The armament appeared off Cadiz on the 12th of August, and the Duke summoned the place; but his terms being refused, he landed on the 15th, between Rota and Fort St. Catherine, where he encountered and repulsed some Spanish cavalry. The next operation of the army was the attack and capture of Fort St. Catherine and of Port St. Mary; but the attempt on Cadiz failed. Bishop Burnet, in alluding to this expedition, remarks--'It is certain our court had false accounts of the state the place was in, both with relation to the garrison and the fortifications; the garrison was much stronger, and the fortifications were in a better state than was represented.' As a set-off to the miscarriage at Cadiz, the expedition did good service and made a valuable conquest at Vigo Bay, where the galleons from the West Indies, convoyed by a French squadron, happened at this time to arrive[19]. A passage of three quarters of a mile, which led into the harbour of Vigo, was defended by forts on shore, and secured by a boom extending across the channel; the latter was also protected within by five line-of-battle ships, and flanked by two others. To facilitate the attack on this formidable barrier, the Duke of Ormond landed a portion of his army six miles from Vigo, and took by assault a battery of forty pieces of cannon, situated at the entrance of the bay. A British ensign, hoisted on this fort, was the signal for a general attack; the fleet in full sail approached, broke the boom at the first shock, and became closely engaged with the enemy's ships, whilst the British troops that had landed stormed and captured the batteries. After a vigorous defence, the French, finding they could not escape, destroyed a part of their fleet; but ten ships of war and eleven galleons were, notwithstanding, captured. This glorious exploit was tarnished by some abuses practised during the expedition; and so great was the plunder at Port St. Mary, and at Vigo, that a proclamation was issued for its recovery. Amongst others implicated in those disgraceful acts was _Sir Henry Bellasis_, who was second in command of the land forces, and was tried by a court-martial on his return to England, and dismissed the service. After this expedition the Queen Dowager's Regiment was landed and stationed at Portsmouth[20]. [Sidenote: 1703] The Colonelcy of the Queen Dowager's Regiment was next conferred on Lieutenant-General _David Colyear, Earl of Portmore_, whose commission was dated the 27th of February, 1703.