were compelled, not only to fly in their turn, but to relinquish the battery which their valour had won, and which a moderate share of discretion would have enabled them to hold, until, at least, its guns were carried off or destroyed.

The loss of the combined forces in this unfortunate attack was severe ; particularly on the part of the British, whose returns exhibited a list of 20 killed, 90 wounded, and 98 missing ; more than two-thirds of the number which they had brought to the attack. Among the wounded prisoners was, unfortunately, the Governor of Toulon himself, according to whose excellent plan the attack had been made. General O'Hara did not, however, ascend to the battery, until he knew it was in the possession of his friends ; and, on witnessing the disorder of the troops, could not refrain from using his efforts to rally them. In attempting this he was wounded. Two soldiers supported him, until the bleeding of his wound, which otherwise was not dangerous, induced the general to order them to, quit him, and save themselves. General Dugommier was himself wounded in the knee: what other loss the French sustained in this affair does not appear.

No sooner had the last expected reinforcement joined the republicans, than a council of war decided that a general attack should be forthwith made upon the fortifications and town of Toulon.* The report of deserters that the French force amounted, early in December, to between 40,000 and 50,000 men, was probably within, rather than beyond the truth : while, on the other hand, what with casualties and sickness, the combined forces could not assemble 11,000 firelocks ; and two-thirds of these, as stated before, were distributed along a line of defence 15 miles in extent.

On the night of the 14th, in the midst of a storm, the French marched from their encampments in three columns, each column taking a route leading to a different point of the line of posts; so that their attacks might be simultaneous. By 2 a.m. on the 16th the besiegers had erected five batteries in front of Fort Mulgrave, and continued to bombard the works, with considerable effect, until 2 a.m. on the 17th ; when, in the midst of dark and tempestuous weather, they succeeded in entering the fort by the Spanish side, and, after an obstinate, but fruitless resistance, on the part of the few surviving British, headed by Captain Conolly of the 18th regiment, † compelled the remnant of the garrison (originally not more than 700) to retire towards the shore of Balaguier.

While these operations were going on in this quarter, the column under General Lapoype succeeded in forcing all the posts upon the mountain of Pharon. Thus was the line of defence