which threatened to attack the British cantonment. I arrived at Ahmednagger on the 8th, and immediately took possession of the pettah (town), which had been ceded by the Jate treaty, but not given up by the honourable company My march from Serooi to Poona became extremely difficult and harassing from the want of cavalry. The enemy's horse constantly surrounding my line and camp, compelled me to shorten my marches and to preserve the closest order, and I could not reach Poona in consequence, before the evening of the 13th. In this situation I must pot omit to report the gallant exertions of Captain Spiller, with about 400 of the auxiliary borse (8), who succeeded in at tacking and defeating a more numerous body of the enemy's horse, in which they lost a sirdar of rank, and about fifty men killed and wounded, with a very trifling loss among the auxiliaries. I made a disposition on the evening of the 14th to attack the enemy, who was encamped on the opposite side of the Moottah Moolab, occupying the ground of the old British cantonments, hav. ing his right upon a mangree grove, with a deep nullah crossing the extremity, and his left stretching along the inclosures of the northern front of the officers, lines of houses, extending towards the suburbs of the town. He had eleven guns in battery on his left, and a few others more scattered along his front and right. I was, however, disappoint ed in the state of the Yellera Ford, which proved extremely difficult, and by which I had hoped to pass my whole line over the Moottah Moolah; this obliged me to relinguish attempting its passage by night, and the troops were then too much exhausted from the harassing nature of their duties, to justify my attempting any more distant ford. On the evening of the 16th, all the dispos able corps, after providing for the camp and position of Kirky, were formed in divisions (9) of attack; the first, under my personal command, was destined for the enemy's left, and to cross the river at the Sungum; and the second, under LieutenantColonel Milnes, of his Majesty's 66th regiment, was directed to act upon the enemy's right, and to cross the river by the Yellera Ford before sun-set. A battalion, with a company of Europeans and two field-pieces, under Major Thatcher, of the 2d battalion 9th regiment, was ordered to precede the 1st division by a different route, to prevent the enemy opposing my passage. The 1st and 2d divisions, lying in position after the passage of the river, were appointed to march at a given time from equal distances, so as to join in attack at the dawn of day, by, which I hoped to throw their cavalry (8) A body of troops raised in the Peishwa's dominions, and officered by Europeans, (9) See the close of this letter, into confusion, or at least to prevent thei forming to charge in any regularity. Th junction of these divisions was perfecti effected as designed. But the enemy havin taken alarm in the course of the night at th fruitless, though obstinate, opposition whic be made to Lieutenant-Colonel Milne division in the passage of the river at Yel lera, and against which he appears to hav thrown out all his infantry, as well as larg bodies of horse, precipitately drew of leaving a great part of his camp standing and considerable quantities of ammunition on the field. His Highness the Prishwa, i said to have fled about two o'clock in th morning of the 17th. The enemy succeede in carrying off all his guns but one; aud had no means of pursuing him beyond the fire of my artillery. The enemy having thu disappeared, I lost no time in recrossing the river to occupy the most favourable ground for bombarding the city; but every interes and policy, as well as considerations of bu manity, made me most anxious to unite my exertions with those of the Honourable Mr Elphinstone, the resident, to avert the des truction which now threatened it, either by bombardment or storm, and the enemy having luckily fled in an opposite direction and left the defence of the city to only a few hundred Arabs, these were, by Mr. Elphinstone's influence, prevailed upon to withdraw; and I have the pleasure to acquaint your Excellency our guards took peaceable possession of the city in the course of the evening of the 17th, when the British Bag was hoisted on his Highness's palace, under a royal salute. Although the troops, both Native and European, were exasperated to the utmost at the perfidious conduct of the enemy, in burning the residency and their cantonments, and in the most barbarous execution of Captain Vaughan, of the Madras 15th Native Infantry, and his brother, travelling under the belief of the peaceable relations of the two Governments, still no excesses have been committed against the city, the resourses of which are invalu able in the calculation of our future operations against his Highness the Peishwa, I shall be unavoidably detained here aiding in the establishment of order and military security to the city, till the 22d instant, when I propose marching again upon the enemy in his retreat to the southward. I cannot close this despatch without assuring your Excellency of the zeal and good dis cipline of all the troops, and of the cheerful aid I have received from all the staff. The enemy confidently calculated he had succeeded in seducing the sepoys, by large rewards to desert our ranks; and if any thing can add to the reputation of the Bom bay army, it should be recorded, as a proof of their incorruptible fidelity, that not a sepoy has left his colours since the Peishwa became our enemy. I inclose a list of killed and wounded in various skirmishes with the enemy. But principally in the passage of the Mootta Moola, by Lieutenant-Colonel Milne's division on the evening of the 16th instant, which acquitted itself with great spirit and steadiness during a long and severe fire, both of musquetry and camo. From forty to fifty guns, with a considerable quantity of military stores, are reported to be taken in the city, returns of which I shall bave the honour of transmitting hereafter. I bave the honour to report, that the 2d regiment of cavalry, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Colebrooke, joined my camp on the morn· ing of the 18th instant, I have the honour to be, &c. LIONEL SMITH, Brig. Gen. Names of Officers Wounded. 1st Batt. 3d Reg. Lieutenant Spiller, attached to the auxiliary horse, slightly. Bombay European Regiment: Captain Preston, severely. Non-commissioned and Privates: 15 killed; 76 wounded. Letract from a Despatch from the Governor in Council of Bombay, to the Secret Commillee, dated the 9th of Dec. 1817. We have the satisfaction of acquainting your honourable Committee, that the district of Oolpar (10) has-been taken possession of without opposition, and that the fort of Severndroog (11), after a slight restance, has surrendered without a single casualty on our part; about eighty or ninety men have been made prisoners, but the rest of the troops which composed the garrison effected their escape under cover of the tight. We congratulate your honourable Committee on this event, which will be of causiderable consequence, should we be abir, with the means at our command, to attempt an extension of our acquisitions in the Southern Concan, although you may reat assored that our measures will be confined at present to secure what we have acquired in that district. The enemy bad began to prepare their craft for the purpose of attacking our trade which might repass the coasts. Extract from a Despatch from Mr. Elphin stone to the Governor General, dated Camp, Rajawarree, Nov. 23, 1817. On our obtaining possession of Poona, Correct accounts were obtained of some particulars which were before imperfectly known. It appeared that the attack on our troops on the 5th, was chiefly brought about by the persuasion of Goklah, that the Peish wa wa took the alarm after he had given (he order, and even sent to Goklah, when on (10) A valuable tract of territory in the picinity of Surat, belonging to the Vinchoor Jagheerdar. (1) On the sea coast, south of Bombay. the eve of the action, to desire that he They were joined by Dhermajee Hurtub Sometime before the breaking out of the war, the Peishwa had concerted with all the Bheels and Ramoossees, and other predatory tribes in his country, to shut up the roads and plunder effects belonging to us. They have readily obeyed an order so much suited to their inclination, and have not confined their depredations to British property. They have, however, shut up the roads; that to Bombay is further obstructed by the garrison of Logur, and by a detachment which bas taken possession of, and stockaded the Bore Ghaut: no dawks have been received from Bombay since the 5th: General Smith, however, has sent a strong detachment to open that road, and one of less strength to keep open the communication with Ahmednuggur. No more convoys have been cut off since the first few days after the war; but I am greatly concerned to state that Lieutenant Ennis, of the Bombay Engineers, has been cut off near Sakoor Mandaya, where he was employed on survey. He had been recalled, but from an over confidence in the strength of his - guard, be did not fall back on any station. He was attacked in the night by the inhabitants of Sakoor Mandava, and next morning was surrounded by the Bheels and other adherents of Trimbucjee, who is still in that neighbourhood. Lieutenant Ennis was shot while engaged with the enemy, and his detachment of a jemedar and twenty five, fought their way to a more friendly part of the country, Some coss on this side of Anna Bootch they were received, fed, and sent off in disguise by the Poltail (12) of a village, whom I shall not fail to dis.cover and reward. Cornets Hunter and Morrison were in Goklah's custody; they were at first in charge of Major Pinto, who is said to have treated them well, and resisted Goklah's orders to use them with severity, but before the Peishwa's flight, they were put in chains, and sent to Goklah's fort of Kangoree, in the Concan. In consequence of the execution of Captain and Mr. Vaughan, I have addressed letters of remonstrance both to the Peishwa and to Goklah; to the former I only threatened retaliation, in general terms, for any repetition of such atrocities; but to Goklah I declared explicitly, that any individual, however exalted his rank, who should order the death of a British prisoner, should answer for the crime in his own son. I omitted to state, that on the 18th, General Smith sent out a detachment to take some guns, which, with a body of infantry, had got off to the neighbourhood of the fort of Singhur; fifteen guns were taken without any loss; besides these, fortysix were taken in Poona, and one in the Peishwa's camp; large quantities of ammunition have likewise been taken. The army is now in full march after the Peishwa, who, it is rumoured, intends to return to Poona, or holds that language to encourage his troops. Trimbuckjee has not yet joined him, whether from distrust on his own part, or policy on the Peishwa's, is not known. vouring to send a cossid (13) to Banconte, and I avail myself of this opportunity to acquaint your Excellency with what has passed since the force left Poona on the 22d instant. We had a most difficult task in ascending the little Bhore Ghaut with the heavy train, on the 23d, which was not accomplished till late at night; luckily the enemy did not attempt to defend the Ghaut, or it would have cost us many lives, and two or three days. I was obliged to halt on the 24th. We saw nothing of the enemy till we came to Jeejoory on the 25th; here he shewed from four to five thousand borse on both flanks of our column: we pursued and dispersed one body of about two thousand, with the second cavalry and the artillery gallopers, but with little effect, the cavalry being completely broken down and almost useless, from the incessant forced marches they have made for many months past. The second body of the enemy being upon the rear, and the march being very long (twenty-four miles), they took off from fifteen to twenty bullocks. The road was part of the way winding through hills, and it was impossible effectually to cover the whole of the baggage. In the course of the day's skirmishing, the enemy, by reports from their own camp, lost above twenty men, and several horses; we had no one hurt. I passed the Neerah, by the bridge the same evening. On the 26th, I marched to the bottom of the Salpee Pass. On the 27th, we halted to refresh before entering the Pass, as the enemy threatened great opposition. The following morning (yesterday) we ascended the Ghaut, and perfectly unmolested till we reached the top, where the enemy shewed about 600 horse, and threw a few rockets. The advance soon drove them back with loss. They gathered strength as they retired in our front, and towards the close of our march shewed from 3 to 4000 men in front, and about as many more being upon our rear. We opened our gallopers upon them two or three times in the course of the march, and with great effect. The 2d battalion of the 9th regiment, under Major Thatcher, had the rear guard, and took an opportunity of masking a galloper, under a division of auxiliaries, which the enemy were preparing to charge; it opened with grape, and did great execution: and the enemy through the day could not have lost fewer than one hundred and twenty men; we had one havildar and one sepoy slightly speared. In the march this morning he was consequently very shy; but at the close of it he shewed about five thousand horse out of range; as the piquet advanced they retired slowly; the nature of the ground enabled me, however, to push upon them rapidly, unperceived, till we reached a rising grovod, when we found them formed, and within (13) A thessenger. range; all the gallopers, and a light five and half inch howitzer, immediately opened · upon them with great effect; and, as usual, ⚫they fed in confusion; they lost many men ⚫ and horses, but I have no reports yet of the amount from their own camp. Os the whole, I think, I can assure your Excellency, that every thing is going on properously. It is to be lamented, certainly, that the enemy will not fight, or that I have not cavalry to drive him to a distance; but I think every day's experiment of his present system is alarming and disperving his men, and that he will soon give it up. We have no difficulties whatever, but want of grain for the followers; but the distress has not yet been of a nature to oblige them to leave us; and, I hope, by protecting the country, and paying liberally for all I take, that we shall continue to find supplies enough to prevent extreme want. The troops have to endure great fatigue; we seldom reach our ground before two or three o'clock in the evening, from the necessity of keeping the whole line in the most compact order, but I am happy to assure your Excellency of general good health and the highest spirits in all ranks. ABSTRACT OF .. FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC INTELLIGENCE. THEA HE Secretary to the SOCIETY of GUARDIANS for the PROTECTION of TRADE against SWINDLERS and SHARPERS, held at No. 36, Essex-street, Strand, by a Circular has informed the Members thereof, that the persons undersamed; viz. JOAN BERRY, Tailor, 112, Fleet-street, and lodging at Mr. Hughes's, Duke-street, part of the Surrey-side of Waterloo-bridge; THOMAS SUTTON, of Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, who refers to SMITH, VICKRIDGE and Co. Grocers, Bedford House, Southampton-row, Blooms bury, lately mentioned, since which they have gone away; GEORGE GILBERT, EDWARD BARTHOLOMEW, and Co. 31, Seething-lane,-the fermer living at 6, Wellington-place, Moffatt, alias Trafalgar-street, City road, and the latter at No. 16, (late at No. 20,) New Union-street, Little Moorfields; HENRY JONES, their Clerk (lately with W. Maltby and Co, noticed lately); WILLIAM LAWSON, Biscuit-baker, 97, Upper East Smithfield, and Joan BLACK, Clerk to Thomas Gray, (now in the Fleet Prison,) noticed in January last, residing at 22, Lower Smithstreet, Northampton-square, the residence of Richard Coster, also acting as Clerk to the said Thomas Gray, and frequently mentioned: THOMAS LOVELL, Glove Cleaner, No. 9, Russell-court, Drury-lane ; WILLIAM LOVELACE HUNT, Carpenter, Mint-street, Borough; JOHN SANSUM, Victualler, Creechurch lane; RICHARD WESTON, No. 3, Oat-lane, Noble-street (mentioned in 1814); WILLIAM MALTBY, (several times mentioned,) and WILLIAM HINTON USSELL, Timber-merchant, late of No. 3, Suffolk place, Hackney-road, and now of No. 9, Gloucesterstreet, Vauxhall-walk, Lambeth, are re ported to this Society as improper to be proposed to be ballotted for as members thereof. Also, That several Bills similar to those mentioned in our last have lately been negociated with the following additions and variations. Sume of them, dated London, are drawn by WILLIAM EDWARDS, upon and accepted by ROBERT GUMBLETON, (the drawer of some of the others,) No. 5, Ebenezer-place, Chiswell-street, and they have the indorsements of the said WILLIAM EDWARDS and of JOSEPH FIBBITTS, WILLIAM HATHAWAY, and RICHARD PORTER, whose names likewise appear on the Bills. Several tradesmen have lately been deceived by a middle aged man, rather shabbily dressed in black, and wearing a greasy hat, who has applied to them under the pretence of coming from some person (whom he names) in temporary misfortune, who has sent to them some Pawnbroker's duplicates for woollen cloth, with a request that they would redeem it, and lend a few pounds upon them to enable him to settle an account in a Spunging-house, where he then was. The tale turns out to be false, and the duplicates are forged. Several persons have lately been defrauded of goods by a person improperly representing himself to be Mr. HENDERSON, the respectable proprietor of the King's Arms tavern, Old Palace-yard, Westminster, And that the man lately mentioned as calling himself JAMES WILLIAMS, and as borrowing a few shillings under pretence of giving an order to Wine and Porter Merchants, sometimes assumes the name of THOMAS SIMPSON, WILLIAM JAMESON, and JAMES. Despatches have arrived overland from Bombay, brought by Captain Moore, and dated 24th November, which are of more striking and important interest than any that we have received from India for a considerable period. The accounts state, that the British Government, having ascertained that the Peishwa was preparing for hostilities, marched a force of 4,000 men from the Bombay army, to oppose him. The Peishwa met us with 40,000 men, and fought two battles, in both of which he was defeated. The first engagement took place on the 5th of November, but could not have been of a decisive character, as the Mahratta chieftain was again in a condition to cope with the British troops on the 17th of the same month, when, notwithstanding the disparity of numbers, he was totally routed, flying to one of his strong forts, and leaving Poonah to its fate. The English accordingly entered his capital in triumph. Lord Hastings had concluded a treaty with Scindiah, by which it was provided that the British troops might pass through his territories, to punish the Pindarrees. It is not, however, supposed that a subsidiary force will be fixed upon Scindiah, who seems anxious to maintain an amicable understanding with the company, and willing to assist in suppressing the rohbers. Holkar submits in every thing to Lord Hastings. The troops of the Peishwa bung two British officers whom they had made captive-an' outrage for which we may presume that our countrymen were not slow to enforce a rigorous retaliation. One of the expedients adopted by the Government of Spain to enable it to fit out the Russian squadron, is to allow the merchants permission to ship on board 2000 tons of merchandize at low duties, the receipts of which, it was expected, would afford considerable aid. The exact destination is not told to the merchants, but they are given to understand that the force will be so overwhelming, that to whatever point of the ultramarine dominions it is bound, resist ance on the part of the Patriots must be vain. From the Report of the Committee of Congress, on the part of the President's Message which related to the Commercial Intercourse of the United States with the British West India and North American Colonies, it appears that the measure does not extend, as some have supposed, to the total prohibition of the Commercial Intercourse, with the British Colonies, but to subject it to heavy duties whilst carried on in British vessels exclusively. The operation of this system, they expect, will ultimately induce the British Government to place the intercourse in question upon a footing of reciprocity. The Committee complains that American vessels are carriers of less than a fifth of the exports from the United States to our Colonies, and that more than four fifths are conveyed in British vessels, though one-half of the articles of commerce are the growth, production, or manufacture of the United States. Another topic of complaint is, that even this portion of the traffic arises only from the temporary suspension of our Navigation Laws in favour of the Americans, under the pressure of necessity: whilst the strict rigour of our Colonial System is, under ordinary circumstances, relaxed with regard to other friendly nations. It appears that our Ministers were not indisposed towards an arrangement which would, per se, bare proved satisfactory to the Americans; but their overtures were rejected on account of being coupled with the demand of a commercial intercourse with the Indiane resident within the American boundaries, which was deemed to be inadmissible on the score of policy. Another Bill is also before Congress, which affects our manufacturing interest, by increasing the duties on iron in pigs, castings, nails, and alum. The French Papers state that an embargo is said to have been laid in the ports of Spain on all the vessels of the United States of America. A letter from Valenciennes states, in a positive manner, that the Army of Occupa tion is soon to quit France. The contin gents of the minor powers are, it is said, to march homewards in the month of May; the British and Russians remain until September; and the latter have agreed to transfer to France, by virtue of an arrangement not yet made public, the whole of the horses of their cavalry, artillery, &c. which saves effectually the risk and expense of carrying them round by sea. The new produce of coffee at St. Domingo is reckoned at upwards of 33,000,000 lbs. This is not quite half of what was produced by the Revolution, although it is consider ably greater than the island has produced of late years. The increase, therefore, may be fairly attributed to the improved state of cultivation, arising no doubt from the increased security which property has of late met with in the country. It seems that the consumption of coffee has very materially increased in Europe. The Lord Advocate of Scotland has, at length, made a return to the Order of the House of Commons for a list of all persons arrested in Scotland upon charges of treasonable practices, and of administering and taking unlawful oaths. From this return it appears, that of 37 persons arrested and committed to the Castle of Edinburgh, only one was tried, and he was acquitted; another was held by the Court of Justiciary without trial, and the remainder were released, after being imprisoned for several months. THE KING'S HEALTH. "Windsor Castle, April4. "His Majesty has been uniformly tran quil throughout the last month, and con tinues to enjoy good bodily health; but his Majesty's disorder is undiminished. "H. Halford, "M. Baillie, W. Heberden, "R. Willis." |