and another attempt to effect a landing was resolved upon. Brigadier-General Hamilton Lambert, on the 22nd of April, 1761, effected a landing on the rocks near Point Lomaria, where the difficulty of ascending the precipice had made the enemy least attentive to that part. Beauclerk's grenadiers (Nineteenth foot), with Captain Patterson of that regiment, gained the summit before the enemy saw what was intended, who immediately marched a body of three hundred men to attack them; the grenadiers, however, maintained their ground till the remainder of Brigadier Lambert's troops arrived. The success, thus gained, was promptly followed up; the French were eventually repulsed, and three brass field-pieces, with a few prisoners, were captured. The cannon was afterwards landed from the ships and dragged up the rocks; the lines which covered the town of Palais were carried by assault, and the siege of the citadel was prosecuted with vigour. The garrison under their Governor, the Chevalier de St. Croix, made a gallant defence, but on the 7th of June were forced to surrender, and were permitted to march through the breach with the honours of war in consideration of their bravery. The capture of the island was thus achieved, with the loss of about eighteen hundred men killed and wounded.[9] On the 29th of May, 1761, Major-General Sir Henry Erskine was removed to the Twenty-fifth regiment, and King George III. was pleased to promote Lieut.-Colonel Hamilton Lambert, from the Thirty-first regiment, to the SIXTY-SEVENTH regiment, as a reward for his gallantry at the capture of Belle-Isle. [Sidenote: 1762] While success attended the arms of Great Britain, in various parts of the world, the Sovereigns of France and Spain were negotiating a compact, which gave a new turn to the nature of the war; and the two crowns attempted to coerce Portugal to unite in their designs against Great Britain. Portugal at this period was particularly weak; the capital, Lisbon, had been destroyed by an earthquake five years previously, when nearly thirty thousand inhabitants had been buried in its ruins. This disaster had been followed by a conspiracy against the life of the King, while the country was shaken by internal commotions; at the same time the military force of the kingdom was weak in numbers, scantily furnished with arms, and without experienced officers. Notwithstanding these adverse circumstances, the King of Portugal resolved to adhere to his ancient alliance with Great Britain; and in consequence of this decision, France and Spain declared war against him. A powerful Spanish army assembled on the frontiers, and threatened to crush the Portuguese, when a military force, with artillery, arms, stores, provisions, and money, was furnished by Great Britain to assist its faithful ally; and the SIXTY-SEVENTH, which had returned with the expedition from the coast of France, was one of the regiments selected for service in Portugal.