THere is just now gone off, one Captain Bowles, with an Express from Major General Kirk to the Court, giving an Account of the posture of Affairs here. Left you should have an Im­perfect Relation, and (because I know you to be curious in this particular) I have, by the same Hand, sent you a short Journal of our Adventures since we Arrived before this place.

We will not trouble you with the tediousness of our Voyage, nor thro' what difficulties we past the Garrisons on the Sea-Coas;t, before we Wea­ther'd this point. As soon as we cast Anchor in the Mouth of the Lough, a Council of War was call'd what to determine, finding the Bombs so strong, and the River so narrow that it was im­possible for us to make any nearer Approach. That day we lay off, and at Night sent a Diver into the Town, who Informing the Garrison of our Arrival, was to set up a Signal on the Church-Steeple, to give us an account of the State of the Garrison, which the next day we accordingly Discover'd with our Prospective-Glass to be in a good Pos;ture. At Night our Messenger swims back with the s;ame success he went, altho' the River was so narrow in some places, that he was many times within Pistol s;hot of the Banks, which were well-lin'd all along with Canon and Small-shot. We expected they had desir'd our Relief into the Town, and that they had put us upon some Ex­pedition to attempt our Landing, when on the contrary, the Governour sent us word, that they had no need of our Succours, the Garison being 13000 able yet to Defend themselves, and had Provision enough for Two Months; and desir'd, that if the Major General had not positive Com­mands from the King to come in, that he might run no hazzard to get a shore, but rather keep out beyond the reach of the Enemies Canon, till being reinforc'd by the Regiments coming to his Assistance, he might make a more Prosperous At­tempt by Land, where there were 10000 Scotch ready to joyn with us, and the Garrison of Lon­don-Derry to Sally out if there should be any Opposition of the Enemy betwixt us.

This same Messenger brought us an Account of a small Salley from the Garrison some Nights before, in which they had taken a great many Horses, an Hundred of which they Kill'd and Barrelled up, in cas;e, after Two Months time, the Garrison should be put to any Extremities for want of Provision. This Inspir'd the Enemy with the hopes they would soon Surrender; and King James himself gave it out in Dublin, that the Be­sieged had lived on Horse-Flesh a Fortnight, and that it was impossible but that they must in a few days Surrender. The Besiegers thereupon make their Approaches nearer the Town; but the Governour, Collonel Walker (which he had a a long time before design'd) having made himself Master of the Wind-Mill-Hill, put a stop to their Carreer.

This Important Place is within three quarters of a Mile of the Town, where the Governour with a considerable Army Intrenched himself, and within four Nights made a sharp and vigorous Sally upon the Enemy, in which (they s;ay) were kill'd some hundreds of the French and Irish; Colonel O Connors whole Regiment being cut off to 15 Men, and Frogmorton the Lieute­nant-Colonel.

Our Diver is again sent ashore, who returns the next Night with the same prosperous Ac­count of the good State of the Garrison; That there was yet no want of Men, Ammunition, or Provision, only of Arms. The adjacent Scotch (who were disarmed by the Irish, having had a great many out of the Garrison, besides Eighteen thousand lately sent out of Scotland, to be distri­buted amongst the Protestants. Major General Kirk upon this made an Assay to Land Ten thou­sand Arms; but finding some Difficulty in the Attempt, and not willing to lose so Valuable a Treasure, took them again on Board, where he might more safely distribute them upon his Landing.

The Animosities between the French and the Irish encreased daily: The Irish are jealous of the French, and the French of the King, whom they upbraid with Hunting and Feasting instead of Marshalling and Fighting; Upon which some French-Officers have desired to be Recall'd, and it is believed, when those expected Forces ar­rive to a Number sufficient to Land, the very Discontented Irish will fligh to our Assistance, as choosing rather to be Subjects to England, than Slaves to France.