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182 SONGS AND BALLADS
With Lestock Commodore, we made our cannons roar, And two-and-twenty frigates besides : Thirty ships of the line, a sight very fine, Before Carthageen at anchor to ride.
Bocachica Castle first we took,
Which made the Spaniards blue to look;
That being of the largest force,
The other six did fall of course :
With our cannons and bombs we dismounted their guns,
And our colours did on their Castles raise:
Then toss off a glass, and about let it pass,
To Admiral Vernon's and Ogle's praise.
For twelve hours' space we bombarded the town,
Before we brought their proud spirits down;
We fir'd so smart that they thought we were mad,
At length to surrender they were glad.
We did so cannonade, and such breaches we made,
And many of their houses set in a flame ;
They did submit to fate, and the town surrendered]
To Admiral Vernon, the scourge of Spain.
The Shrewsbury she did suffer most,
And many of her sailors were lost;
Her cable broke, on the Castles she drove,
And there expected she would have stove;
But kind Providence stood in her defence :
Much shatter'd at last she clear'd her way.
Her jolly sailors bold, those noble hearts of gold,
All the time shew'd the Spaniards gallant play.
Don Blass with six ships in the harbour lay, And soon we shew'd him British play; We made that proud and hectoring Don Coward-like from his ship to run ; Tho' his ship he forsook, two captains we took And unto England brought them home; Let th' insulting foe and proud Don know Vernon can conquer wherever he comes.
Six galleons did there remain, Which by our fleet were burnt or ta'en : And tho' their treasure was on shore Yet we found a sufficient store; |
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