ger privateer, by being driven on the rocks of Cape La Hogue, by his majesty's ship Arethusa, capt. Wolley. Admiralty Office, Nov. 6, 1798. Copy of a Letter from Admiral Lord Viscount Duncan, to Evan Nepean, Esq. dated on board the Kent, Yarmouth Roads, Nov. 5, 1798. I have the satisfaction to inclose you, for the information of the lords commissioners of the admiralty, a letter I received last night from captain King, of his majesty's ship Sirius, acquainting me of his has ing captured two Dutch frigates, in which he has displayed equal spirit and address. I have the honour to inform your lordship, that, in pursuance of orders I received from vice-admiral sir Richard Onslow, part. I parted company with the fleet on the even ing of the 23d ult. to reconnoitre the force of the enemy in the Texel, At eight A. M. on the following morning, the Texel bearing S. by E. ten leagues, I fell in with two Dutch frigates named in the margin, at that time about two miles distance from each other. Passing within gun-shot of the leewardmost of them, I stood ou until I could (upon tacking) nearly fetch the weathermost (the Waakzaamheid), my object being to prevent their junction; and by this means, that being accomplished, I had the satisfaction to cut off the latter, and bring her to about nine o'clock, when she hauled down her colours and fired a gun to leeward; as soon as the prisoners were exchanged, I made sail after the other; and, although nearly out of sight, I had the good fortune, before 5 P. M. to bring her to a kind of running action, which continued about half an hour, within musket-shot, at times, during which she kept a smart but ill-directed discharge of cannon and musketry, when she struck to his majesty's ship; she is called the Furie, and under the orders of the captain of the Waakzaamheid, and had the commandant of the troops and a number of officers on board. I am happy to add, there was only one man wounded by a musket-ball, and that his majesty's ship suffered but little, one shot through her bowsprit; her rigging, &c. but little cut. The loss on board the Furie was eight killed and fourteen wounded: her hull, masts, &c. have suffered much. I should be wanting in gratitude, were I not to express my acknow. ledgements of the spirited conduct manifested by all my officers and ship's company on this occasion; particularly so on account of the reduction of numbers, by manning the other prize (in which I sent Mr. Gosset, my senior lieutenant, and in securing the officers, troops, &c. taken out of her. This expedition has been waiting: an opportunity of sailing since the 21st of July last. They left * Waakzamheid, captain Neirrop, senior captain, mounting 26 guns, 24 nine* pounders on the main deck, 2 six-pounders on the forecastle, having 100 Dutch sea+ men and 123 French troops (total 222) on board, also 2000 stand of arms, besides other ordnance stores. Furie, captain Pletz, of 36 guns, 26 twelve-pounders on the main deck, and 10 sixRounders on her quarter-deck and forecastle, with 153 Dutch seamen and 165 French troops (total 318) on board, also 4000 stand of arms, besides other ordnance stores. the the Texel at eleven o'clock the pre- After the Hoche struck, we pursued ceding night. I have the honour to be, &c. RICHARD KING. Admiralty Office, Nov. 10. Extract of a Letter from Captain George Countess, Commander of His Majesty's Ship Ethalion, to Evan Nepean, Esq. dated in Plymouth Sound, Nov. 8, 1798. I have to request you will be pleased to inform my lords commissioners of the admiralty, that, since my letter of 22d September by captain White, of the Sylph, I continued to watch the motions of the French squadron in his majesty's ship under my command (having with me the Anson and Amelia), until the 4th of October at noor, when a hard gale of wind coming on, we lost sight of them in lat. 53 deg. 13 min. north, and long. 16 deg. 15 min. west, Sligo Bay bearing north 77 east, distance 91 leagues. The wind being off shore, we carried sail to get in with the land, to give the necessary information. The Amelia separated on the night of the 8th. I had previously desired, in case of separation, each ship to make the best of her way to give the alarm. On the 11th we fell in with the squadron under sir J. B. Warren; but, it blowing strong, could not get on board to communicate any intelligence; but seeing the Amelia with him, I was satisfied he had all the information I could give. Soon after our joining the above squadron, the Anson made the signal for the enemy, whom we discovered coming down: but they hauled to the wind on observing us. chased and kept close to them during the night, and next morning the attack commenced, which no doubt you have been fully informed of by sir J. B. Warren. We the weathermost frigate, who was making off, and sailed very fast. After a considerable chase we came up with and engaged her; she made an obstinate resistance for an hour and fifty minutes after we got abreast of her, when she struck her colours, most of her sails having come down, and five feet water in her hold. She proved to be the Bellone of 36 guns, twelve-pounders, having 300 soldiers on board, besides her crew. The squadron chased to leeward, and of course we separated, being obliged to remain by the prize, and have been under the necessity of keeping the sea ever since. Mr. I cannot speak too highly of the bravery and conduct of all my officers during the action, as well as of their extreme vigilance in watching them for seventeen days. Sayer, first lieutenant, is in the prize, and I can with pleasure say, his majesty has not a more zealous or a better officer. We had one man killed and three wounded. The enemy appear to have had twenty killed. 10. On Thursday last sir Richard Carr Glynn, knt. lord mayor elect for the year ensuing, was sworn at Guildhall; when the cir and other ensigns of mayoralty were surrendered to him in the accustomed manner. 15. The dreadful devastation made in New-York by the yellow fever has subsided. No less than 3000 of the inhabitants died during the few months the disorder prevailed. The inhabitants had returned to New-York at the time the Westmorland packet left that place, and might have done so at an earlier period, had they taken the precaution of having their houses opened and fumigated, instead of returning returning to them from the fresh air in the country, while he contagion still hung about the buildings, and to which is attributed its remaining so long. From the London Gazette, Nov. 13. Naples, Sept. 25. His majesty's ships the Culloden, captain Trowbridge, the Alexander, captain Ball, and the frigate Bonne Citoyenne, came into this port on the 18th instant in the evening. His Sicilian majesty went out in his boat into the bay to meet them, as did numerous English and Neapolitan boats. The ships gave the royal salute to his majesty. Admiral sir Horatio Nelson, in the Vanguard, accompanied by the Thalia frigate, did no. make his appearance in this bay until Saturday last the 22d inst. having been becalmed off Sicily. The king of Naples not only went off to meet the admiral, but instantly went on board the Vanguard, and staid on board until that vessel was at anchor in the port. The royal salute was given by all the king's ships, both on his Sicilian majesty's arrival on board the Vanguard, and on his leaving the ship. The day being remarkably fine, numerous boats with colours and music attended the Vanguard, and all the shores and wharfs of Naples were crowded with a multitude of rejoicing people; and when the admiral came on shore, the reception the Neapolitans gave him was expressive of the utmost kindness and gratitude. 28. Every assistance has been given to the Vanguard, the Culloden, and Alexander, so that these ships will be fit to go again to sea in a few days. Yesterday his majesty's ship Colossus, captain Murray, with four victuallers, from Gibraltar, came to an anchor in this port. This morning sir Horatio Nelson has received a letter from sir James Saumarez, dated from the port of Augusta in Sicily, the 17th instant, reporting all well in the squadron under his command; and that he hoped. having got water and fresh provisions, to sail from thence for Gibraltar the Wednesday following. Captain Gage, in the Terpsichore, arrived here this morn ing. He left Malta the 26th instant, when sir James Saumarez with his squadron, in conjunction with the Portuguese squadron under the command of marquis Niz za, had suminoned the French to surrender and evacuate Maita, which was refused by M. Vaubois, the commander in chief of Valetta; and that sir James Saumarez was proceeding with his squadron and French prizes to Gibraltar, having left the Portuguese to block Malta, and having, at the request of the Maltese insurgents, supplied them with a large quantity of ammunition and twelve hundred stand of arms from his French prizes. The Maltese say that the French are in the greatest want at Valetta. Vienna, October 27. Intelligence was received on Thursday afternoon from general Bellegarde, of the Austrians having, at the formal request of the Grisons' government, taken possession of Coire and the important post of Richenau, and of detachments being on their march to occupy the rest of the country. Admiralty Office, Nov. 16, 1798. Copy of a Letter from Captain Columbine, to Evan Nepean, Esq. dated Hastings, Nov. 15. I am to acquaint you, that this morning a French privateer having appeared off this place, and Mr. Wenham Wenham having offered himself who has left a wife and three young and cutter, the Lion, to go after her, I put on board her as many of the sea-fencibles as I thought necessary, chased, and after a little firing, in which one Frenchman was killed, we took and brought her into this road. She is the Succès, of Cherbourg, Nicholas Dubois, master, with 4 guns and 24 men; had been out four days, with out making any capture. I beg leave to add, that the Hastings men came forward on the occasion with the greatest zeal and readiness. I have the honour, &c. E. H. COLUMBINE. 18. On Sunday the Britannia, capt. Caleb Wilson, of this port (belonging to Mr. Petrie), sailed from Shields, laden with lead, bacon, butter, bale-goods, &c. for London, having 11 or 12 passengers on board. On the Monday the wind shifted to the east, bringing on a heavy sea, which continued till the Friday, during which time the vessel beat about, and was driven to the northward, on the Staples, near the Fern islands, opposite Balmborough Castle, where she was totally wrecked, and all on board, both crew and passengers, 21 in number, unfortunately perished. Part of the vessel, with 50 firkins of butter, a carpenter's and a medicine chest, have since come ashore. The body of a child has also been found, near Balmborough. Amongst the unfortunate sufferers on this melancholy occasion were Mr. Thomas Heron, cabinet-maker, (son of the late Mr. Major Heron of this town), his wife and two children; John Cook, soap-boiler, and his wife (the daughter of Mrs. Foreman in the Close), both of which families were on a visit to their friends here; Thomas Scott, shipwright, belonging to this town, children, and Andrew Ferguson, a private in the Perthshire fencible cavalry, at present stationed here: the names of the other passengers are as yet unknown. Amongst those belonging to the vessel was Mr. John Watson, the mate, brother to the captain. Downing-street, Nov. 20. A de cree having been published by the French directory, declaring, that all persons, natives of or originally belonging to neutral countries or countries in alliance with France, who may form a part of the crews of any of the king's ships of war or any other British vessels, shall be considered and treated as pirates; his majesty has directed it to be sig nified to the commissary for the French prisoners in Great Britain, that if this decree shall, in any instance, be carried into effect against any such persons taken in any vessels the property of his majesty or of his majesty's subjects, and navigated under the British flag, it is his majesty's determination to exercise the most vigorous retaliation against the subjects of the French republic, whom the chance of war has now placed or may hereafter place at the king's disposal. Admiralty Office, Nov. 20. Copy of a Letter from Commodore Sir John Borlase Warren, K. B. to Evan Nepean, Esq. dated on board the Canada, Plymouth Dock, Nov. 18. SIR. I have been waiting with great anxiety the arrival of the Robuste and La Hoche at this port, to enable me to make a return of the killed and wounded in the different ships under my orders upon the 12th October last; but, as I understand those ships may be still further detained by repairs at Lough Swilly, I send the inclosed, which it was impossible for me to obtain before the present moment, as the whole squadron was separated in chase of the flying enemy, and have successively arrived at this port; it was impracticable, therefore, to communicate the particulars to their lordships sooner, or to state the very gallant conduct of captains Thornborough and De Courcy, in the Robust and Magnanime, who, from their position in the van on that day, were enabled to close with the enemy early in the action, and were zealously and bravely se conded by every other ship of the squadron, as well as by the intrepidity displayed by the Anson in the evening in obeying my signal to harass the enemy, and in beating off their frigates. For farther particulars I refer their lordships to the letters they may have received from captains Countess and Moore of the Ethalion and Melampus. I am happy in reflecting that so many advantages to his majesty's arms have been purchased with so inconsiderable a loss in the ships of the squadron. I have the honour to remain, your most obedient bumble servant, JOHN WARREN. 21. The following declaration was unanimously subscribed to, at a very numerous meeting of the merchants, bankers, traders, and other inhabitants, of the metropolis, held at the Mansion-house on this day, the lord mayor in the chair: [November, ment of public credit, and the ad theless of opinion, that the crite- fidence that the resources of these 3. That, impressed with full con kingdoms were adequate to the maintenance of the national ho ing thought it proper to declare nour and independence, the meettheir readiness to give their utmost support to such measures as the le gislature might deem best calculated to call forth those resources in a trusting, that its wisdom would demore equal and effectual manner, vise such expedients for that purpose, as, combined with our late glorious victories, might afford the means of further spirited resistance enemy, and secure, not only the to the power and pretensions of the blessings we now enjoy, but also that ultimate object of all our exertions-a safe and honourable peace. Dublin, Nov. 22. This morning exhibited a scene of distress, fortunately very rare, in the harbour of Dublin. A tremendous gale of wind at S. E. bad blown incessantly for the three preceding days. but last night it increased to a most dreadful tempest; two large merchantmen were driven from their anchors in Poolbeg, and stranded ran upon the North Bull, when one on the Clontarf shore; two others of them oversetting, 14 of her crew attempted to make their 1. That the principle of finance resorted to in the late session of parhament, namely, that of raising within the year a considerable por- escape in the boat, and were all tion of the sum necessary for the drowned in the surf. The active, public service, had contributed, in Lee, from Liverpool to this port, |