The siege which followed lasted three years. Every appliance which experience could suggest, or skill could devise, was brought into requisition. Never before had such tremendous armaments, by sea and by land, been brought against any fortress. Yet the garrison held out bravely; and twice their friends outside—once by Admiral Darby, and once by Rodney—succeeded in sending them reinforcements and supplies.
随后的围困持续了三年。凡是考虑到经验或技巧的器具，都被征用了。在此之前，从未有如此巨大的陆海空武器被用于对抗任何堡垒。然而，守军依然勇敢地坚守着;有两次，他们的朋友——一次是达比海军上将，一次是罗得海军上将——成功地给他们送去了增援部队和补给。
Early in 1781, there was a terrific bombardment of the place; but so effectual was the shelter afforded by the casemates, or bomb-proof vaults, that the garrison lost only seventy men. In November of the same year, General Elliot, who conducted the defence, headed a midnight sortie, which annihilated the entire line of the enemy's works. Their floating batteries were at the same time destroyed with red-hot balls. That one night cost the Spaniards two millions sterling!
1781年初，这个地方遭到了可怕的轰炸；但是由于防弹库的庇护作用，守军只损失了70人。同年11月，负责防御的埃利奥特将军率领了一场午夜突袭，歼灭了敌人的全部工事。他们的海上移动炮台同时被炽热的火球击毁。那一夜西班牙人损失了两百万英镑！

But the final effort was made in 1782, when the Duke de Crillon, flushed with his success in capturing Minorca, took the command of the besiegers. He had under him upwards of 30,000 of the best troops of France and Spain, and his heavy guns amounted to the then unprecedented number of one hundred and seventy. The combined fleets numbered forty-seven sail of the line, with ten great floating batteries—the contrivance of a French engineer, and deemed invincible, —and frigates, gun-boats, mortar-boats and small craft without number. The besieged numbered only 7000 men with eighty guns.
但在1782年还是做了最后的努力，当克里伦公爵因成功占领米诺卡岛而兴奋不已时，他接管了围攻者的指挥权。他手下有三万多名法国和西班牙的精锐部队，他的重炮数量达到空前的170门。联合舰队共有四十七个帆，十个巨大的浮动炮台——这是法国工程师的发明，众人皆称所向披靡——还有护卫舰、炮艇、炮艇和无数的小船。被围困的7000人只带着80支枪。
The siege attracted the interest of the whole civilized world. Two French princes joined the besiegers' camp, to witness the fall of the place. "Is it taken?" was the first question asked each morning by the King of Spain. "Not yet; but it will be soon," said his courtiers: and still Elliot's guns thundered defiance from the Rock.
围城引起了整个文明世界的兴趣。两个法国王子加入了围攻者的阵营，目睹了这个地方的陷落。“拿下了吗?”这是西班牙国王每天早晨问的第一个问题。“没有；但很快就会的，”他的朝臣们说，埃利奥特的枪炮仍然从岩石上发出雷鸣般的反抗。