The first important service on which the Marine corps were employed in this reign, was on board the fleet under Admiral Sir Cloudesly Shovel, then commanding in the Mediterranean, who was instructed to make every possible arrangement, by conciliation or by conquest, among the dependencies of the French and Spanish monarchies, in order to ensure a cordial reception of the Archduke Charles of Austria, in opposition to Philip, Duke of Anjou, of France, to the throne of Spain. [Sidenote: 1704] After some delays, the Archduke arrived at Lisbon under Admiral Sir George Rooke, on the 25th of February, 1704, in order to concert a plan of future operations with his ally the King of Portugal. Sir George Rooke, after cruising with the fleet on the coast of Portugal, returned to Lisbon, and took the Prince of Hesse-Darmstadt on board, with whom he sailed on the 20th of April to Barcelona. On the arrival of the fleet before Barcelona, the Prince of Hesse sent a letter to Don Velasco, the governor, requiring him to surrender the town, which he refused. Information, however, being received that the city would declare for Charles III. if a show of attack were made,--sixteen hundred Marines were accordingly landed at the request, and under the command, of Major-General the Prince of Hesse-Darmstadt, on the 19th of May, 1704: this force, being found to be inadequate for the purpose, was re-embarked on the following day. The next object of attack was the Rock of _Gibraltar_, where the Prince of Hesse landed in the afternoon of the 21st of July, 1704, with 1800 British and Dutch Marines. Acting upon the decision of a council of war, His Highness proceeded to cut off all communication with the mainland, to bombard the place, and to reduce it to the obedience of Charles III., King of Spain. The governor, on being summoned, refused to surrender, alleging that all the garrison had taken an oath of allegiance to King Philip V. Admiral Sir George Rooke having directed a strong force to proceed against the South Mole, the enemy was driven from his guns; several boats, manned and armed, were then detached under the command of Captain Whitaker, of the Navy, who soon obtained possession of the great platform: about one hundred of the besiegers, whose impetuous bravery had carried them within the effects of a mine connected with the fort, were killed or wounded by the explosion; the rest, advancing rapidly, gained a redoubt half-way between the mole and the town. The Governor, at the urgent desire of the inhabitants, was induced to capitulate, and the Prince of Hesse took possession of the garrison on the evening of Sunday the 24th of July 1704. The loss in effecting the capture of this important fortress was sixty-one killed, and two hundred and six wounded. The attack of the seamen was one of the boldest and most difficult ever made, being obliged to climb up rocks and precipices. Thus was taken, in three days, a fortress since made impregnable to all assaults.