The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1889-01-17

greedlly sought after and devourcd by
the famished inhabitants. Bread was
becoming so sclree that the daily rations
were served out under protection Of
qua d, and the weak, tho aged and the
intrm, who could not struggle against
the hungry, impetuous crowd that
thronged the doors Of the bakeries, often
returned to their homes robbed of their
shaye.
At last after a year Of misery, the
English itet sailed into the bay and
landed pro isions, but soon left, and 1t
was not long before the brave little gar
rson was On starN ation lat ons again.
But after the lapse of another twelve
months the rit sh Get once moe came
to Its aid, but only saved the garrison
from starvation to plunge it into the ter.
rors of u bombardment, for the besieg
ers had de,e m ned that the Eock should
be captured at the lannon's mouth.
Enormous batteries, mounting 40
guns and 50 mor,ars, had been planted
along the shore, and now (lefore the
English sh ps could | e unladen OF their
stores was opened all around the bay q
feu d'enfer, which was kept up
for six weeks. Only two hours
out of the twenty-four was there
any cessation, aad that for sim
gular reason. National customs must
rule in war as in peace. The Spaniards
began their iiIe at dsybreak and con-
tinued it without in ermission till noon.
Then suddenly it ceased and the camp
of the besiegers relapsed INTO silence,
for that the GERS, if not the men, we're
asleep What Spanish gentleman, the
writer remarks, could be deprived of his
siesta2 At O'clock precisely they woke
up and went to fighting again. At
nightfall the cannon ceased, but the
mortars (which did not need to be
med with precision, and, therefore,
could be fired in darkness as we'll as in
daylight opened their larger throats,
and kept up the roar till day
break. Thus, excepting only the
time of the siesta, there was not
an hour of day or night that the
Rock did not echo with tremendous
on fire and completely destroyed. There
was no safety anywhere, not even in the
classmates. If a bombproof wi'hstood
falling shell, it would sometimes explode
at the open door, wouuding those within.
Men were killed sleeping in their beds.
The scene at night was more terrible
than by day. as the shells were more
clearly seen in their deadly track.
Bus in the midst of the horrors of
the situation General Elliott was calm,
and by his wonderful personality kept
courage in the breasts of his men. He
even went so far as to make daring mid
night sortie upon the enemies works
and catching them by surprise, burned
in few hours what represented millions
of money and the labors of months.
And now it was that the besiegers
decided upon bold plan of attack
which it was calculated would capture
the Rock in short order. A fleet OF es-
pecially constructed vessels was equipped
at much pa ms and expense and anchored
within half mile of the garrison. AS
soon as the steady rain of solid shot
should break an opening in the wall a
corps Of French erenadiers would scale
the Notifications and drive the garrison
into the sea. The decisive day had come,
and from sunrise until well past night
fall the guns of the feet poured ter
riic fire into the fortress, while the
cannon on the Rock rained a ceaseless
shower upon the fleet. At last the red
hot shot from Eliott's guns set the
French Admiral's flagship on fire, and
soon half dozen vessels were blazing
fiercely. Panic seized the fleet and the
sailors leaped into the sea. At this
moment the brave English soldiers who
had stood at their guns all day put off
from the Rock in rowboats, and at the
peril of their lives from the exploding
ships, picked up their terrified and
drowning enemies. That day demon
strated the impossibility of capturing
Gibraltar while Elliott was in charge of
the garrison, and it was not long before
England, France and Spain signed a
treaty of peace and the great gates of
the fortress once more swung open for
the first time in those terrible four
I veara