sequence of bad weather put in at Cork, in Ireland, from whence she sailed nine days since for Madras and Bengal, with a cargo of iron, copper, lead, beer, glassware, hats, clothes, and other merchandize, with a crew of 100 men, including the captain, besides SC white passengers, and 250 lascars, sent to Bengal by the India Company, after being buffeted about by the gales of wind which constantly succeeded each other since its departure from Cork, was yesterday in the night driven in among the sands of these roads, about 3 leagues to the N. E. of the port; soon after she struck upon the Breebank, At day-break she was perceived making signals of distress, and firing cannon, being armed with ten sixteen-pounders. M. Delacoste immediately took measures for conveying assistance to the ship; but all his endeavours were useless, the wind blowing furiously from the N. N. E. and the sea being dreadful. A hope was entertained, that when the tide flowed, an attempt might be successfully made; vain hope! it was absolutely impossible to launch any boat in spite of all the exertions that were made. The schooner La Victoire, which Captain Gaspard Malo went on board of, and who exhibited the greatest proofs of zeal, as well as other sailors and pilots of this port, was dragged by main force along the jetty; but the captain seeing his schooner absolutely buried in the waves, which broke over it with fury, and not being able to bear against them, was forced to give up his enterprise after running the greatest risks. "In the mean time, the vessel was dismasted of its mizen and main-mast, and soon disappeared, leaving only its foremast in view, which was covered with people; three boats were seen making for the coast, but only two were able to make land near Fort Risban, and brought on shore twenty-two persons, with the assistance of the garrison and the custom-house officers, who lined the coast; the third was sunk. The sea was for a while covered with wrecks of all kinds, which successively reached the coast, as well as some dead bodies. "The persons saved are the captain, the 1st mate, the 2d mate, an officer of the English army in Bengal, two passen gers, and 16 lascars; all the rest perished. The night has been more horrible than the day, and this morning the wind continues to blow with violence from the N. N. E., accompanied with rain, snow, and hail, Our first care has been to give these unfortunate people the succour which they stood in need of. I have the honour to be, &c. GAZETTES. Admiralty-Office, February 6. The following are copies of dispatches which have been received at this office from Vice-Admiral the Hon. Sir Alex. Cochrane, K. B. commander-in-chief of his Majesty's ships and vessels at the Leeward Islands, addressed to John Wilson Croker, Esq. Pompee, Fort Royal Bay, Marti nique, 12th December, 1809. SIR,-The enclosed copy of a letter from Captain Cameron of his Majesty's sloop Hazard, addressed to Commodore Fahie, in my absence, I request you to lay before the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty; the total destruction of the schooner privateer mentioned there in, and the silencing of the battery under which she was moored, was accomplished, under circumstances of consider able difficulty, in the face of a formidable force, and is highly honourable to the parties employed. Our loss in this little dash has, I am sorry to say, been severe. I have, &c. (Signed) ALEX. COCHRANE. His Majesty's sloop Hazard, off St Mary's, Guadaloupe, Oct. 17, 1809. SIR,-Cruising on my station blockading Point-a-Petre, Pelorus in company, at day-light this morning I observed a privateer schooner, moored under the battery of St Mary. I immediately determined on the capture or destruction of her. Both ships stood in sufficiently close to silence the battery effectually, and cover our boats, which were dispatched under the order of Lieutenants Robertson and Flinn, first of their respective ships, and I am happy to say they succeeded in boarding her; but as she was moored to the shore with a chain from the mast-head and each quarter, finding it impossible to bring her out, they shortly after blew her up. In justice to the officers and men employed on this service, I cannot omit particularizing the very gallant manner in which they approached the schooner, under a very heavy fire of grape from the battery, until it was silenced by the ships, and of grape and musketry from the privateer, until they were nearly along. side, when the enemy quitted her, and joined a long line of musketry on the beach, and two field pieces, to the fire of which they were exposed during the whole time they were preparing to blow her up, at a distance of not more than ten yards. The privateer had one long eighteenpounder on a circular carriage, and two swivels, about one hundred tons, and appeared to have from eighty to one hundred men; she was coppered and appeared new, and left Point-a-Petre yesterday on a cruise. Our joint loss has been fifteen killed and wounded; that of the enemy must have been very considerable, as the shore was completely lined with musketry, exposed to a heavy cannonade from both ships, as well as from the small arms in the boats. I have the honour to be, &c. HUGH CAMERON. To Commodore Fahie. Pompee, Fort Royal Bay, Martinique, SIR, I have to request that you will lay before the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty the accompanying letter from Captain Ballard, of the Blonde, with its enclosure from Captain Miller, of the Thetis. The manner in which the capture of the Nisus French corvette was planned by Captain Miller, was most ably carried into execution by Captain Elliott, of his Majesty's sloop Pultusk, who commanded the seamen and marines that were landed at a distance to attack the battery under which she was anchored; a service they performed after passing through almost impenetrable woods. I have the honour to be, &c. ALEX. COCHRANE. His Majesty's ship Blonde, off Guadaloupe, Dec. 14, 1809. SIR, It was not until Sunday the 10th instant that I heard from Captain Miller that a French brig from Europe had got into the Hayes. The Thetis was dispatched to reconnoitre her, and, if possible, to get her out. I have much pleasure in forwarding you Captain Miller's letter to me, giving an account of his having taken the French national brig Nisus, and destroyed the fortifications at that place. I have the honour to be, &c. V. V. BALLARD. The Hon. Sir Alex. Cochrane, K. B. His Majesty's ship Thetis, off N. W. part of Guadaloupe, Dec. 13, 1809. SIR,-I have the honour to acquaint you, that the brig you directed me to reconnoitre at the Hayes, proved to be the French national corvette Le Nisus, commanded by Mons. Le Netvel, capitaine de frigate, brought out of that port yesterday evening. The gallantry displayed by Captain Elliott, of the Pultusk, who headed the marines of this ship, the Pultusk, Achates, and Bacchus, with a party of 75 seamen, secured the possession of this vessel, and the destruction of every defence at the port of the Hayes. The difficulties they had to encounter in finding their way through thick woods, over way a high hill, without any path or guide, Conceiving it of much importance to prevent the enemy getting guns mounted again at the fort, and cutting off re-enforcements from Basseterre, which the prisoners report were expected, I have thought it my duty to remain off the Hayes in hopes of accomplishing that object, and preventing any vessels getting into that port, or their getting round the cargo of Le Nisus, which I understand to be a supply of provisions, and is in the town; most of her crew got on shore from her after surrendering: she sailed from L'Orient on the 30th October, and arrived at the Hayes the 1st of this month, and was ready again for sea, laden with coffee. I am happy to add, that not a man has been lost; the boatswain's mate and one searaan on board the Attentive, one marine and one seaman belonging to this ship, wounded on shore. I have, &c. (Signed) GEORGE MILLER. To V. V. Ballard, senior officer, off Guadaloupe. Pompee, Fort Royal Bay, SIR,-I send, for the information of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, the copy of a letter from Captain Hawker, of the Melampus, acquainting me with the capture of a French corvette, laden with supplies for Guadaloupe. I have the honour to be, &c. ALEX. COCHRANE. His Majesty's Ship Melampus, SIR,-I have the honour to acquaint you, his Majesty's ship under my command captured this day, after a chase of twenty-eight hours, Le Bearnais, a French brig corvette, of 16 24-pounder carronades, and 109 men, including 30 soldiers, commanded by Monsieur Montbazen, Lieutenant de Vaisseau; she is perfectly new, laden with flour and warlike stores, from Bayonne to Guadaloupe; she had one man killed and some wounded, and wounded two of ours before she struck; part of the cargo was thrown overboard during the chase. I have the honour to be, &c. E. HAWKER. The Hon. Sir Alex. Cochrane, K. B. &c. Pompee, under Marie Galante, December 25, 1809. SIR,—I have great pleasure in sending Captain Walker, of his Majesty's sloop Rosamond's report of his success in capturing the Papillon, a French corvette, having 30 soldiers and a quantity of flour on board, intended for the garrison of Guadaloupe. I have the honour to be, &c. Rosamond, at sea, December 19, 1809. SIR,-I have great satisfaction in acquainting you, that on Sunday the 17th, while running down on the north side of Grandterre, I received information from the boat of a small privateer belonging to Antigua, commanded by a Mr Morris, that a French national brig was between Guadaloupe and Montserrat; on which I immediately proceeded in the direction pointed out, and at noon was fortunate enough to get sight of her, and, after a chase of 38 hours, she surrendered to his Majesty's sloop under my command, close in with Santa Cruz. She is the national brig_Le Papillon, commanded by Monsieur De la Genetiere, capitaine de frigate, mounting 14 24-pounder caronades, and two long sixes, with 110 men on board, 30 of whom are troops. She was from Bourdeaux, bound to Guada loupe, and had been 33 days out, with 300 barrels of flour on board, 80 of which she threw overboard during the chase. The Papillon is a vessel of large dimensions, two years old, sails fast, and appears to me to be well calculated, in every point, for his Majesty's service. I have the honour to be, &c. (Signed) B. WALKER. Vice-Admiral the Hon. Sir Alex. Cochrane, K. B. Pompee, under Marie Galante, SIR,-Being at anchor in Fort Royal Bay, Martinique, on the 16th instant, a man of war brig, far in the offing to leeward, appeared with a signal flying that she had been chased by the enemy's fri the Perien, then on her way towards Guagates; I immediately made the signal to daloupe, to speak the brig, and to proceed according to the intelligence she might obtain; the Alcmene was ordered to weigh and follow, and the Sceptre, Alfred, and Freija, which had at that moment joined me, were not allowed to anchor, but to leave their flat boats, and proceed also. So soon as I heard from Captain Weatherall of the Observateur, the brig which made the signal, that the enemy's frigates, four in number, had captured and burnt his Majesty's ship Junon (belonging to the Halifax squadron) about one hundred and fifty miles to windward of Guadaloupe, and that the Observateur had escaped by superior sailing, I proceeded to sea with this ship and the Abercrombie, and arrived off the Saints early in the morning of the 18th; and about noon, I was informed by Captain Elliott of his Majesty's sloop Pultusk, that two of the enemy's frigates were at anchor about three leagues to the northward and westward of the town of Basseterre; I then directed Captain Fahie, of the Abercrombie, to remain and guard Point-aPetre, and Captain Watson, of the Alfred, to guard Basseterre, and made all sail in this ship with an intention of attacking the enemy; but on approaching nearer, I discovered the Sceptre of the line, the Blonde, Thetis, Freija, and Castor frigates, and Cygnet, Hazard, and Ringdove sloops, and Elizabeth schooner, ready to commence the attack; I therefore did not in. terfere with the judicious arrangements of Captain Ballard of the Sceptre, the senior captain, and had only an oppor tunity of witnessing the engagement, Baffling and light winds prevented the Pompee from getting withing gun shot until the action had ceased, and the two frigates and batteries which defended the anchorage were completely destroyed. The Blonde, Thetis, Cygnet, Hazard, and Ringdove, bore the brunt of the action from their being a-head of the other ships, and by the animated fire kept up from them, one of the enemy's frigates was very soon dismasted, when the men began to desert their ships, and soon after set fire to them. Upon this Captain Cameron, of the Hazard, with the boats of the squadron, gallantly landed and stormed the batteries, which were still annoying our ships both with cannon and musketry, and in the act of hauling down the enemy's colours, he fell by a swivel shot. In him the service has lost a brave and distinguished officer, and who, with Lieutenant Jenkins, first of the Blonde, also killed, have each left a widow and family to lament their loss. The names of the frigates destroyed are, I understand, the Loire and Seine, pierced for 40 guns each, but had none mounted on their quarter-decks or forecastles; they were moored in a strong position in Ance La Barque, with their broad-sides towards the entrance, which was defended by a heavy battery, now demolished, and the magazines blown up. I am informed by the seven prisoners brought off from the shore, that these ships had not their full complement of seamen; but they had 400 troops on board and 50 artillery men, which all escaped, with the exception of the above seven, and 20 others taken in a recaptured vessel; but all the warlike stores and provisions, intended for the garrison of Guadaloupe, were blown up in the frigates. I enclose a return of killed and wounded: the Blonde's loss is rather severe, and so is, I have reason to believe, the enemy's, who had time to save nothing but their clothes. I had every reason to be highly pleased in witnessing the emulation and bravery displayed by the several ships, in closing with the enemy; and I request you to make the same known to the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty; also Captain Ballard's report, which is sent herewith. I have not yet been able to fall in with the other two frigates; but I am in great hopes of preventing their arrival at Gua daloupe. I have, &c. ALEX. COCHRANE. Sceptre, off Guadaloupe, SIR,-The moment I took charge of the squadron you did me the honour to place under my command, I that instant rejected the enemy's truce, conceiving it a mere French finesse, to procrastinate our attack on their frigates, at an anchor in Port a la Duche. The captains of the squadron most readily entered into my plans, which, and that ready zeal manifested throughout the squadron, claims my most grateful thanks. To Captains Ballard and Miller all possible praise is due for so judiciously placing their ships, in a situation nearly annihilating the enemy's two frigates, of 40 guns each: the outer ship's mast gone and on fire, by the time this ship, and the rest of the squadron, from baffling winds, could render assistance. I lament that this little affair has not been atchieved without bloodshed. To that gallant officer, Captain Cameron, I gave discretionary orders with the other |