all probability, would be consumed. None of them are coppered, nor have they any masts standing; and, although Carthagena is the second naval arsenal in Spain, nothing like a man of war in any readiness for service; is here to be seen, except a small copper-bottomed brig, and a few galleys: of these the brig only is in commission.
The dock-yard is contiguous to the bason, and both are commanded by several heights. Two of these are secured by redoubts; the rest are intrusted to crosses. The works round the city are, I believe, but weak; and there are several fine landing places within a day's march of the town.
Footnote 1:
This was only four weeks before the French Ambassador delivered the hostile declaration, which, to the honor of our country, his Court was compelled to retract, and proves, that nothing had been pre-concerted with Spain, relative to the succours to be given to the French faction in Holland.
We felt much obliged to the Governor, Don Joseph De Rocas, for his very great attention. Besides repeated offers of his best services, he sent his Aid de Camp to compliment us on our arrival, and to express the utmost regret, that the orders from his Court were so strict, that he could not have the honor of seeing us on shore, until we had performed a tedious quarantine; but, in the mean while, if we were disposed to amuse ourselves in the harbour, he would send a boat to shew us every thing we wished, and would do all in his power, to make our stay as pleasant as possible. We thanked him for his kindness and civility, and, in return, determined to give him no trouble.
As the English were once in possession of Carthagena, and I may have frequent occasion to mention the operations of the British arms in the Mediterranean, to prevent repetition, I will recite, in as few words as possible, the rise, progress, and conclusion of the War of the Succession.
Sir George Rooke and the Duke of Ormond were sent to Cadiz, in hopes that the Andalusians would declare for Charles: but they refused to acknowledge him; and the English, thinking the town too strong to be carried by force, re-embarked. On their return, Sir George and the Duke, hearing that a squadron of French men of war, with a very valuable convoy, had put into Vigo, determined to attack them; which they executed with the most brilliant success. Ten line-of-battle ships and eleven galleons were taken, and six galleons and five sail of the line, burnt, besides many smaller vessels.
In 1704, the Archduke embarked on board the Confederate Fleet, and, after an unsuccessful attempt on Barcelona, set off for Lisbon, the Portuguese having espoused his cause against Philip. In the mean while, Sir George took Gibraltar, and engaged Count Thoulouse off Malaga. Gibraltar was immediately besieged by the French and Spaniards, but was relieved by Admiral Leake, in 1705, who took a line-of-battle ship, and burnt four more.
Charles again embarked on board our fleet, at Altea Bay, with Lord Peterborough, and the Prince of Hesse Darmstadt. The Prince was repulsed and killed at the assault of Fort Montjuic, at Barcelona; but Lord Peterborough instantly renewed the attack, and carried the fort. The town surrendered soon after. Lord Peterborough marched directly into Valentia, and, in a few months, with scarce six thousand English troops, overrun the greatest part of Spain, and entered Madrid in triumph. His stay there, however, was but short; for he was obliged to return to the assistance of King Charles, who was now besieged in Barcelona, by General Tess?: but, on the Earl's approach, the French General raised the siege with the utmost precipitation, leaving all his baggage, camp equipage, artillery and wounded men behind him. Victory, throughout this campaign, was the constant attendant on the British arms. The town of Alicant was taken by assault; and the citadel surrendered next day. Carthagena having offered to acknowledge Charles, a detachment was sent to secure it. Majorca and Ivica surrendered soon after.
But the eminent services of the Earl of Peterborough not gaining him a proper influence in the Administration, he resigned his command, and was succeeded by Lord Galway, a brave man. But, by the mismanagement of King Charles, his affairs fell into great confusion; and Lord Galway, being obliged to engage the enemy under many disadvantages at Almanza, was entirely defeated. The consequences of this victory gave Philip a decided superiority in Spain.
In the mean while, the Duke of Marlborough having carried all before him in Flanders, and the Duke of Savoy having driven the enemy out of his dominions, it was resolved, that the army under his Highness's command in Italy, assisted by the fleet in the Mediterranean, should besiege Toulon: but the Emperor Joseph, who had succeeded his father Leopold, withdrawing his forces to besiege Naples, and the French making a successful sally, in which they burnt all the batteries, the Allies were obliged to raise the siege.
Nothing remarkable was done in Spain in 1708. Our army was reinforced, and the enemy's distressed by the capture of a large convoy of provisions. Cagliari, the capital, and the whole island of Sardinia, submitted to King Charles; Minorca was taken by General Stanhope, and Naples surrendered to the Emperor.
Next year, Alicant was taken by the enemy. The rock on which the citadel stood, was defended for several months, by Major General Richards, with the most romantic valour, but was at last undermined and blown up. The General, and most of the principal Officers, having purposely exposed themselves, to animate the garrison to stand the threatened shock, were lost in the explosion; but the survivors, under Colonel D'Allon, defended themselves till the British fleet arrived and carried them off.
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