Sta. Catalina, I conceive it my duty to communicate my dear-bought observations, which I alluded to in my official letter to your lordship; and as your experience and former services against the Spaniards will enable you to decide on the practicability of obtaining possession of these places, with the whole of the fleet and arsenal, I shall take the liberty to sketch how so great a national object may be accomplished.
“The success of such an enterprise would depend much on promptitude and strict secrecy – no parade of an expedition should appear before Cadiz, nor any neutral ship be permitted to communicate intelligence; but the ships of war, with the troops on board, should make sail from the offing at the close of day, so as to anchor after dark between Rota and San Sebastian; the time that answers best for this, on account of the tide and dark nights, would be on the fifth or sixth day of the moon. Immediately the boats are ready, an advance party should paddle to where the Raven was wrecked, and proceeding under cover of a trench to the western part of Fort Sta. Catalina, escalade it, and get possession of the magazine, but, avoiding the use of powder, rely upon cold steel, until the enemy surrendered the fort, when a signal should be made for the van division to land in the bay to the westward of Port Santa-Maria, march to the northern part of that town, where there is no barrier, and surround the barracks containing the regiment of carbineers, the chosen cavalry of Spain, who, with all people bearing arms, should be secured in the Torre de la Vitoria. To avoid the exposure. of our men by musketry from the houses, and prevent the disorderly conduct and plunder which the English committed in 1704, the troops should take post in an olive ground, which is entrenched, and completely commands the town. After bringing Santa-Maria to terms, a detachment should be sent to secure the bridges of the Guadalete and San-Pedro rivers, and another to take possession of Rota.
“Fort Sta. Catalina is not only of great importance, from being considered the key of the harbour, but from commanding the north shore; consequently the possession of it would secure an anchorage in the bay for the English fleet; and if the means of defence are not much increased before the attack is made, I have no hesitation to declare, that I will undertake, with 250 men, to put your lordship in possession of it; but should any extraordinary preparations on the part of the enemy prevent its being carried by surprise, it may be taken by the van division landing to the westward, and getting a battering train on the height which commands the fort: but this should not detain the troops on their way to Santa-Maria, which it is a great object to get early possession of, in order to cut off all supplies of provisions and fresh water to Cadiz. The rear divisions of the army should land before day-light near Torre-Gorda, or the small river of Arillo. The first object of the rear division should be to secure the post of Suazo bridge, which would not only insure a communication with the van division, but possession of Ysla-de-Leon, the naval arsenal at the Carracas, and Spanish ships there; and as Suazo is