Surveying those works, and my Workmen, I was one Day standing on the great Battery, when casting my Eye toward the Barbary Coast, I observ’d an odd sort of greenish Cloud making to the Spanish Shoar.  Not like other Clouds with Rapidity or Swiftness, but with a Motion so slow, that Sight itself was a long time before it would allow it such.  At last, it came just over my Head, and interposing between the Sun and me, so thickened the Air, that I had lost the very Sight of Day.  At this moment it had reach’d the Land; and tho’ very near me in my Imagination, it began to dissolve, and lose of its first Tenebrity, when all on a sudden there fell such a vast multitude of Locusts, as exceeded the thickest storm of Hail or Snow that I ever saw.  All around me was immediately cover’d with those crauling Creatures; and they yet continu’d to fall so thick, that with the swing of my Cane I knock’d down thousands.  It is scarce imaginable the Havock I made in a very little space of time; much less conceivable is the horrid Desolation which attended the Visitation of those Animalcula.  There was not in a Day or two’s time, the least Leaf to be seen upon a Tree, nor any green Thing in a Garden.  Nature seem’d buried in her own Ruins; and the vegetable World to be Supporters only to her Monument.  I never saw the hardest Winter, in those Parts, attended with any equal Desolation.  When, glutton like, they had devoured all that should have sustained them, and the more valuable Part of God’s Creation (whether weary with gorging, or over thirsty with devouring, I leave to Philosophers) they made to Ponds, Brooks, and standing Pools, there revenging their own Rape upon Nature, upon their own vile Carkasses.  In every of these you might see them lie in Heaps like little Hills; drown’d indeed, but attended with Stenches so noisome, that it gave the distracted Neighbourhood too great Reason to apprehend yet more fatal Consequences.  A Pestilential Infection is the Dread of every Place, but especially of all Parts upon the Mediterranean.  The Priests therefore repair’d to a little Chapel, built in the open Fields, to be made use of on such like Occasions, there to deprecate the miserable Cause of this dreadful Visitation.  In a Week’s time, or there abouts, the Stench was over, and every Thing but verdant Nature in its pristin Order.

Some few Months after this, and about eight Months from the former Siege, Count D’Alfelt caus’d Denia to be again invested; and being then sensible of all the Mistakes he had before committed, he now went about his Business with more Regularity and Discretion.  The first Thing he set upon, and it was the wisest Thing he could do, was to cut off our Communication with the Sea.  This he did, and thereby obtained what he much desired.  Next, he caus’d his Batteries to be erected on the West side of the Town, from which he ply’d it so furiously, that in five Days’ time a practicable Breach was made; upon which they stormed and took it.  The Governor, who had so bravely defended it in the former Seige, fortunately for him had been remov’d; and Francis Valero, now in his Place, was made Prisoner of War with all his Garrison.