centre-arch was demolished, and a draw-bridge constructed in its place: the south parapet-wall was pierced with seventeen embrasures for heavy guns to enfilade the Rio-de-Sancti-Petri to the right.
Close to the western end of the Puente-de-Suazos[errata 1] is the commencement of the town called La-Isla, between which and the isthmus there were two strong redoubts, both on the high road, and very judiciously situated. There were likewise some exceedingly well executed field-works, erected chiefly by the British, on the heights to the southward of LaIsla, and these might have been found useful, had the enemy made any serious attack. About two miles and a quarter beyond the westernmost of the above mentioned redoubts, and at nearly the same distance from the land front of the Cadiz fortifications, a new work called the Castillo-de-San-Fernando extends across the isthmus, from the inner harbour to the sea. The exterior side of its principal front measures 260 yards, and is composed of two small demi-bastions, a curtain, a wide dry-ditch, a covert-way with a place of arms in the centre, and an extensive glacis. The height of the walls measures, exclusive of the parapets, generally about twenty-two feet; the parapets of the front, across the high road, are twenty feet thick; and twenty-one heavy guns, in the curtain, enfilade the line of approach from La-Isla, which narrow causeway was at the same time flanked by a Spanish flotilla of gun and mortar-boats, under the command of Admiral Valdez, a patriotic officer, who had fought with great bravery at Trafalgar, but who is now an exile from his ungrateful country, and a resident of the British metropolis. The regular troops collected in the island of Leon, consisted of 4000 British and Germans, under Lieutenant-General Graham (now Lord Lynedoch); 16,500 Spaniards; and the 20th Portuguese regiment, about 1,400 strong.
As it became necessary to thin the over-crowded anchorage, and to remove, beyond the reach of danger, such of the Spanish men-of-war as were either inefficient, or not required for the defence of the place, Sir Richard Keats caused several
Errata:
- ↑ Correction: Puente-de-Suazos should be amended to Puente-de-Suazo
