The Wilmingtonian., 1823-11-20

ders,. the Trocadero was safe; yet two
nights afterwards it was taken almost
without resistance, under circumstances
the most humiliating.
! On the night, or rather morning, OF its
capture, about half past two, loud shrek,
''Iing was heard in the streets OF Cadiz, and
women with children in their arms we're
|. running about, exclaiming that they were
j sold, betrayed )" that "the French were at
1.-THE gates" This extraordinary alarm was
! from the circumstance of several boats be-
y ing seen to approach the lsla, close to pur-
!, tales, while by the light of the fire from
1.-the batteries and some gun-brlgs, soldiers
were seen disembarking in great numbers.
. A cry was at the same time heard that the
TrocaderO was taken.
n An immense mob Immediately collect
$ ed, and beset the Government house,
e where the Prime Minister Calavatra, and
v|his colleague Manzanares, were in dellbe-
|, ration. The Ministers soon appeared at
e the window, and spokesman was appoln-
5 ted by the mob. who all remained perfect
'hIIy silent, while he sta ed the object OF their
assembling. He said, they did not come
to disturb or frighten the ministe.s--they
Is came solely for justice-they had heard
THAT the Trocadero was taken; they want.
> led to know whether its capture was owing
Ito treachery, cowardice or neglect. 1t 1t
was owing to any of these causes, they
4. demanded the punishment OF the olfen-
,-lders.
Al The Minister Calatrava answered, that
p all he knew at present was the fact which
! they all knew from report, that the Iro-
v cadero was taken; but the cause of that
1 deplorabe catastrophe he did not know.
70 He would, however, immediately institute
- an inquiry among the soldiers who were
= arriving from that garrison, and would In
,- the morning acquaint them with the re.
10 suit. For the present he babe them in
rs the name of the law to depart to theil
.. homes. The mob cheered him, and i'm
ar mediately dispersed.
{. Calatrava and Manzanares then began
y their inquiry among the soldiers who had
' escaped; and after an investigation which
=. lasted all night, they collected the follow.
3. ing facts 1T appeared thata guard, con
no sisting of Lieutenant and about forty
Nh men, in that part of the fortress which
/ . was most accessible from the canal. The
q men, who had been harrassed with con
GO slant labour for several days, and had no
IL the proper relief, became completely ex
and it is believed fell asleep
About two in the morning, it being ex
no ceedingly dark, the French crossed the
N. canal, having their allies, the Spanish VI
in tras in their front. The noise in some de
ts gree inseparable from the movements o
m. so large body of men, just served tt
" arouse little the attention of the sleepy
garrison but their alarm subsided wher
they heard themselves carelcssly address
ed in the Spanish tongue, with the phras
of Don't disturb yourselves; we are al
friends
So assured, they laid themselves dowr
ed and it was not until after some time tina
he they saw body of men in the garrison
The far outnumbering themselves. They too
pa the alarm; the bugle sounded to arm
and presently body of their friends cam
on up and fired, but being addressed in Spar
ed, ish by their opponents, who asked them
oy. affected astonishment how they could fir
'ly on their comrades they became cmba
alb rassed, and in an instant the confusio
the was rendered incurable by the arrival Of
lis large bod Y of French troops. Thus in til
ith confusion, resistance was impossible, an
nglthe French with scarcely any loss, too
of the fortress.
ut, When the mob met the next day befol
ent Caatrava's house, he told them this sfor
the adding that the lieutenant through who's
mi negligence this fatal event had happene
ar had been killed by the first shot; the mt
then quietly dispersed. Besides the goo
disposition Of the inhabitants of Cadiz,
/. the militia at Madrid, who were staunt
th to man, and Of the regular troops wi
sht had given no ground for suspicion, the
md were other circumstances which, to ou
S is ward appearance, gave hopes that Cad
ure would hold out, at least for month
as-ltwo.
1t The town was amply supplied with pl
ge- visions: before the taking of Santi Pet
i'm the passage from Gibraltar to Cadiz W
lin performed with such ease and with so !
t OF tie risk, that the rate of insurance seldo
un- exceeded Ia and never 8 per cent.
S Of Even after the taking of Santi Petr, o
the ing party to a change in the winds, a
lsti- chiefly to the extremely bad seamensf
y to of the French vessels, could 60 in and G
sa- of the harbour of Cadiz with scarcely a
" oiIrisk. And vet with all these advantas