was driven by the gale close under Lord Clare's house at the Black Rock. A Welch sloop foundered, at her moorings in the Liffey, near the new docks; and the Kangaroo sloop of war, which lay in the bay, was driven from her anchors over the bar, through Poolbeg, and up the Liffey as far as the Marine School, where she at last was hap pily brought up with the loss of her guns, which she had been obliged to throw overboard. Several boats and small traft were sunk in the tempest.

Admiral Nelson received the honours of the peerage in consequence of his late gallant conduct, and in this day's gazette the following additions were made to his armorial ensigns.

Whitehall, Nov. 20, 1798. The king has been graciously pleased to give and grant unto the right honourable Horatio baron Nelson of the Nile, and of Burnham Thorpe in the county of Norfolk, rear-admiral of the blue squadron of his majesty's fleet, and knight of the most honourable military order of the Bath, in consideration of the great zeal, courage, and perseverance manifested by him on divers occasions, and particularly of his able and gallant conduct in the glorious and decisive victory obtained over the French fleet near the mouth of the Nile on the first day of August last, his royal licence and authority, that he and his issue may bear the following honourable augmentations to his armorial ensigns, viz. A chief undulated argent, thereon waves of the sea, from which a palm-tree issuant, be tween a disabled ship on the dexter, and a ruinous battery on the sinister, all proper; and for his crest, on a naval crown or, the chelengk, or plume of triumph,

presented to him by the grand signor, as a mark of his high esteem, and of his sense of the gallant conduct of the said Horatio baron Neison in the said glorious and decisive victory, with the motto, "Palmam qui meruit ferat ;" and to his supporters, being a sailor on the dexter, and a lion on the sinister, the honourable augmentations following, viz. In the hand of the sailor a palm branch, and another in the paw of the lion, both proper, with the addition of a tri-coloured flag and staff in the mouth of the latter; which augmentations to the supporters to be borne by the said Horatio baron Nelson and by those to whom the said dignity shall descend in virtue of his majesty's letters patent of creation: and that the same may be first duly exemplified according to the laws of arms, and recorded in the Heralds' office.

And also to order, that his majesty's said concession, and especial mark of his royal favour, be registered in his College of Arms.

London Gazette, Nov. 24. Copy of a Letter from Captain Thomas Thompson, of his Majesty's late Ship the Leander, to Evan Nepean, Esq. date on board the L.zarette, at Trieste, the 14th of October, 1798.

Rear-Admiral Sir Horatio Nelson, K. B. dated Trieste, Oct. 13, 1798.

It is with extreme pain I have to relate to you the capture of his majesty's ship Leander, late under my command, by a French 74-gun ship, after a close action of six hours and a half. On the 18th August last, being within five or six miles of the west end of Goza, near the island of Candia, we discovered at day-break a large sail on the S. E. quarter, standing directly for the Leander; we were then becalmed, but the stranger bringing up a fine breeze from the southward, we soon made him to be a large ship of the line. As the Leander was in officers and men upwards of 80 short of her complement, and had on board a number who were wounded on the 1st, I did not consider myself justified in seeking an action with a ship that appeared of such considerable superiority in point of size; I therefore took every means in my power to avoid it: I, however, soon found that our inferiority of sailing made it inevitable, and I therefore, with all sails set, steered the Leander a course which I judged would receive our adversary to the best advantage, should he bring us to battle. At eight o'clock the strange ship (still continuing to have the good fortune of the wind) had approached us within a long random shot, and bad Neapolitan colours hoisted, which he now changed to Turkish; but this deception was of no avail, as I plainly made him to be French. At nine he had ranged up within a half gun-shot of our weather quarter; I therefore hauled the Leander up sufficiently to bring the broadside to bear, and immediately commenced a vigorous cannonade on him, which he

instantly returned. The ships continued nearing each other until half past ten, keeping up a constant and heavy firing. At this time I perceived the enemy intending to run us on board; and the Leander being very much cut up in rigging, sails, and yards, I was unable, with the light air that blew, to prevent it. He ran us on board the larboard bow, and continued alongside us for some time; a most spirited and well directed fire, how ever, from our small party of marines (combined by the serjeant), on the poop and from the quarter-deck, prevented the enemy from taking advantage of his good fortune, and he was repulsed in all his efforts to make an impression on us. The firing from the great guns was all this time kept up with the same vigour; and a light breeze giving the ships way, I was enabled to steer clear of the enemy, and soon afterwards had the satisfaction to luff under his stern, and passing him within ten yards, distinctly dis charged every gun from the Leander into him.

All from henceforward was nothing but a continued series of heavy firing withing pistol shot, without wind, and the sea as smooth as glass. I feel it unnecessary to give you the detail of the effects of every shot, which must be obvious from our situation; I shall therefore content myself with assuring you, that a most vigorous canno made was kept up from the Leander, without the smallest intermission, until half past three in the after. noon. At this time, the enemy having passed our bows with a light breeze, and brought himself on our starboard side, we found that our guns on that side were nearly all disabled by the wreck of our own spars that had all fallen on this

ed? The Leander was now totally ungovernable, not having a thing stauding, but the shattered remains of the fore and main masts and the bowsprit, her bull cut to pieces, and the decks full of killed and wounded; and perceiving the enemy, who had only lost his mizen-top-mast, approaching to place

himself athwart our stern; in this defenceless situation, I asked captain Berry if he thought we could do more? He coincided with me that further resistance was vain and impracticable; and, indeed, all hope of success having for some time vanished, I therefore now directed an answer to be given in the affirmative, and the enemy soon after took possession of his majesty's ship.

I cannot conclude this account without assuring how much advantage his majesty's service derived during this action from the gallantry and activity of capt. Berry of the Vanguard: I should also be wantiug in justice, if I did not bear testimony to the steady bravery of the officers and seamen of the Leander, in this hard contest, which, though unsuccessful in its termination, will still, I trust, entitle them to the approbation of their country. The enemy proved to be the Genereux, of 74 guns, commanded by M. Lejoille, chef de division, who had escaped from the action of the 1st of August, and, being the rearmost of the French line, had received little or no share of it, having on board 900 men, about '100 of whom we found had been killed in the present contest, and 188 wounded. I inclose a list of the loss in killed and wounded 1798.

A

THOMAS THOMPSON. Return of Officers and Men

killed and wounded on board his Majesty's Ship Leander, on the 18th of August, 1798.

Officers killed-Mr. P. Downs,

midshipman; Mr. Gibson, midshipman of the Caroline; Mr. Edward Haddon, midshipman.

Twenty-four seamen killed. Marines killed-Serjeant Dair, and 7 privates.

Total-3 officers, 24 seamen, 1 serjeant, 7 marines, killed.

Officers wounded-capt. Thompson, badly; lieutenant Taylor; lieutenant Swiney; Mr. Lee, master; Mr. Mathias, boatswain, badly; Mr. Lacky, masters's-mate; Mr. Nailor, midshipman.

Forty-one seamen, 9 marines. Total-7 officers, 41 seamen, g marines, wounded.

THOMAS THOMPSON. Admiralty Office, November 23,

Letters, of which the following are extract and copy, have been received at this office.

Extract of a Letter from Captain Samuel Hood, of his Majesty's Ship Zealous, to Rear-Admiral Lord Nelson, K. B. dated off Alexandria, Sept. 19, 1798.

I should have dispatched the Emerald to you on the 2d instant, agreeably to your orders; but knowing the French had possession of Damietta, also having information they had some vessels likely to sail from thence, I directed captain Hope, in the Alcmene, to proceed off the place with the Fortune polacre, and endeavour to deestroy any vessels he might fall in with, that (K)

were

enemy.

. On the 2d instant, his majesty's ships Sea-horse and Emerald chased in shore, where she anchored near the town of the Arabs, the French gun-boat (aviso) L'Anemone, commanded by enseigne de viasseau Garbon, of 4 guns and 62 men, having on board general Camin, and citoyen Valette, aide-de-camp to general Buonaparte, with dispatches from Toulon, which place they left the 27th of July, and Malta the 26th August. On the approach of the boats of our ship, she fired on them, cut her cable, and ran in shore into the breakers. General Camin and aide-de-camp Valette, having landed with the dispatches, and the whole of the crew, were immediately attacked by the Arabs. The two former, and some others, making resistance, were killed, and all the rest stripped of their clothes. Her commander and a few of the men, about seven, made their escape naked to the beach, where our boats had by this time arrived, and begged on their knees to be saved. I am am happy in saying the humanity of our people extended so far as to swim on shore with lines and small casks to save them, which they fortunately effected. Amongst these was particularly distinguished a young gentleman, midshipman of the Emerald, who brought off the commander, Garbon, at the hazard of his own life, through the surf.

Alcmene, off Damietta, Sept. 21.

SIR,

I have the honour of informing you that I arrived yesterday off Damietta, and, pursuant to your orders, cut out all the vessels that were anchored in that road, being eight in number, loaded with wine and

GEORGE HOPE. To Samuel Hood, esq. captain of his majesty's ship Zealous, &c. &c.

[This gazette also coutains an account of the destruction of an armed lugger, and the capture of her consort, La Fouine, of 8 guns and 26 men, by his majesty's sloop Sylph, capt. White;-also of the capture of L'Enterprise, French privateer lugger, mounting 12 swivels, with muskets, pistols, swords, half-pikes, &c. by his majesty's cutter the George, lieut. Patey.]

30. Was observed as a day of public thanksgiving for the late great naval victory.

Plymouth, Nov. 25. Extract of a Letter received by Vice-Admiral Kingsmill, from a Gentleman residing near Dunsanaghy.

I feel much concern at being obliged to give you the melancholy information of the loss of the Margate tender, with all her crew (25 in number), on this coast in the late violent storm. On Saturday night last, in a dreadful gale of wind at N. W. about nine o'clock, a gun was heard, supposed to be from a vessel in distress; and soon after a brig was driven upon a ridge that runs out from the main land to the island of Ennisboffin, and almost instantly went to pieces, as I believe this place is one of the most dangerous for a vessel to touch upon in any weather. The wreck was so complete, that, when I got to the shore the next morning, the stern of the vessel was lying a considerable distance from the wreck of the ship, and the whole altogether broken into different parts. From a piece of paper taken up

along

it be

I am, sir, &c.

WYB OLPHERT. Manchester, Nov. 26. A coachdriver, late last night (near the hour of twelve), drove his vehicle into our river, near the Old Bridge, for the purpose of washing; when, the current running strong, the horses were soon driven into the centre of the stream, forced under one of the arches, and in that state (too shocking almost to conceive) they swam, with the man on the box, through Blackfriars-bridge, fighting and struggling for their lives till one in the morning. The poor fellow, in his endeavours, had entangled his legs in the reins; but from them he extricated himself with a knife; when, fortunately coming nearly in contact with a dyer's flat, he, by an astonishing effort, jumped from the box on the same, where he lay several minutes in a state of insensibility. The horses, after swimming about the river some time, followed their master to the flat, and attempted to raise their forefeet upon it : the poor man, with the little strength he had left, held up the head of one of the creatures, till with a convulsive groan, it expired in his arms. From the active assistance of several persons, attracted by the cries of the coachman, they had so far succeeded in securing the other horse as to ex

1

tricate him from the reins, and had got him nearly half up Mrs. Duxbury's steps, when, owing to the tempestuousness of the night, he slipped from their holds, and again plunged into the river; after which nothing more was seen of him. Happy would it have been had the calamity ended here: curiosity (early in the morning following) called crowds of people together, to see the bodies of the horses floating; among others a group of nine or ten women and children very incautiously got together on a dyer's stage, hanging over the river near the New Bridge; when, shocking to relate ! the bottom of the stage gave way, and they were all in an instant precipitated into the river. Three were recovered before life was gone; the strength of the current rendered every endeavour to save the others ineffectual, and they were all swept away! On how slender a thread does human life hang! The insecurity of these stages, from the number of years they have been erected, renders it a matter of astonishment that even an individual will trust his person thereon. The following are the names of the unfortunate sufferers: miss Martha Rhodes, miss Anna Reed, miss Jane Holliday; Ellen Neild, Sarah Petty (Mrs. Duxbury's servants), and, Richard Boardman. A woman and her child are also said to have perished. A boy was saved, and fetched out by a dyer's dog. The sagacious animal returned for a woman, but, alas! he was too late.

29. A grand match of ploughing against time was lately performed in Windsor great park, between the oxen belonging to his majesty, and those of lord Somerville, the president of the board of agriculture, which his lordship, had brought. (K 2)

together