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.
LETTER II.
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.[[1]]