strong fort and a battery were carried by storm, the fleet forced an entrance, and the French and Spanish shipping were all taken and destroyed. Many Spanish seamen escaped on shore and took with them much valuable property: a soldier of Captain Brown's company of this regiment captured a Spanish mariner who was carrying off an immense silver dish of curious workmanship, which was delivered up to the proper authorities[23]. The expedition returned to England, where the regiment arrived in the early part of November, and was stationed at Canterbury; it received £561. 10_s._ prize-money. Queen Anne went in triumphal cavalcade to St. Paul's cathedral to return thanks for this success; and the troops received the thanks of parliament for their conduct. [Sidenote: 1703] In a few weeks after its return from Vigo the regiment was ordered to hold itself in readiness to proceed to the West Indies; and in January, 1703, it marched to Portsmouth, where it embarked on board the fleet under Vice-Admiral Graydon. The object of the expedition was the capture of Placentia and Newfoundland; but the enemy's force was found too strong, and, after remaining a short time in the West Indies, the regiment returned to England. It landed in October following at Portsmouth, from whence it was removed into quarters at Southampton and other towns in that neighbourhood. On the decease of Colonel Ventris Columbine, Her Majesty conferred the colonelcy on the lieutenant-colonel, JAMES RIVERS, by commission dated the 2nd of November, 1703: at the same time Major WILLIAM SOUTHWELL was appointed lieutenant-colonel. [Sidenote: 1704] The quarters were extended to Worcester in April, 1704, and a detachment was sent to the Isle of Wight: in August following the regiment proceeded to Plymouth, where it passed the succeeding winter. [Sidenote: 1705] Meanwhile the war was raging in the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, and other parts of the continent, and an attempt was being made to place Archduke Charles of Austria on the throne of Spain by force of arms. Gibraltar had been captured by the combined English and Dutch fleets, and in connexion with these events the regiment was embarked at Plymouth in May, 1705, under the Earl of Peterborough, to take part in the war. The design of this expedition was either to aid the Duke of Savoy in driving the French out of Italy, to make an attempt on Naples and Sicily, or to further the progress of the Archduke in Spain. The fleet arrived at the capital of Portugal in June, and additional forces were embarked: at the same time Archduke Charles went on board the fleet to share in the toils and dangers of the enterprise. From Lisbon the expedition proceeded to Gibraltar, where it was joined by the former colonel of the SIXTH--the Prince of Hesse d'Armstadt, and a reinforcement from the garrison.