Printed by R. G. CLARKE, Cannon-Row, Westminster.

1

Horse Guards, January 6, 1795.

By renant General Harcourt, dated Y dispatches received from General Wallmo

Arnheim, December 29, 1794, it appears, that, on the 27th, the enemy, consisting of about sixteen thousand men, made a successful attack on the Bommel Waert, and the Fort St. Adré, from which the Dutch Forces were obliged to retreat to the lines between Gorcum and Cuylenberg, which they now occupy; and that the enemy on the same evening crossed the Waal, and took possession at Thuil, Wetleren, and Wartenberg.

BULLETIN

FROM THE

LONDON GAZETTE of JANUARY 10,
1795.

A

Admiralty-Office, January 7, 1795.

LETTER was this day received from Captain
Newcome, of His Majesty's Ship the Orpheus,

A 2

to

to Mr. Stephens, Secretary of the Admiralty, dated in Madras Road, the 25th of July 1794, of which the following is an Extract:

ON the 5th of May, Captain Osborne, of the Centurion, made the signal for a sail, and Captain Pakenham, of the Resistance, for seeing two; Round Island bearing South-West by West, six or seven leagues. I lay-to till the strange sails ran down so near to us that we could lay up for them; I then made the signal to chase. At forty-five minutes past eleven I got near enough to fire a shot at the ship; at fifty-five minutes past eleven I brought him to action, and by a little after twelve I got close upon his starboard quarter, where we kept till five minutes past one so very close that at times I expected to be on board; and at that time the enemy struck, the Centurion and Resistance about three miles a-stern, under a great press of sail, coming up. She proves to be a French frigate, called La Duguaytrouin, of thirty-four guns, and formerly the Princess Royal East Indiaman, fitted out at the Isle of France with twenty-six eighteen-pounders, two nine-pounders, and six four-pounders, having four hundred and three men on board. I cannot say too much in praise of the steady, cool, and brave conduct of the Officers, seamen, and marines of His Majesty's ship Orpheus. Our loss is very inconsiderable, considering the superior force of the enemy. Mr. Singleton, midshipman, killed; Mr. Staines, mate, badly wounded in his left-hand; and eight seamen slightly. The enemy's loss was twenty-one killed and sixty wounded.

I must beg leave to recommend to their Lordships' notice Lieutenants Broughton and Goate, also Mr. Staines, who commanded the guns in the absence of Lieutenant Hodgskin, who was unfortunately on board the Danish ship, with one mate, one midshipman, and twenty seamen. At the time the

ship

ship struck we were about two leagues from the passage, between Flat Island and Coin au Mire, and one league from the shore; the other sail, a small brig, made her escape through the Channel, and got safe into Port Louis.

Finding the bowsprit shot through and through, and three of the knees of the head entirely cut away, the distressed state of the Duguaytrouin, from sickness and want of water, obliged me to seek the first port; and on the 16th of May I anchored with His Majesty's ships at Mahé, one of the Sechelle Islands. Finding the French had formed a settlement, and no refreshments to be procured, I summoned the place to surrender, and sent Lieutenant Goate, with Lieutenant Matthews and a party of marines, and took possession of it the next day for His Britannic Majesty. Not thinking it of sufficient consequence to leave any force, I quitted the place, having taken the Republican Flag and all the military and naval stores, also the brig Le Olivete, leaving the implements of agriculture for building houses, &c. for the use of the poor inhabitants.

From the very sickly state of many of the French prisoners, and almost a certainty of their dying if embarked to proceed to Madras, I was induced, from motives of humanity, to leave behind several Officers and men, having written to Mr. Malartie, Governor of the Isle of France, to request he would release the same number of our prisoners, and of the same rank as those that I had left at Mahé; about one hundred and forty more deserted and got into the woods. The 28th I made the Resistance's signal to chase, and she brought in the Deux Andres, from Mosambique, loaded with four hundred and eight slaves. The first of June I sailed with His Majesty's ships and prizes, and on the 18th anchored at Madras.