noon
The cordon of dragoons was still left round the town , the officer in command being ordered to allow no one to pass for an hour and a half , after which time he was to gallop on with his men to overtake the convoy , as by that time it would be no longer possible for any one to carry the news to Las Torres in time for him to put his troops into motion to cut off the convoy from Valencia . The journey back took much longer than the advance , for the carts , drawn for the most part by bullocks , made but slow progress . Three hours after the convoy started the dragoons left behind overtook them . When within three miles of the town , they were met by a small party of the enemy 's Spanish militia ; but these were at once scattered by a charge of the dragoons , and the convoy proceeded without further molestation until just at noon it entered the gates of Valencia , where the astonishment and delight of the inhabitants at its appearance were unbounded . In a few hours the cannon were all mounted in position on the ramparts , adding very much to the defensive power of the town , which was now safe for a time from any attempt at a siege by Las Torres , whose plans would be entirely frustrated by the capture of the artillery intended for the siege . But Peterborough was not yet contented . The junction of the four thousand Castilians , of whose approach he had heard , with Las Torres would raise the force under that general to a point which would enable him to blockade the town pending the arrival of artillery for siege works ; and no sooner had the earl returned to his quarters , after seeing the cannon placed upon the walls , than he began his preparations for another expedition .