plan, so happily conceived and executed by their enterprising enemies. While, for instance, this farce was enacting in the cabin, the Spanish boats' crews had been handed to the deck below. A party of British seamen then exchanged clothes with them, and, stepping into the Spanish boat, pushed off ; in company with some of the boats belonging to the two frigates, towards three Spanish gun-boats, that lay just without the river leading to the town. The people in the gun-boats, being taken by surprise, were unable to resist the impetuosity of the British boarders, and actually surrendered, without a trigger's being pulled. One boat was No. 31, of 30 oars, carrying one long brass 36-pounder and four swivels, with a complement of 52 men ; and the two others were Nos. 33 and 34, one of 28, the other of 30 oars, each mounting one long 24-pounder and four swivels, with a complement of 50 men. A part of the crews, however, were either not on board, or succeeded in reaching the shore, as only 118 officers and men were brought away.

The capture of the gun-boats being perceived from the shore, and thought rather unaccountable, another felucca-rigged boat, rowing 18 oars, with 21 officers and men, including among them the captain of the port, came off, to know why the boats were detained, and to say that, if they were not immediately restored, the authorities in the town would consider the two frigates as enemies, and act accordingly. Previously to any serious reply to this message, the last-mentioned Spanish officer and his men were handed below. Up to this time the weather had remained perfectly calm, and might account for the frigates not entering the road to anchor ; but now a breeze sprang up that facilitated discovery, and put a stop to all further stratagem.

From the different Spanish officers that had been brought on board, much information was obtained respecting the naval force in the port ; which consisted, by their account, of the 74-gun ships Europa, Magnanime, and San-Pedro-Apostol, and the 34-gun frigate Maria-de-la-Cabeya, all under equipment at the arsenal, but not, for the reasons already mentioned, in a state to put to sea. There were also several gun-boats, all new, coppered, and, to judge from those captured, very well appointed. It appeared, likewise, that the merchant ships Rey-Carlos and Marquesetta, whose reputed rich cargoes had brought the two English frigates to the Philippines, were then lying in the Cavita. The former was supposed to be aground ; and the latter was represented to have re-landed her treasure on the appearance, some days back, of a suspicious vessel, ascertained to have been the 44-gun ship Resistance, Captain Edward Pakenham.

At 4 p.m. Captain Malcolm gave the Spanish officers a good dinner ; and their men were at the same time regaled below with fresh China beef and grog in abundance. The discovery, that the two frigates were enemies, had now extended itself all round

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