who had been captured by Sir Edward Pellew, was permitted by the British government, some time previous to Sir Sydney's escape, to go to France, and endeavour to negotiate an exchange between himself and that officer; but being unable to succeed, he returned to England. The object of M. Bergeret's mission being now attained, he received a letter from the secretary of state, signifying that his Majesty was graciously pleased, considering the trouble to which he had been put, and as a mark of the satisfaction his conduct had afforded, to restore to him his liberty, and permit him to return to his country, without any restriction what ever. On the 6th Lieutenant Charles Papps Price who commanded at the islands of St. Marcou (which had been taken possession of in 1795, for the purpose of obtaining information from France, and assisting the royalists) having observed the enemy's gun and flat boats, in the road of La Hogue, making preparations to come out, concluded that an attack was meditated against him. To prevent being surprized he dispatched a guard-boat off La Hogue to watch their motions, and give the earliest intelligence of their approach. At 12 o'clock at night the guard-boat made the signal that the enemy was advancing. The weather was calm and so extremely dark that the people on the batteries could distinctly hear them giving orders, although it was impossible to see their vessels. At day-light Lieutenant Price observed them drawn up in a line opposite the south-west face of the western redoubt, from whence he immediately opened a heavy and well directed fire from seventeen pieces of cannon; which was as warmly re turned by the enemy's gun-brigs, their flat boats rowing up with great resolution, full of troops, under the cover of their fire. When they had approached to within musket-shot of the shore, they were saluted by such a furious volley of round, grape, and case shot, that they retreated in the greatest confusion, and with dreadful slaughter; six or seven of the boats were sunk with most of those on board, one was found on shore bottom uppermost, and by a paper found on board her, the crew appeared to have consisted of 144 men. mainder, 43, retired in the utmost disorder back to La Hogue; at the commencement of the action their force amounted to 52, and it was supposed at least, 6000 or 7000 men were embarked on board this flotilla. The Adamant, Eurydice, and Orestes were within six miles of the islands; but being becalmed, and the tide against them, they could not render any assistance. The only loss sustained, was one man killed and three wounded. The re Lieutenant Price was, for this gallant defence, promoted to the rank of master and commander. Intelligence having been received that the enemy had collected a great number of gun-boats, and transport schuyts at Flushing, which were intended to be sent to Dunkirk and Ostend, by the Bruges canal; the British cabinet formed a plan for the destruction of the basin gates and sluices. For this purpose, a squadron chiefly composed of small vessels of war and gun-boats, was ordered to assemble at Margate, and there to take on board a body of about 2000 troops, under the orders of Major-general Coote. This squadron which was commanded by Captain Home Riggs Popham, proceeded. May 14, to the place of its destination, which it did. not reach until one o'clock on the morning of the 19th, when it anchored off Ostend; soon afterwards the wind shifted to the west, and threatened to blow so much, that the general and Captain Popham were deliberating ́ whether it would not be better to go to sea, and wait a more favourable opportunity, to put in execution the object of the expedition; just at this moment a vessel was brought to Captain Popham which had been cut out from under the light-house battery by the Vigilant ; the report which the people, taken on board, gave of the force in Ostend, Newport, and Brugess, made General Coote propose to land immediately, and accomplish the destruction of the canals, even if the surf, which broke with much violence on the shore, should make his retreat doubtful. Captain Popham acceded to the general's proposition, and instantly ordered the troops to be landed, without waiting for the regular order of debarkation. Many of them were on shore before they were discovered; and it was not till a quarter past four, that the enemy's batteries opened on the ships, which was returned in a most spirited manner by Captain Mortlock, of the Wolvereene, Lieutenant Edmonds of the Asp, and Lieutenant Norman of the Biter. The Hecla and Tartarus bombs threw their shells with so much precision, that the town was on fire several times, and the ships in the basin much damaged. As a feint to cover the operations of bringing up the materials, and of destroying the sluices, a summons was sent to the commandant of Ostend to surrender the town and its dependencies to his Majesty's forces; to which he returned the following answer. "Muscar, Commandant of Ostend, to the Commander-in Chief of the Troops of his Britannic Majesty. "LIBERTY. "General, EQUALITY. "Garrison of Ostend, 30th Floreal, 6th Year of the Republic. "The council of war was sitting when I received the honour of your letter; we have unanimously resolved not to surrender this place, until we shall have been buried under its ruins. (Signed) "MUSCAR, 66 Commandant of the Garrison." By five o'clock the troops were ordered to land and were all on shore, with the necessary implements for destroying the sluices, covered by the gun-boats. The fire from the batteries' had much damaged the vessels opposed to them; Captain Popham therefore called them off, and directed the Dart, Harpy, and Kite, to take their stations; but it being low water they could not get near enough to have much effect. At half past nine, the Minerva transport, which had parted company, joined; but the surf ran too high to land. At 20 minutes past ten, a great explosion was seen, which indicated the destruction of the sluices; and soon after the troops were observed to be assembled on the sandhills near the shore; at this time the sea was so rough, that it was impossible to re-embark a single man. In this situation the troops lay on their arms the whole night. At day-break on the 20th, General Coote had |