The enemy’s principal objects of attack are recorded to have been the King’s Bastion, and the line of fortifications extending to the north of the Orange Bastion. To silence the former important post, they employed their largest ships, while the others endeavoured to effect a breach in the curtain extending to Montague’s Bastion. Had they succeeded in this attempt, their grenadiers, it is said, were to have stormed the garrison under cover of the combined fleets. The prisoners inveighed against their officers for having described the floating batteries as invulnerable, and promised that ten sail of the line should support them, as well as all the gun and mortar boats. They had been led to believe that the garrison would not be able to discharge many rounds of hot balls; their astonishment, therefore, was very great, when they found them discharged with as much ease and regularity as cold shot. The loss sustained by the Spaniards was never officially made known; but a moderate estimate puts it at 2000 killed, wounded, and taken prisoners. On the other hand, the casualties of the garrison were very few, and it is surprising that so tremendous a cannonade should have entailed so small a loss of life. The number of the killed was sixteen only; eighteen officers, sergeants, and rank and file were wounded. The damage done to the fortifications was equally inconsiderable, and, by the activity of the artillery, the whole of the sea-line, before night on the 14th, was repaired and put in complete order.
While the garrison could bring to bear no more than 80 cannon, 7 mortars, and 9 howitzers, the enemy employed no fewer than 328 pieces of heavy ordnance. The English gunners expended upwards of 8300 rounds, more than half of which were hot shot, and 716 barrels of powder. Of the quantity of ammunition wasted by the enemy, we possess no particulars. The following is given by Drinkwater as a correct list of those unfortunate battering-ships which so fatally belied the hopes of their inventors:[3]—
The Pastora: 21 guns in use, 10 in reserve, 760 men,—Rear-Admiral Buonaventura Moreno.
The Tailla Piedra: 21 guns in use, 10 in reserve, 760 men,—Prince of Nassau-Sieghen.
The Paula Prima: 21 guns in use, 10 in reserve, 760 men,—Don Gayetana Langara.
El Rosario: 19 guns in use, 10 in reserve, 700 men,—Don Francisco Xavier Munos.
The San Christoval: 18 guns in use, 10 in reserve 650 men,—Don Frederico Gravino.
The Principe Carlos: 11 guns in use, 4 in reserve, 400 men,—Don Antonio Basurta.
The San Juan: 9 guns in use, 4 in reserve, 340 men,—Don Joseph Angeler.