At length, on the morning of the 13th of September, the grand and decisive attack commenced. The ten battering-ships bore down in admirable order to their several stations. The Admiral, in a two-decker, moored about nine hundred yards off the King's Bastion. The other vessels took their places in a masterly manner, the most distant being eleven hundred or twelve hundred yards from the garrison. Under shelter of the walls, furnaces for heating shot had been lighted; and, from the instant the ships dropped into position, a continuous fire of red-hot balls was directed upon them by the garrison.
终于，在9月13日的早晨，关键的大规模进攻开始了。十艘补给船以令人赞叹的顺序驶往他们的几个站点。海军上将乘坐一辆两层甲板的船，停泊在离国王堡垒大约900码的地方。其他的船只以一种巧妙的方式各就其位，最远的距离要塞有一千一百或一千二百码。在墙的掩蔽下，点燃了用来加热炮弹的炉子；而且，从船只一就位，守军就不断地向他们发射炽热的炮弹。

In little more than ten minutes, continues Drinkwater, the enemy were completely moored, and their cannonade then became tremendous. The showers of shot and shell which were directed from their land-batteries and battering-ships, on the one hand, and, on the other, the incessant fire from the various works of the garrison, exhibited a scene of which neither the pen nor the pencil can furnish a competent idea. It is sufficient to say that upwards of four hundred pieces of the heaviest artillery were playing at the same moment—a power of ordnance which up till that time had scarcely been employed in any siege since the invention of those wonderful engines of destruction.
在不到十分钟的时间里，德林克沃特继续，敌人完全被拖住了，接着炮击变得非常猛烈。一方面，炮弹像阵雨一样从陆地炮台和炮艇上倾泻下来，另一方面，从守军的各种武器中不断发出的炮火，展现了一幅钢笔和铅笔都无法提供一个有说服力的观点的景象。可以这样说，在同一时刻，有多达四百门最重型的大炮在战斗，这是一种威力强大的武器，自从发明了这种神奇的毁灭机器以来，这种武器在任何围城战中几乎都没有使用过。
After some hours' cannonade, the battering-ships were found to be no less formidable than they had been represented. Our heaviest shells often rebounded from their tops, whilst the thirty-two pound shot seemed incapable of making any visible impression upon their hulls. Frequently we flattered ourselves that they were on fire; but no sooner did any smoke appear, than, with the most persevering intrepidity, men were observed applying water from their engines within, to those places whence the smoke issued.
经过几个小时的炮击，炮舰的威力并不比它们所代表的小。我们最重的炮弹常常从它们的顶部弹回来，而三十二磅重的炮弹似乎不能在它们的船壳上留下任何明显的痕迹。我们常常自鸣得意，以为它们着火了；但是，一有烟冒出来，人们就以最顽强的勇气，把发动机里的水喷到冒烟的地方。