In February a vague report is published to the effect that Admiral Vernon with a body of troops had made a descent upon the island of Cuba, and taken a post defended by twelve pieces of cannon.

Then, on March 13th, arrived the great news that the admiral with six ships had taken Porto Bello on the 21st of November preceding, upon which all England went wild with excitement, although the action had been in truth almost a bloodless one. There were six ships engaged, viz.: the "Burford" (70), the flag-ship; the "Hampton Court" (70), the "Princess Louisa" (60), "Worcester" (60). "Strafford" (60), and "Norwich" (50). There were three killed and three wounded on board the flag-ship, and the "Worcester" had the same. One man was wounded on board the "Hampton Court." and two soldiers were wounded in the landing, one mortally. The "Princess Louisa" lost her main-topgallantmast.

The admiral's report was brought to England by Captain Rentone, who had distinguished himself in the action, and was put in command of a snow captured in the port to bring the news "express."

The report of the operations is in the usual form, giving an account of the conduct of officers, the articles of capitulation, the capture of guarda costas, the mining and destruction of the forts, the release of some factors of the South Sea Company held as prisoners by the Spaniards, and a sort of bird's-eye view and chart of the place, showing the vessels enveloped in a cloud of smoke, and the forts the same. The editor of the magazine gives an account of Porto Bello, which will show, he says, of how much importance it was to the Spaniards:

"Porto Bello is on the North Side of the famous Isthmus of America, commonly call'd the Isthmus of Darien, which running in a manner from East to West, between the North and South Seas, joins the two vast continents of North and South America. It is about 18 leagues from Panama, which lies on the South Side of said Isthmus. Porto Bello is a very fair, large and commodious Harbour, affording good Anchoring and good Shelter for Ships, having a narrow mouth, and spreading wider within. How it was fortify'd and defended, may sufficiently appear from the brave Exploits of Admiral Vernon. At the Bottom of the Harbour lies the Town, bending along the Shore like a Half-moon. It is long and narrow, having two principal Streets. besides those that go across; with a small Parade about the Middle of it, surrounded with pretty fair Houses. The Town lies open to the Country, and at the East End of it, where the Road to Panama goes out (because of Hills that lie to the Southward of the Town, and obstruct the direct Passage), there lies a long Stable running North and South from the Town, to which it joins. This is the King's stable for the Mules that are employed in the Road betwixt

this and Panama. Porto Bello is an unhealthy Place (tho' not so bad as Nombre de Dios, where the Business transacted at Porto Bello was formerly carried on). The East Side is low and swampy, and the Sea at low-water leaves the Shore within the Harbour bare, a great way from the Houses: which having a black filthy Mud, it stinks very much, and breeds noisome Vapours thro' the heat of the climate, it lying in the 10th Degree of North Latitude. For this Reason it is but thinly peopled, tho' in the Time of the Trade there were more people than are to be seen in any place in all South America at one Time. For what this place was particularly fam'd for, is the Spanish Galloons coming thither yearly from Old Spain. When they are near the Coast, Notice is given by an Advice-Boat to the place they are before, that the Fleet is coming: Immediately Posts are sent to Carthagena, Panama, Lima in Peru, etc., to give Notice, and to hasten the King's Treasure. After which it was wonderful to see in how short a Time and with what Quantities of Money and Goods the Merchants flock'd from all Parts to Porto Bello. Immediately there was not a Lodging or a Warehouse to be had for Money, and a Garret able to hold but a Bed and some Chests of Money would cost 50 Crowns Rent, but for 20 Days Use of it. The Indian merchants (of whom there are many, and some very wealthy) set up Tents and Hammocks, and encamp'd without the Town. Great Numbers of Periaguas and Canoos, and also Sloops and Barks, us'd to come down the Rio Chagre, and bring their Goods that way by Water, which is but a little from Porto Bello to the West. But the Plate, or Gold and Silver, us'd to be carried all the Way by Land upon Mules (some say 2000) from Panama to Porto Bello. When the Galloons unloaded the Fair began; and 'twas a surprising Sight to see, that in less than 20 Days the Trade would rise to such a Height that the Galloons would take 20 or 25 Millions of Pieces of Eight on Board, beside the Quantity of Cochineal, Indico, etc., loaded afterwards; and all dispatch'd with the greatest Order and Ease imaginable, the Consignments all regular, the Money duly register'd, with the Marks and Numbers distinct and all settled: And in a Month now the Ships set Sail, and the place began to look empty again as it was before. The Method was for the Galloons to return to Carthagena and from thence to sail to the Havana in the Island of Cuba to meet the Flota from Vera Cruz, in order to proceed together thro' the Gulf of Florida for Old Spain. This is not the first time that Porto Bello was taken by the English, for Sir Francis Drake took it in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, and Sir Henry Morgan in 1668."

We are also informed that "by the blowing up the Forts at the Harbour of Porto Bello 'twill be in the Power of Great Britain, by

sending only a 20 Gun Ship once in 2 months from Jamaica, easily to prevent the Spaniards from fortifying or rendering the Harbour of any Service to them for the future."

And now let us see what "our own correspondent" had to say about Porto Bello. It is very evident that he was not afforded “facilities" for sending his letter by the snow which bore the dispatches, and which took about ninety days in getting home; for it is not until the April number of the magazine that we have a letter from “Mr. Wm. Richardson, who was on board the 'Burford' at the Taking of Porto Bello." His account is quite graphic, and worthy of a correspondent of later days:

"On the auspicious 5th of November last, we weighed Anchor, and sailed from Jamaica for Porto Bello. The 'Burford,' Admiral Vernon; the 'Hampton Court,' Commodore Brown; the 'Louisa,' Captain Waterhouse; the 'Strafford,' Captain Trevor; the 'Worcester,' Captain Main; and the 'Norwich,' Captain Herbert; being 2 of 70, 3 of 60, and 1 of 50 Guns." We may remark that each of the 70-gun ships carried about 500 men; the 60's had 400, and the 50-gun ship a complement of 300.

seen.

"On the 21st in the afternoon, we came up ith Porto Bello Harbour. The town is situate in the Bottom of a Bay, above a Mile deep, and near half a Mile broad at the Mouth of the Harbour, where a strong Castle and Fort stood on the Side of a steep Rock, with 300 Men, and 100 great Guns, called the Iron Castle. On the opposite Side, but about a Mile farther up, stood Castle Gloria, larger than the other, having 400 Men, and 120 Guns, most of them the largest ever This was also situate on the Side of a high Rock, and under the Cannon of it, and of Fort St. Hieronymo, which was a strong Battery nearly opposite; all the Ships belonging to the Harbour rode at Anchor. On the Iron Castle the Spaniards hoisted up the Flag of Defiance; and, as we were told by themselves afterwards, they wish'd earnestly for our attempting to come in, as believing they could sink us all immediately; but said, they found we were only making a second Bastimento Expedition, and would not give them the Pleasure of engaging us.

"But they were soon gratify'd in their Wishes; for the 'Hampton Court' made directly opposite to the Castle, being in the Van; and, as the Wind had died away, she dropp'd her Anchor before it, receiving a very brisk Fire from the Spaniards at the Distance of little. more than a cable's length. She soon convinced them that she was both willing and able to return it, for in about 25 Minutes she fir'd above 400 Shot against the Castle; so that nothing was to be seen but Fire and Smoke on both Sides. The 'Norwich' then came up

next, who met with the same Reception; and altho' she did not fire quite so quick as the 'Hampton Court,' yet we could observe that.her Shot was so well aim'd as to put the Spaniards a good deal off their Metal, hardly returning her one gun for three. In 28 Minutes the 'Worcester' got up also, who anchoring close by the other two, did no small Execution against the Castle, in a little Time knocking down the higher Part of it, and driving many of the Spaniards from their Guns.

"We made all the Sail possible, and came before the Castle with the Blue Flag at our Fore-Top-Mast Head, and the Bloody Flag at the Main-Top-Mast Head, in 20 Minutes after the 'Worcester.' The Admiral, whose Conduct and Courage is hardly to be parallel'd, order'd our Anchor to be dropp'd within half a Cable's Length of the Castle, as being resolv'd to convince them we were no Way afraid of all they could do. Notwithstanding they had discharg'd very few Guns for some Minutes before we came up; yet, as if they had resolv'd to summon up all their Courage against the Flag, they welcom'd us with a terrible Volley, which, being at so short a Distance, took Place with almost every Shot. One struck away the stern of our Barge; another broke a large Gun upon our upper Deck; a third went thro' our Fore-Top-Mast; and a fourth, passing thro' the Arning within two inches of our Main-Mast, broke down the Barricado of our Quarter Deck, very near the Admiral, and kill'd 3 Men in a Moment, wounding 5 others which stood by them. This look'd as if we should have bloody Work, but was far from discouraging our brave Fellows, (who in every Ship were so zealous as hardly to be restrain'd from firing,) for we return'd their Salute in such a Manner, that altho' they fired a Shot now and then, yet they never did us the least Damage afterwards. We drove them from all their lower Guns the first Broad Side; and by a Spring upon our Cable, bringing about our Starboard Guns, we gave them another in 3 Minutes, and so on for 6 or 7 Rounds, which made them quite sick of the Affair, and we could observe them flying for Refuge into the Ambuscades. The Admiral, taking advantage of this Remission, order'd out the Boats with our third Lieutenant Mr. Broderick, and about 40 Sailors, as also a Company of Marines and their Officers, whom he commanded to land under the Fire of our Guns in the very Front of the lower Battery; and making a Signal for two other Ships to follow the Example, they all landed safe but 2 soldiers, who were killed by the Small Guns from the Castle. One man set himself close under an Embrassier whilst another climb'd upon his shoulders and enter'd under the Mouth of a Great Gun. This so dismay'd the Spaniards, that they threw down their Arms and fled to the Top of the Castle; from

whence scaling backwards, we could see them run into the Woods by hundreds, and fly for their Lives. All the Boats Crews were on the Platform in three Minutes after landing, and struck the Spanish Flag of Defiance, hoisting the English colours."

Another "correspondent" says that when Captain Downing, who commanded the shore party, wanted to halt the men at this juncture, to get them into some kind of order, the headmost seaman sang out, "with a great oath," "Never let us Halt before we are Lame, Captain!"-on which followed a grand huzza, and the upper batteries were stormed. If there had been any real defense, the captain might have regretted giving way to the headlong dash of his sailors. "The Capitano and Officers which were taken in the Castle shut themselves up in a strong Lodgement; but upon our Lieutenant's firing a Gun or two thro' the Door, they quickly open'd it, and begg'd Quarter. Thus the Iron Castle was taken by four English Ships (for the 'Louisa' and 'Strafford' were not come up) in two Hours, which, in the Hands of so many Englishmen, might have been defended against all the Naval Force of Spain. The Gloria and Hyeronymo Forts kept firing towards us all the Time of Action, but most of their Shot fell short, or flew over our Rigging. After we had got Possession of the Iron Castle, we tried to reach them with our lower Deck Guns, and could observe, that in a few Minutes we were so fortunate, as to have struck down their Flag-Staff at the Gloria Castle, and beat down several Houses in the Town: we also sunk a Sloop near Fort St. Hyeronymo and the Gloria. The Contest lasting till night, put an End to the Engagement; when it was resolved in full Council, that as there was no Wind, every Ship should warp up to the Fortifications, and come to Action as soon as possible in the Morning; but just as we began to move about Break of Day, we observed a Boat coming towards us with a Flag of Truce and Terms of Capitulation, viz., that the Government would deliver up all the Fortifications, provided they might be allow'd to march out with the Honours of War; have an Indemnity for themselves, the Town, and the Inhabitants; and be permitted to enjoy all the Ships in the Harbour. This last alone was rejected; for the Admiral resolved to have all the Ships, being the very Ships which had done our Merchants all the Injuries complain'd of in these Coasts; as also the English Factors and Effects of the South-Sea Company, deliver'd up to us." We may here remark the South Sea shares, which had been at 94, went up to 1021⁄2 after the receipt of the news of the capture of Porto Bello.

"They readily complied, and we took Possession of the Ships and Forts accordingly. In the Gloria we found 120 Guns, 200 Small Arms and Blunderbusses, as many Swords, 200 Barrels of Powder.