hands, when, taking out the prisoners, letters, &c. and destroying the boat, they returned here on the 17th. At day-light of that day the canoes were entangled with the retreating Spanish Fleet near Savanna-Qay, and escaped with difficulty. The expedition was commanded by Arthur O'Neil, a field-marshal in the armies of Spain, and Captain General of the Province of Yucatan. The Campeachy fleet was commanded by Capt. Bocca Negra: two thousand soldiers were embarked and distributed in proportion to the dimensions of the vessels, on board of the fleet, which consisted of, The vessels which made the attack, in number Reserve of equal force A very large sloop of equal force, and six schooners not so large, but armed in the same manner as those which came down to the attack, and drawing too much water remained with the transports and victuallers Transports, victuallers, &c. all carrying bow and side guns of different calibres 9 5 II Total 31 and navigated by 500 seamen, principally from the Havanna and Campeachy. (True Copy) To the Earl of Balcarras. ADMIRALTY OFFICB, JAN. 22. Extra of a Letter from Vice-Admiral Sir Hyde Parker, Knt. Commander of bis Majesty's Ships and Vessels at Jamaica, to Evan Nepean, Esq. dated on board bis Majesty's Ship Abergavenny, in Port Royal Harbour, the 6th November, 1798. SIR, You will be pleased to acquaint the Right Honourable the Lords Commis sioners of the Admiralty, that I have received dispatches from Capt. Moss, of his Majesty's sloop Merlin, dated Honduras, 27th September, a copy of which, describing the defeat of the Spanish flotilla, is herewith enclosed. SIR, Merlin, St. George's Key, Sept. 27, 1798. My letters by the Swift schooner, which sailed from Honduras express on the 21st of last August, have informed you of the enemy's force intended for the reduction of this settlement, and their situation at that time; since which our look-out canoes have watched them so closely, that all their movements were made known to me as they happened. On the 4th of this month they were visible from our mast-heads at Belize, and look outs reported to me thirty one sail of all descriptions; but their exact force by no means certain. The next day six of their heaviest vessels attempted to force their passage over Montego. Key shoals, by putting their provisions and stores into other vessels; had they effected this. it would have secured them all a passage to Belize over shoal-water, where I could by no means act. I ordered three of our armed vessels to annoy them in their endeavours, which succeeded so far as to occasion their removal at dark, and a small channel they had marked by driving down stakes was also taken up by our canoes. I now clearly saw that their next effort would be to get possession of St. George's-Key, from which place (only nine miles from Belize) they might go down through the different channels leading to it, and continue to harrass the inhabitants and destroy the towns at their leisure, and drive me from my anchorage there; this determined me to gain the Key before them, if possible; I therefore left Belize on the evening of the 5th, and secured this place, at the instant twelve of their heaviest vessels were attempting the same; they hauled their wind and returned to Long Key, on my hauling my wind towards them. They continued working and anchoring among the shoals until the 11th, at the distance of three or four miles; when having made their arrangements, at one P. M. nine sail of sloops and schooners, carrying from twelve to twenty guns, including two twenty-four and two eighteen pounders each had in prow and stern, with a large launch a-stern of each full of men, bore down through the channel leading to us in a very handsome cool manner; five smaller vessels lay to windward out of gun-shot, full of troops, and the remainder of their squadron at Long Key Spit to wait the event, each of which carried small prow guns, with swivels fore and aft. At half past one P. M. seeing their intention to board the two sloops, and that they meant to come no nearer, but had anchored, I made the signal to engage, which began and continued near two hours; they then cut their cables and rowed and towed off by signal in great confusion over the shoals. I had placed the Merlin as near the edge of them as possible, and nothing that I had was equal to follow them, unsupported by the Merlin. At dark they regained their other vessels, and continued in sight till the 15th at night, when they moved off with a light Southerly wind: some are gone to Bacalar, and some prisoners taken, report others are gone to Campeche. I am happy to add that the service was performed without a man killed on our side. The enemy I think must have suffered much from the great number of men on board, and the precipitate manner they made their retreat. This armament was commanded by General O'Neil, Governor of the Province; troops and sailors included, about 2500 men; and so certain were the Spaniards of success, that the letters found in a canoe taken, were actually directed to Belize and St. George's Key. The behaviour of the officers and crew of his Majesty's ship gave me great pleasure, and if we had had deep water to follow them in, I think many of them would have fallen into our hands. The spirit of the Negro slaves that manned the small crafts was wonderful, and the good management of the different Com❤ manders does them great credit. Our force, besides the Merlin, is as follows: I have the honour to be, Sir, &c. ADMIRALTY OFFICE, JAN. 22. JNO. R. MOSS. Extract of a Letter from Sir Thomas Williams, Knt. Captain of bis Majesty's Ship You will be pleased to inform their Lordships, that the Endymion has captured two Spanish privateers :-La Prudentia schooner, of one six-pounder, 8 swivels, and 34 men; La Casualidad, of 6 six pounders, 8 swivels, and 40 men. ADMIRALTY-OFFICE, JAN. 26. Copy of a Letter from Vice Admiral Kingsmill, Commander in Chief of bis Majesty's SIR, PLEASE to lay before my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty the ac companying letter I have just received from Capt. Fraser, of his Majesty's ship Shannon, who has brought in a French privateer, out of Granville, mounting 18 carronades and two long twelve-pounders, and 125 men, which he captured on the 15th inst. I have the honour to be, &c. R. KINGSMILL. SIR, I beg leave to acquaint you, that being on the morning of the 15th inst. in lat. 49 deg. 40 min. and long. 9 deg. 30 min. W. with his Majesty's ship under my command, proceeding to the rendezvous prescribed by Capt. Faulknor, I saw and after a chace of seven hours captured Le Grand Indien, a ship privateer, from Granville, commanded by Gand Olivier Vubois, carrying 18 brass carronades, eighteen-pounders, and two long twelve pounders, manned with 125 men. She was only five days from Granville, had taken nothing, is quite new, with provisions and stores for a three months cruise. From the circumstance of the prize having carried her main mast by the board while chaced (and as the Shannon also sprung a main top mast, and tore to pieces two boats in shifting prisoners), the wind blowing strong with a heavy sea, I hope you will approve of my having accompanied her into port. I have the honour to be, Sir, &c. ALEX. FRASER 1 OF Naval Events. JANUARY 23. THE Lord Mayor informed the Court of Common Council, he had received a letter from the Honourable Mrs. Damer, offering her services to execute a portrait of Admiral Lord Nelson, either in bronze or marble, for the City. The letter being read, the Court unanimously returned their thanks to the Honourable Mrs. Damer, for her very liberal proposal, and accepted her generous offer. The Court requested his Lordship to acquaint Mrs. Damer with the above resolution. 25. By the King George Packet arrived from Lisbon.-Lord Keith has hoisted his flag on board the Barfleur. General Sir Charles Stuart is putting Minorca into the best possible state of defence, and preparations are making to enable our ships to refit there, for which purpose stores of every kind are to be sent out from England. The acquisition of the Island of Minorca to this Country is of considerable im portance. Its naval hospital (built by the English), and its accommodation for heaving down the largest ships, are extraordinary good. The harbour is no less commodious-it is also safe, but somewhat difficult to enter, and extremely liable to damage the copper on ship's bottoms, from the rocky sides, against which large vessels are often pressed, when coming in, by eddy breezes from an irregular hilly shore. Flesh meat at Minorca is neither very plentiful nor very good, if we except pork, which, in most hot climates, is excellent. Vegetable are neither raised in profusion, or remarkable for great delicacy. Its honey is famous; its wine almost the reverse. Sunderland, Jan. 25. On the 7th inst. the wreck of a ship appeared off the Bay of Lagan, in the Island of Ista, all under water, and discharging some tar, cotton, pearl ashes, and staves. A considerable part of these goods have been landed. Nothing has appeared to identify the property. A parcel of New York newspapers has been found. The hull has gone to pieces, and been cast on shore, excepting the bow and the fore den, which remain sunk in the sand, with her anchors and cables. The pearl ash barrels have branded on their ends" Cornelius Villee, New York. J. Richard, G. A. Lansing, Shenectady." The tar barrels are also marked. Some of the seamen's bodies have been found; upon the arm of one of them is tatooed or pricked W. B. 1782. C. T. G. 26 By the Danish ship Bruden, Captain Power, from Bengal, we learn, that the following homeward Fast Indiamen sailed from St. Helena the 5th of December, under convoy of his Majesty's ship Stately : Mr. Rands, purser of the Druid frigate, was tried by a Court Martial at Portsmouth, on Tuesday last, for having absented himself from that ship without leave. The charge being partly proved, he received a reprimand from the court. 28. Lieutenant Western of the navy arrived at the Admiralty with dispatches from Lords St Vincent and Nelson, brought over in the Resolution lugger, containing an account of the protection afforded to the royal family of Naples and upwards of six hundred persons of the highest rank on board of our ships of war, then lying in the bay of Naples, who were induced to fly for shelter to the English fleet commanded by Lord Nelson, from the victorious French army under General Championnet, who took possession of the city. Lord Nelson embarked their Neapolitan Majesties and the rest of the royal family on board the Vanguard, of 74 guns, commanded by himself, and the remainder of their fol lowers on board other ships of war then lying there; and steered his course for Palermo, in Sicily, where he arrived on the 28th of December. His Lordship, in his private letters, describes the voyage as one of the most severe he ever expe rienced during his life; that they were in considerable danger of being ship wrecked; and mentions, that what he met with off Sardinia, previous to the battle of the Nile, and in which the Vanguard was dismasted, was trifling in comparison with the hurricane off the Neapolitan coast. In the course of the voyage, Prince Albert, the youngest son of their Sicilian Majesties, died through excessive sickness and fatigue; and to all the miseries, which such a scene must have occasioned in the minds of the royal fugitives, they had to add their affliction for the loss of their child. Every Englishman, and all who were willing to embark, were safely convey. ed to Sicily by some of Admiral Lord Nelson's squadron; and we have heard from other quarters, that the skill and management displayed by his Lordship upon this unfortunate occasion exceed all praise. Naples and Gaeta are the most important places in the kingdom of Naples. The first as the centre of the government, and of the riches and commerce of the country; the latter, as the principal establishment of the Neapolitan Navy; both these are unhappily exposed to the depredations of the victorious army. Lord Nelson had the foresight to remove every thing from the port of Gaeta, which might increase the maritime resources of the French, and he destroyed what he could not bring away. The same activity and precaution was adopted with respect to Naples. But when the immense riches of that capital, and the rapid march of the French to take possession of it, are considered, there are but too strong grounds to apprehend that they found there ample spoils for their insatiable rapacity. The exertions of the English fleet in taking away or destroying every article that was serviceable to the naval operations of the French, was the more essential, as they would materially contribute to guard Sicily from an invasion, should the enemy risk an attack upon that island, which has been preserved as an asylum for the King of Naples in his misfortunes. 30. Mr. Grenville and suite embarked at Yarmouth, on board the Proserpine frigate, Captain Wallis, for the continent. As soon as Mr. Grenville got upon the quarter-deck, the Proserpine fired a salute, and at 12 o'clock set sail with a fresh breeze at W. S. W. 31. The following Gentlemen are sworn into the command of their respective ships, viz. Captain James Horncastle, of the ship Hope, of 1200 tons, consigned to hina direct; Captain George Willett, of the Hindostan, 1248 tons, to ditto; and Captain Thomas Barrow, of the Britannia, 770 tons, to Coast and Bay.→ All the above ships are to be in the Downs on the 11th of April next. Feb. 1. This day was launched from the yard of Messrs Perry, Wells, and. Green, at Blackwall, a ship built upon a new construction, the property of Robert Wigram, Esq. of Crosby-square. The intention of the construction is an attempt to combine the qualities of great burthen with swift sailing in the same vessel. Advice was brought to the East India House, by the Purser of the Lord Walsingham, of the safe arrival of the following ships off the Land's End, under convoy of the Stately, on the 29th ult. Ganges, Queen, Prince William Henry, and Mildred extra ships)-parted three days before the fleet made the Land's End-hoenix, awke, Lord Walsingham, and Earl Spencer (regular ships)—Princess Mary, Northumberland, Crown, Eliza Ann, Britannia, and six Whalers (extra ships). 2. The following circumstance must for ever reflect the utmost honour on the humane and manly character of Charles Sturt, Esq. member for Bridport: Thursday morning last, a small cutter called the Bee, John Nation, master, bound from London to the West Indies, went on shore on the sands near Poole, in a heavy gale of wind at east. There was a tremendous sea running, and a very heavy snow falling, which rendered it extremely difficult, as well as ha zardous, to afford any assistance to the crew. The boats from his Majesty's gun-vessel the Tickler, and several other boats, attempted it without success; and the poor creatures, after cutting away the mast, and doing all they could to relieve the vessel, were left without hope, to the horrid expectation that every coming sea would overwhelm them; or to the still more dreadful one, that they must shortly perish by the inclemency of the weather. They remained in this shocking situation till the middle of the day, when Mr. Sturt happily succeeded in rescuing them from the jaws of death, and brought them to his hospitable mansion, were every refreshment and comfort were administered to them which their exhausted state required. Mr. Sturt's humane exertions endan gered himself in an imminent degree, and to his active exertions and perseverance alone are these poor people indebted for their lives. The sea was tremendous beyond description, and the shoals on which the vessel lay extremely dangerous to approach. Mr. Sturt's boat was several times filled by the sea, and himself and people absolutely thrown out of her into the breakers. He was a considerable time nearly up to his neck in water, buffetting the waves with an ardour which seemed to increase with the danger." Weymouth, Feb. 8. The sloop, Recovery, Swain, master, from London to Weymouth, with groceries, drove on shore near this place, the sea making a clear breach over her; which, with the inclemency of the weather, rendered the lives of her crew very precarious: but, to the credit of British seamen be it spoken, five brave fellows volunteered to save the crew, which they effected by launching their boat from the Esplanade, and so forced her through the sea. The Eagle, of Scarborough, has been run down off Easington, by a light ship unknown, which made off immediately without asking any questions respecting the safety of the Eagle's crew; who, finding their ship going down, took to their boats, by which they were all saved. The Eagle had only sailed three hours from Sunderland, coal laden, when the above accident happened. The William, Bouch, of Workington, which sailed from Liverpool with salt for Norfolk, in Virginia (after leaving Whitehaven, where she had been put in by stress of weather, proceeded upwards of 300 leagues to the westward, when she sprung a very dangerous leak, and in that extremity her pumps split. The crew were subjected to the most deplorable fatigue and distress for fourteen days, at the end of which (on the 31st December) they made the Irish land. It was their intention to bear away for Cork; but after lying at the mercy of the waves, drifting in various courses, and the main-deck almost constantly under water, on the Ioth ult. the vessel went on shore at the Stags of Broadhaven, on the western coast of Ireland. The crew saved themselves by the boat, and in less than a quarter of an hour after the ship was dashed in pieces among the rocks. Escaped from the dangers of a shipwreck, and in a condition which might have been expected to excite compassion in the most obdurate bosoms, they were menaced with instant death by an armed multitude, who, after some time, suffered them to depart in search of a region where happily humanity had taken up her abode. The letter containing this intelligence was lately received from Sligo. Advice has been received at the Admiralty of the loss of his Majesty's ship Nautilus, of 16 guns, commanded by Captain Gunter, in a heavy gale of wind a few days since off Flamborough Head. Fortunately the officers and crew were all saved A cutter is arrived at Falmouth from looking into Brest; and brings advice, that the enemy had fifteen sail of the line perfectly equipped; but, from a Swedish vessel just come out of the inner harbour fhe learnt, that by the most rigorous requisition the French had not been able to procure one third of the requisite compliment of men. Falmouth, Feb. 9. It blew a heavy gale of wind here last night at south, in which a Swedish brig, called the Martinus, Anders Petersen, master, from Gottenburg for Cock, struck on the Manacles and foundered-the crew saved. Advice has also been received here this morning, that another of our fish ships |