ABSTRACT
The English never ceased to continually batter the fortress, but with little result, because the bastions were hewn out of rocks and the parapets very thick; because of this, they despaired of entering it by assault, and thought it impossible both by reason of the height of the walls as by the [extra-?] ordinary vigilance and valour with which it was defended; they therefore resolved to demolish the bastion of “Sanctiago” by driving a mine through the moat which had been heedlessly and obstinately left uncleared, and continuing with the one which had already been ruined, they drove it nearer the sea, with the water up to their knees, and reached as far as the foot of the bastion, strengthening it so that it should not be again destroyed by our artillery fire; they then pierced it half-way up with another one which they made leading to a big hole in which they placed a barrel of gunpowder, blocking up the rest very firmly with stone and lime so that the force of the explosion should not be expended backwards, leaving a touch-hole through which to fire the mine.
