I have from time to time reported to you, for the information of his royal highnefs, the commanderin-chief, the progrefs which had been made in the embarkation and departure of the British and Ruffian troops which were left under my command, in the province of North Holland; and I am now happy to acquaint you, that the last of them embarked yesterday morning, when, the wind being fair, the whole of the fhips of war and tranfports remaining in the Texel left that port, Every thing belonging to the army was brought off, excepting a fmall propertion of damaged provifions, a few waggons, and about 300 draught horfes of little value, for which there was no tonnage; of thefe, the latter alone were faleable, but they bore fo fmall a price, that I thought it better to diftribute the whole to the magiftrates of the different villages in and near which the army had been cantoned, to be delivered to any of the inhabitants who might have fuffered from the inevitable confequences of war. Several large Dutch Indiamen and other fhips, which it was impoffible for us to remove in their present ftate, but which might have been fitted out as fhips of war by the enemy, were completely difabled and rendered ufelefs for any farther purpofe, through the exertions of a detachment of feamen, under the direction of captain Bovar. The defire of complying moft ftrictly with the articles of the agreement entered into between his royal highnefs and general Brune, prevented their being blown up, which could not have been done without endangering the navigation of the Nieuve Diep. Vice-admiral Dickfon, as well as myfelf, made it our ftudy to comply in this, as in every other inftance, with the articles of agreement, and muft do the French general the juftice to fay, that he feemed actuated by the fame fpirit. Previous to quitting the Helder, I had, in obedience to his royal highness's inftructions, difcharged every juft demand of the inhabitants of the country which had been occupied by the army; and I was happy to find that very few claims were brought forward beyond thofe which it was in my power to fatisfy. The embarkation of the troops, difficult from the multiplicity of the arrangements required, and fometimes arduous from the ftate of the weather, was carried on with the utmost zeal and activity by vice-admiral Dickfon, and the officers and feamen under his command. I feel particularly indebted to captain. Lawford, of his majefty's fhip Romney, who was left on fhore, and had the immediate direction of the embarkation, for his exertions, and his attention to every branch of his majefty's fervice, and to captain Woodrifte, principal agent of the tranfport-fervice, for his great zeal in the execution of the duties of that royal highness the duke of York, fituation. General, The late hour at which your letter reached me last night, prevented my fending fooner to Alkmaar major-general Knox, the officer alJuded to in my letter of yesterday's date. He is entirely in my confidence, and is fully authorized to treat and conclude with you on the fubject refpecting which he has received my inftructions. (Signed) Frederick, duke of York, Commander-in-chief of the combined English and Ruffian army. To general Brune, commander-in-chief, &c. Head-quarters, Schagen Brug, By virtue of the authority, and in obedience to the order of his commander-in-chief of the combined English and Ruffian army, majorgeneral Knox will have the honour of communicating with general Brune, commander-in-chief of the French and Batavian army, and of ftating to him, that in confequence of the difficulties arifing from the very unfavourable and unusual state of the weather at this feason, we have judged it expedient to re-occupy the pofition of Zuyp: that in this fituation, with cantonments amply adequate to the amount of our forces, having an uninterrupted and certain means of keeping up our communication with England, and mafters as we are of the Helder, the Texel, the Zuyder Zee, and the ocean, it depends upon us either to await the period when a favourable change of weather and of circumftances enable us to remay new offenfive operations, or to withdraw our army by degrees, and without rifk, from this country, retaining poffeffion of fuch detached points as might be judged most favourable for annoying the enemy, or for fecuring real advantages to ourfelves. In the event of our refure, it will become our duty to curring to this laft-mentioned meaneglect no means which can contribute to the prefervation of the brave troops intrufted to our care; and for this purpofe (however diftreffing, however ruinous to the inhabitants and to the country the alternative may be) we fhall be compelled to avail ourselves of thofe dreadful expedients which it is in our power to adopt. Having perfectly at our difpofal the fea-dykes, both towards the ocean and the Zuyder Zee, as well as the interior dykes, dykes, we should in that cafe be reduced to the terrible neceffity of inundating the whole country of North Holland, and of adding to this calamity every deftructive evil which muft neceffarily refult from an attempt to force or interrupt our retreat. We fhould, under fuch circumftances, also be constrained to make ufe of the ample means we poffefs of rendering the navigation of the Zuyder Zee henceforth impracticable, by obftructing the Mars Diep, and destroying the Nieuve Diep; works upon which fo many years labour, and fuch immenfe fums, have been expended. Our fyftem of carying on war having on all occafions been governed by the most liberal principles, neceffity and the ftrongeft fenfe of duty could alone induce us to adopt a lyftem repugnant to the fentiments which have ever directed the conduct of the: English nation. From thefe confiderations, and from our perfuafion that general Brune and the Dutch people must be actuated by fimilar motives, and equally defirous to prevent an ufelefs effufion of blood, by the amicable arrangement of a point which is, perhaps, the object of both parties, and from our anxiety, in cafe of a different refult, to ftand juftified to the whole univerfe, from whatever deftruction may in confequence devolve upon this country; we propofe and offer to general Brune, and to the Batavian republic, that the English and Ruffian troops fhall evacuate, before the end of November next, all the coafts, the islands, and the interior navigation of Holland, without committing any act detrimental to the great fources of its navigation, or laying the country under any inundations. For this purpose, we propofe that a fufpenfion of hoftilities fhall take place until the period above fpecified: That during this interval we fhall remain in full pofleffion of all the points, and of the whole extent of country we occupy at this moment, and that the line of the refpective advanced pofts fhall alfo be that of feparation between the two armies; and that this line fhall not, under any pretence, be paffed by the troops of either, even in the event of our choofing to retire from any part of our prefent pofition, or of our quitting it altogether: That during the above-mentioned interval no interference fhall be allowed, nor any objections be ftarted, with refpect to the conduct of either of the parties within the limits of their refpective poffeffions; and that all the rights of war (every act of hoftility excepted) fhall continue mutually in force: That we will grant to the perfons and property of the inhabitants of the country occupied by us every protection confiftent with difcipline, in the circumftances under which we are placed, and all the advantages which the conduct generally obferved by Britifh troops entitles them to expect on fuch an occafion. If these propofals accord with the wishes, and are conformable to the intentions of general Brune, there can be no difficulty whatever in carrying them into execution in three days from the date hereof. By order of his royal highness the commander-in-chief. (Signed) H. Taylor, Sec. The Major-general Knox, who was inftructed to confer with me on your part, upon the fubject of a note which he has delivered, figned by your fecretary, will communicate my answer contained in an explanatory note. (Signed) Citizen Brune, General-in-chief of the combined French and Batavian army. Head-quarters, at Alkmaar, the 15th of October, the 8th Year of the French Republic. The duke of York, commanderin-chief of the English army, propoles that a ceflation of hoftilities hall take place, in confequence of the approach of the inclement feafon. He promifes to withdraw from the Batavian territory, between the prefent period and the end of November next, the whole army under his command; and confents that no damage fhall be committed, no fluices opened, or dykes broken up, on condition of his retreat not being molested by the French and Batavian army. Thefe motives would not have been brought forward by the duke of York, if he had confidered himself possessed of means fuffi. cient for advancing into the country; for in that cafe he would have had the facility of extending his quarters, of procuring fubfiftence, and, in fhort, of placing himfelf beyond the reach of the inconveniences arifing from the unfavourable feafon. We ought confequently to look to advantages in an arrangement, proportionate to the infufficiency of the forces under his command. The terms propofed by the duke of York contain nothing but what would be the neceflary refult of a ceflation of hoftilities. It can fcarcely be fuppofed that the duke of York will caufe the dykes to be destroyed, the country to be inundated, and the villages to be burnt, for the mere purpofe of committing fuch acts of violence; as fuch conduct would be contrary to the laws of war, and muft draw upon him the reprobation of all Europe and of his own nation. It appears therefore evident, that the duke of York would confine himself to fuch measures as might be useful to his own army, or detrimental to ours; but we look upon fuch accidents as infeparable from a state of war. No object of advantage to us appears therefore to refult from the propofals which have been made. Since, however, the fufferings of humanity came under the confideration of the duke of York, general Brune is ready to meet this honourable feeling; and, in doing fo, declares that the following ftipulations, on which he offers to confent to a fufpenfion of hoftilities, are fo obviously just, that he cannot depart from them: I. The Batavian fleet, which was furrendered to admiral Mitchell by admiral Storey, fhall be restored to the Batavian republic with its stores and and crews. In cafe the duke of York shall not be vefted with fufficient powers to comply with this article, his royal highnefs fhall engage to obtain from his court an equivalent compenfation. II. Fifteen thousand prifoners of war, French and Batavians, detain. ed in England, fhall be unconditionally releafed and fent home. The mode of felection, and the proportion for each country, to be fettled between the governments of the two republics. The Batavian admiral de Winter fhall be confidered as exchanged. This article fhall in no degree prejudice or interfere with the cartel of exchange at prefent established. III. The batteries and fort of the Helder fhall be restored in the condition in which they were found at the period of the invafion of the English and Ruffian army. An officer of artillery fhall be fent to the Helder by general Brune to fee that this article is complied with. IV. The army under the command of the duke of York fhall, within forty-eight hours, evacuate the pofition of the Zuyp; its advanced pofts fhall be withdrawn to the height of Callants-Oog. The French and Batavian army fhall preferve the pofitions it occupies at prefent, taking up, however, its advanced pofts at Petten, Krabendam, Schagen Brug, and Colhorn. It fhall have merely a vidette at the height of Callants-Oog. V. The troops compofing the English, and Ruffian army fhall be embarked fucceffively, and as fpeedily as poffible. All the British fhipping fhall quit the Texel, and all the English and Ruffian troops be withdrawn from the feas, coafts, and lands of the Batavian republic, before the 20th of November next, and fhall not damage the great fources of navigation, or occafion any inundation of the country. VI. All fhips of war or other veffels, having on board reinforcements for the combined English and Ruf fian army, fhall put to fea as foon as poffible, without landing the fame. VII. To guarantee the execution of thefe articles, hoftages fhall be given by the duke of York, to be felected amongst the officers of rank in his army. By order of general Brune, com- Head-quarters, Schagen Brug, General, I fend back major-general Knox with my anfwers to the explanatory note which he has delivered to me in your name. He is fully authori zed to conclude on my part upon every point which relates to the fubject of his miffion. (Signed) Frederick, duke of York, Commander-in-chief of the combined English and Ruffian army, To gen. Brune, commanderin-chief, &c. Head-quarters, Schagen Brug, His royal highnefs the duke of York, commander-in-chief of the combined English and Ruffian army, propofed to general Brune, commander-in-chief of the French and Batavian army, an arrangement equally to the advantage of both parties, originating in his defire to prevent the farther effufion of blood, and to preferve his country from the terrible effects of an inundation, as alfo from the deftruction of the best of its ports, involving the total ruin of |