After the Spaniards and French had desisted from further attempts to retake Gibraltar, the Marine corps were distributed in the several ships of war which were collected in the Tagus, in order to co-operate with the land forces on the coast of Spain. Towards the end of May, the English fleet, with about five thousand land forces on board, under the joint command of Admiral Sir Cloudesly Shovel and General the Earl of Peterborough, sailed from St. Helen’s, and arrived at Lisbon on the 20th of June. King Charles went on board the Ranelagh on the 23rd of July, and the Dutch fleet having joined in the Tagus, the confederate squadron sailed on the 28th, and anchored at Gibraltar on the 11th of August. The Prince of Hesse-Darmstadt, with the battalion of foot guards, and the thirteenth and thirty-fifth regiments, embarked, and the fleet sailed for Altea Bay: form thence it again proceeded on its voyage, and anchored before Barcelona on the 22nd of August. The Earl of Peterborough commenced active operations against _Barcelona_ by an attack on the strong fortress of _Montjuich_, situated on the opposite part of the town, at which the disembarkation took place, the troops having landed near the river Bassoz, about three miles east of Barcelona, on the 23rd and 24th of August. On the 28th, King Charles went on shore, when the inhabitants of the neighbouring towns and villages flocked to the camp, and many took arms to act as guerilla-bands and miquelets. A difference of opinion on the part of the Dutch General occasioned some delay, but it was ultimately determined to attack the fortress of _Montjuich_ by storm.