Рудольф Распе – The Surprising Adventures of Baron Munchausen (страница 12)

of the sun, and loading ourselves with necessaries from the stores on

board, we set out to recover our lost ground, and found, by the nearest

calculation, we had been carried over garden-walls, and a variety of

enclosures, above one hundred and fifty miles. In four days, after a

very tiresome journey on foot, with thin shoes, we reached the river,

which was now confined to its banks, related our adventures to a boy,

who kindly accommodated all our wants, and sent us forward in a barge

of his own. In six days more we arrived at Alexandria, where we

took shipping for Constantinople. I was received kindly by the Grand

Seignior, and had the honour of seeing the Seraglio, to which his

highness introduced me himself.

CHAPTER X

_Pays a visit during the siege of Gibraltar to his old friend General

Elliot – Sinks a Spanish man-of-war – Wakes an old woman on the African

coast – Destroys all the enemy’s cannon; frightens the Count d’Artois,

and sends him to Paris – Saves the lives of two English spies with the

identical sling that killed Goliath; and raises the siege._

During the late siege of Gibraltar I went with a provision-fleet, under

Lord Rodney’s command, to see my old friend General Elliot, who has, by

his distinguished defence of that place, acquired laurels that can never

fade. After the usual joy which generally attends the meeting of old

friends had subsided, I went to examine the state of the garrison,

and view the operations of the enemy, for which purpose the General

accompanied me. I had brought a most excellent refracting telescope with

me from London, purchased of Dollond, by the help of which I found the

enemy were going to discharge a thirty-six pounder at the spot where we

stood. I told the General what they were about; he looked through

the glass also, and found my conjectures right. I immediately, by

his permission, ordered a forty-eight pounder to be brought from a

neighbouring battery, which I placed with so much exactness (having long

studied the art of gunnery) that I was sure of my mark.

I continued watching the enemy till I saw the match placed at the

touch-hole of their piece; at that very instant I gave the signal for

our gun to be fired also.

About midway between the two pieces of cannon the balls struck each

other with amazing force, and the effect was astonishing! The enemy’s

ball recoiled back with such violence as to kill the man who had

discharged it, by carrying his head fairly off, with sixteen others

which it met with in its progress to the Barbary coast, where its force,

after passing through three masts of vessels that then lay in a line

behind each other in the harbour, was so much spent, that it only broke

its way through the roof of a poor labourer’s hut, about two hundred

yards inland, and destroyed a few teeth an old woman had left, who lay

asleep upon her back with her mouth open. The ball lodged in her throat.

Her husband soon after came home, and endeavoured to extract it; but

finding that impracticable, by the assistance of a rammer he forced

it into her stomach. Our ball did excellent service; for it not only

repelled the other in the manner just described, but, proceeding as I

intended it should, it dismounted the very piece of cannon that had just

been employed against us, and forced it into the hold of the ship, where

it fell with so much force as to break its way through the bottom. The

ship immediately filled and sank, with above a thousand Spanish sailors

on board, besides a considerable number of soldiers. This, to be sure,

was a most extraordinary exploit; I will not, however, take the whole

merit to myself; my judgment was the principal engine, but chance

assisted me a little; for I afterwards found, that the man who charged

our forty-eight pounder put in, by mistake, a double quantity of powder,

else we could never have succeeded so much beyond all expectation,

especially in repelling the enemy’s ball.

General Elliot would have given me a commission for this singular

piece of service; but I declined everything, except his thanks, which I

received at a crowded table of officers at supper on the evening of that

very day.

As I am very partial to the English, who are beyond all doubt a brave

people, I determined not to take my leave of the garrison till I had