of the Spanish arms. Notwithstanding the conqueft of the Moro, the city held out till the 13th of Auguft; when the Governor capitulated, on condition of being allowed to march out with all the honors of war, and to have, with his whole garrison, a free and unmolefted conveyance to Spain. In the capitulation were included twelve line-of-battle fhips then lying in the harbour of the Havanna; great quantities of ammunition and warlike ftores likewife fell into the hands of the victors, whơ found in the city prodigious quantities of merchandize of various kinds and an immenfe treasure in fpecie. This therefore was a blow, which, at the very commencement of the war, ftruck deep into the vitals of the Spanish power.

No fooner was the intelligence of the Spanish war conveyed to the Eaft Indies, than an armament fpeedily equipped, under the conduct of Admiral Cornish and Sir William Draper, failed from Madras, destined against Luconia, the principal of the Philippine Islands, of which the chief city is Manilla, whence two large fhips are fent annually across the Pacific Ocean to Acapulco, on the coaft of Mexico, laden with the fpices, filks, and other precious products of India.

On the 23d of September 1762 the whole armament, having on board a land force, including Lafcars, Sepoys, and other irregular troops, amounting to about two thoufand five hundred men, anchored

anchored in the Bay of Manilla, where they excited great and general alarm. After effecting a landing with little lofs, the city was fummoned to furrender; but the Marquis de Villa Medina, the Governor, returned a refolute refufal. The English were far from being in a condition to form a complete investment of the city, which was of great extent and strongly fortified. The quarter which the General determined to attack was defended by the bastions of St. Diego and St. Andrew, a ravelin, a wet foffe thirty yards in breadth, a covered way, and a glacis. At the beginning of October the weather grew very ftormy and tempeftuous; notwithstanding which the befiegers carried on their works with unintermitted ardor. A furious. fally was on the 4th made from the town before day-break, in which the regular troops of the forts were reinforced by a strong body of the native Indians, armed only with bows and lances, who fought with astonishing perfeverance-advancing to the very muzzles of the English mufquets, and with wild and favage ferocity biting the bayonets even in the agonies of death. They were finally repulfed with great lofs; and the works being by this time much damaged, a refolution was taken to ftorm the town.

Though no offer of capitulation had been made, the garrison seemed ill prepared to sustain an affault, and the English penetrated into the very VOL. I.

F

centre

centre of the city with little oppofition. The Governor retiring into the citadel, the town was expofed for fome hours to all the horrors of a general pillage. At length, the citadel being in no condition of defence, the Marquis de Villa Medina, the Archbishop of Manilla, and the officers of the garrison, surrendered themselves prifoners of war; at the fame time propofing a capitulation to fave the city from total deftruction. After fome difcuffion, a ransom of four millions of dollars was offered and accepted. The port and citadel of Cavite, with the islands and fortreffes depending on the Government of Manilla, being included in the capitulation, the whole force of the English scarcely fufficed to garrison their conquests.

Intelligence being received of the expected arrival of an Acapulco fhip, the Admiral fent the Panther and Argo fhips of war in queft of her, who fell in with the Santa Trinidada, bound for Mexico, pierced for fixty guns, with merchandise on board to the amount of three millions of dollars. This was not the only register-fhip taken in the course of this war from the Spaniards-the St. Hermione, from 'Lima to Cadiz, being captured by two British frigates cruizing off Cape St. Vincent. Her cargo was estimated at one million fterling, being fuppofed the richest prize ever brought into the harbors of Britain.

Amongst the military and naval achievements

of

of the present year, it may be proper transiently to notice the recovery of the town and fort of St. John, in the island of Newfoundland (fome months before furprised and furrendered to the French), by Lord Colville and Colonel Amherst, who, failing from the harbor of Halifax, by their spirited exertions anticipated the effect of an armament fitted out exprefsly for this purpose at Portsmouth.

6

It will now be proper to resume the long neglected narration of the civil and domeftic trans actions of Great Britain. On the refignation of Mr. Pitt, the entire direction of affairs was veftedtoure in the Earl of Bute, who enjoyed the favor, affection, and confidence of the Sovereign, in a degree which no Minister fince the Earl of Clarendon in hims

.t

the zenith of his power had poffeffed. He had not, however, as yet attained the fummit of his ambition. The Duke of Newcastle still held the high and pre-eminent office of Firft Commiffioner of the Treasury, but this poft the FAVORÍTE NOW thought he might fafely affume. The Duke of Newcastle, therefore, at the latter end of May 1762, the Seffion of Parliament being nearly clofed, received an intimation that his refignation was expected. His Grace was informed, that the King purpofed, in confideration of his paft fervices, to grant him an ample and adequate penfion. But the Duke, whofe generofity bordered upon negligence and profufion, nobly replied, "that if he could

F 2

could no longer be permitted to ferve his country, he was at leaft determined not to be a burden to it."

The difmiffion of this nobleman, who had been ever diftinguished for the zeal and fidelity of his attachment to the House of Hanover, and who had impaired his fortune and devoted his life to the fupport of that cause in which he had been from his early youth engaged, excited extreme indignation in the breafts of the whole Whig party, amongst whom his fteadiness, affability and difinterestedness made him, notwithstanding the mediocrity of his talents, exceedingly popular. It was thought a complication of levity and ingratitude thus to discard an old and faithful fervant, who in the courfe of nature could not be expected long to trouble any competitor; and it discovered fuch an impatience in the new Minister to engrofs an abfolute monopoly of power, as gave countenance to fufpicions of deep and dangerous defigns. The Duke, who had been treated with a flattering degree of perfonal attention, or at least with a respectful decorum and civility, fo long as his name was deemed neceffary by the projectors of the new fyftem, appeared himself highly to resent the rude and compulfive mode of his difmiffion and he hesitated not again to connect himself with Mr. Pitt, for many years his alternate rival and affociate; with whom he had never indeed entered