I have the honour to acquaint you that on the 26th inft. at a quarter paft ten, A. M. the Dodman bearing North feven or eight leagues, I difcovered a fufpicious veffel to windward, standing towards the Viper, under my command; at noon, perceiving her to be an enemy, tacked, and food towards her, and at a quarter paft brought her close to action, which continued for three quarters of an hour, when the theered off; I had the good fortune, however, after a running fight of an hour and a half, to lay her clofe on beard, and upon pouring two broadfides into her the ftruck her colours; Me proves to be Le Furet, of 14 guns, four pounders, commanded by Citoyen Louis Bouvet, two days from St. Maloes, with a complement of 64 men, feven of which had been fent away in a prize on the morning of the day he was captured. Le Furet is quite new, this being her first cruize, is well flored and victualled for two months. I cannot speak too much in praife of Mr Henry Jane, acting Mafter, from whofe zeal and ability I received every afliftance; nor can I be fally expreffive of the fpirited and good conduct of the Officers and fhip's com pany.-I am happy to add, that we had only one man wounded, and myself flightly hurt; the fails and rigging much cut, and the main maft, I am apprehen five, rendered unferviceable.The lofs of the enemy was four men killed; the firft and fecond Captains, and fix men wounded; four dangerously. The prize, as well as the Viper, being much difabled in her fails and rigging, I have put into Falmouth, from whence I fhall proceed to Plymouth as foon as poffible. English Force.-Viper, of 12 guns, four pounders, and 48 men. French Force.-Le Furet, of 14 guns, four pounders, and 57 men. I have the honour to be, &c. J Pengelley. To Sir Thomas Pafley, Bart. &c. Extract of another Letter from Sir Thomas Pafley to Evan Nepean, Esq. dated the 31ft ult. The Ariftocrat armed brig has just arrived with L'Avanture French privateer, of 14 guns, and 42 men, out ten days from St. Maloes, and had taken nothing. Admiralty-Office, Jan. 18. Copy of a Letter from Admiral Sir Hyde Parker, Knt. Commander in Chief of his Majefty's Ships and Veffels at Jamaica, to Evan Nepean, Efq. dated on board the Abergavenny, in Port Royal Harbour, the 25th of Оc. 1799. SIR, I have the honour to enclofe, for the information of my Lords Commiffioners of the Admiralty, a letter from Capt. Philpot, Commander of his Majesty's floop Echo, ftating as gallant and daring an enterprite, under the command of Lieut. Napier, of the faid floop, as has been executed by any one Officer in the fervice during this war, when it is known that the two boats employed on this fervice were manned with 16 men only, Officers included; and that, from the confeffion of the Officers of the brig, they were in expectation of being attacked, and had held themselves in a state of preparation for two days and two nights. Being well affured there needs no further comment from me to induce their Lordships to pay attention to men of fuch diftinguished merit as Lieutenant Napier appears to have had on fuch a hazardous and bold undertaking, I shall implicitly fubmit it for their Lordships' confideration. I have the honour to be, &c. &c. Echo, I beg leave to inform you, that on the 14th inft. I chafed into Lagnadille, the north-west end of Porto Rico, a brig. Seeing feveral veffels in the bay, fome of them loaded, on the 15th I fent the pin nace and jolly boat, under the command of Lieutenants Napier and Rorie; they arrived too late to attempt boarding the veffels at anchor; but had the good fortune to capture a Spanish brig from Canada (on the main) bound to Old Spain, laden with cocoa and indigo, and having on board two four-pounders and 20 men. On the 16th I fent the two boats under the command of Lieut. Napier and Mr Wood, (the Boatfwain) to cut out what they could from the bay. They arrived at the anchorage about two o'clock in the morning, and were hailed from the brig we chaced in; they perceived her to be armed, and on the look-out for them, moored about half a cable's length from the fhore, with her broadfide to the fea, protected by a field-pieces, one eigh teen-pounder, and fome fmaller carriage guns, all placed on the beach. The boars did not hesitate, but boarded her in the bow; the Frenchmen and Spaniards (about 30 in number, all upon deck, with matches lighted and guns primed, every way prepared for action) made the bent of their way down the hatchways. By the time the cables were cut, the guns on the beach opened their fire upon the boats. The third fhot, I am forry to fay, funk the pinnace, while fhe was a-head towing the jolly-boat. The brig was feveral times hulled, but a light breeze favouring, the foon got out of gun-fhot. I have every reafon to be pleafed with the conduct of Lieut. Napier, and thofe under him: had I known what they had to contend with, I fhould not have confidered myself juftified in fending fo fmall a force; luckily not a man killed or wounded; the only lofs is the boat, with the arms and ammunition. The brig mounts 12 four-pounders; had thirty men on board; is, a French letter of. marque, commanded by Citizen Pierre Martin, Enfeigne de Vaiffeau, is coppered, and a very faft failor; was to fail in two days for Curacoa; there to be fitted as a privateer; she is American built, and has a valuable cargo on board; the Captain of her was on shore. I remain, &c. Robert Sir Hyde Parker, K. B. &c. &c. Ed. Mag. Apr. 1899. Copy of another Letter from Admiral Sir Hyde Parker to Evan Nepean, Efq. dated Port Royal Harbour, the 27th of 08. 1799. SIR-I herewith tranfmit you, for the information of the Right Hon. the Lords Commiffioners of the Admiralty, an account of armed and merchant veffels captured by the iquadron under my command, fince my laft return, dated the 21ft of July laft, by his Majefty's fhip Magicienne. I have the honour to be, &c. H. Parker. [Here follows the ftatement, of which the following is a fummary :-A privateer of one, and another of two guns, by the Trent; ditto of 12 guns, and one of two, by the Meleager and Greyhound; one ditto of two guns, by the Aquilon; two ditto of four guns, one of two, and one of one, by the Surpriz; one ditto of fix guns, by the Stork; one ditto of two guns, by the Mufquito; one ditto of eight guns, by the Loweftoff, Volage, and Swallow; and one ditto of twelve guns, and one ditto of two guns, by the Echo; with the following merchant veffels: three by the Brunswick, two by the Carnatic, eight by the Trent, fix by the Meleager and Greyhound, one by the Aquilon, eleven by the Surprize, one by the Acafto, three by the Sork, two by the Alarm and Amphion, one by the latter, one taken and deftroyed by the Alarm, fix by the Solebay, one by the Meleager, dne by the A brieño, three by the Swallow, three by ditto and the Loweftoffe and Volage, one by the Loweftoffe, four by the Diligence, one by the Fox, fix by the Lark, one by the Mufquito, four by the Recovery, three by the Echo, three by the Sparrow, and five by the York.] Admiralty Office, Jan. 21. 1800. Copy of a Letter from Sir Hyde Parker, Knt. Commander in Chief of his Majefty's Ships and Veffels at Jamaica, to Evan Nepean, Efq. dated in Port Royal Harbour, the 4th of Nov. 1799. SIR-I have a peculiar fatisfaction in communicating to you, for the information of my Lords Commiffioners of the Admiralty, that his Majefty's late ship Hermione is again reftored to his navy, by as daring and gallant an enterprize as is to be found in our naval annals, under the command of Captain Hamilton himfelf, with the boats of the Surprize only. Captain Hamilton's own letter, with th Rr repe Philpot. reports accompanying it, (copies of which are enclosed) will fufficiently explain to their Lordships the detail of this fervice, and the bravery with which the attack was fupported, and leaves me only one obfervation to make on the very gallant ́action, which adds infinite honour to Capt. Hamilton as an Officer, for his conception of the service he was about to undertake. This was, Sir, his difpofition for the attack; which was, that a number of chofen men, to the amount of 50, with himself, fhould board, and the remainder in the boats to cut the cables and take the ship in tow. From this manœuvre he had formed the idea, that while he was difputing for the poffeffion of the ship, The was approaching the Surprize, who was laying clofe into the harbour, and in cafe of being beat out of the Hermione, he would have an opportunity of taking up the conteft upon more favourable terms. To the fteady execution of thefe orders was owing the fuccefs of this bold and daring undertaking, which mufi ever rank among the foremost of the many gallant actions executed by our navy this war. I find the Hermione has had a thorough repair, and is in complete order: I have therefore ordered her to be furveyed and valu d, and fhall commiflion her as foon as the reports are made to me from the Officers of the yard, by the name of the Retaliation. I have the honour to be, &c. &c. SIR-The honour of my country, and the glory of the British navy, were ftrong inducements for me to make an attempt to cut out, by the beats of his Majefty's fhip under my command, his Majefty's late fhip Hermione, from the harbour of Porto Cavallo, where there are about 200 pieces of cannon mounted on the batteries. Having well obferved her fitua-. tion on the 22d and 23d ultimo, and the evening of the 24th being favourable, I turned the hands up to acquaint the Officers and fhip's company of my intentions to lead them to the attack, which was handfomely returned with three cheers, and that they would all follow to a man: this greatly increafed my hopes, and I had little doubt of fucceeding. The boats, containing one hundred men, including Officers, at half paft twelve on the morning of the 25th, (after having beat the launch of the fhip, which carried a twenty four-pounder and 20 men, and receiving feveral guns and smal arms from the frigate) boarded; the forecaftle was taken poffeffion of without much refiftance; the quarter-deck difputed the point a quarter of an hour, where a dreadful carnage took place; the main-deck held out much longer, anti with equal flaughter; nor was it before: both cables were cut, fail made on the fhip, and boats a-head to tow, that the main-deck could be called ours; they laft of all retreated to the 'tween decks, and continued firing till their ammunition was expended; then, and not until then, didi they cry for quarter.—At two o'clock the Hermione was completely ours, being out of gun-fhot from the fort, which had for fome time kept up a tolerable good fire. From the Captain Don Romond de Chalas I am informed he was nearly ready for fea, mounting 44 guns, with a hip's company of 321 Officers and failors, 56 foldiers, and 15 artillery-men onboard. Every Officer and man on this expedition behaved with an uncommon degree of valour and exertion; but I confider it particularly my duty to mention the very gallant conduct, as well as the aid and affillance at a particular crifis, I received from Mr John McMullen, furgeon and volunteer, and Mr Maxwell, gunner, even after the latter was dangeroufly wounded. As the frigate was the particular object of your order of the 17th of September, I have thought proper to return into port with her.-Enclofed I tranfmit you a lift of captures during the cruize, alfo two lifts of killed and wounded. I have the honour to be, &c. 4 Lift of the Killed and Wounded on board the Spanish Frigate Hermione, late his Majefty's Ship Hermione, when captured by the Boats of his Majesty's Ship Surprize, under the Command of Capt. Edward Hamilton, in Porto Cavallo, Od. 25, 1799, and general Statement of the Complement on Board. Prifoners landed at Porto Cavallo the fame day, out of which there were 79 wounded, moftly danger 218 20 3 +7 Swam killed. (Signed) E. Hamilton, Capt. A Lift of Officers and Men wounded on board the Spanish Frigate Hermione, on the Attack made by the Boats of his Majefty's Ship Surprize, under the Orders of Capt. Hamilton, in the Harbour of Porto Cavallo, the 25th Oa. I799. Edward Hamilton, Efq. Captain, several contufions, but not dangerous; Mr John Maxwell, Gunner, dangerously wounded in feveral places; John Lewis Matthews, Quarter-mafter, dangerously; Arthur Reed, Quarter-gunner, dangeroufly; Henry Milne, Carpenter's crew, dangerouily; Henry Dibleen, Gunner's Mare, flightly; Charles Livingfton, able feaman, flightly; William Pardy, able feaman, flightly; Robert Ball, able feaman, flightly; Thomas Stevenfon, able feaman, flightly; John Ingram, private marine, flightly; Jofeph Titley, private marine, flightly. (Signed) E. Hamilton, Capt. (A Copy.) H. Parker. A Lift of Veffels captured by bis Majesty's Ship Surprize, Edward Hamilton, Efq. Commander, from the 10th Day of Sept. to the 30th Day of Oct. 1799. The French fchooner Nancy, of nine men, and twenty-five tons, from Aux Cayes, bound to Curacoa, laden with coffee, taken near Cape de la Vella, Oc tober 4, 1799. The Dutch fchooner Lame Duck, of ten guns, and eighty tons, from Aux Cayes, laden with fundries, cut out from the harbour of Aruba, Oct. 15, 1799. The Spanish fchooner La Manuel, of fix men, and ten tons, from Aux Cayes, laden with plantain, destroyed near Porto Cavallo, Oct. 20, 1799. The Spanish trigate Hermione, of forty. four guns, three hundred and ninety-two men, and feven hundred and feventeen tons, from Aux Cayes, cut out from Porto Cavallo, Oct. 25, 1799. (Signed) Amethyft, at Sea, December, 19, 1799. Lat. 46 deg. 44 min. N. Long. 4 deg. W. MY LORD-I have the honour to acquaint your Lordship, that I this day captured L'Avanture French brig privateer, mounting fourteen guns, and manned with feveny five men, belonging to L'Orient. I have the honour to be, &c. John Cook. Admiralty-Office, Jan. 25. Extract of a Letter from Capt. Valentine Edwards, Commander of his Majesty's Ship the Sceptre, to Evan Nepean Efq. dated Table Bay, Cape of Good Hope, the 20th Odober 1799. On my paffage I made the Island of Roderique, where I difcovered a fail; on the rocks and hoifted French colours; I our coming up with her the ran among fent them manned and armed to take immediately hoifted out the boats and poil offeffion of her, which, after a defence of about half an hour, they accomplished, without any lofs or damage. She proved to be L'Eclair French privateer brig, from the Mauritius, of twelve guns, twelve and fix pounders, and eightythree men. She had been cruizing on the coaft of Brazil; the fituation fhe was placed in rendered it impoffible to get her out that evening, I therefore judged it moft prudent to deftroy her, rather than delay the convoy till the morning, and gave directions to that effect, and faw her burnt down to the water's edge before I made fail. This fervice was executed by Mr Tucker, the Second Lieutenant of the Sceptre, whose conduct on this occafion merits my warmcft thanks. (Here end the Gazettes.). The Senate of Hamburgh, and the French Confulate. E. Hamilton, Capt. Extract of a Letter from the Burgomaf Rr ters ters of the Free and Imperial City of Hamburgh, to the Confuls of the French Republic. CITIZENS CONSULS! "Whatever may have been the prejudices which caufe you to entertain unfavourable fentiments againft the Magif trates of the City of Hamburgh, these cannot prevent them from again approaching you, under the auspices of the late fortunate events which have happened a Paris. The whole nation having formed the fairest and most confolatory hopes, you will at least permit us to participate in them, and pray for their accomplishment. "You are too illuftrious and too juft, not to be convinced of the fincerity of our fentiments in this refpect, or to doubt for a moment of our having always taken a lively part in the profperity of the French nation. "The painful event of the arreft and delivery of four Irifhmen, the fatal fource of many errors, of perfecutions, and of acts of injustice, appears to have irritated the Directory to fuch a pitch, as to render them unwilling to believe that the conduct purfued by us was ir reproachable, and in the ftricteft manner demonftrative of the most attentive regards for the Government of the Republic." [This Paper, which is too long for infertion, then goes on to fate-That Napper Tandy and Blackwell were the only two perfons who had been demanded by the French Republic; and that Morris and Peters had been confidered by the Legation as British subjects.That there never was any example in history of one Belligeren: Power having confidered itself as authorised to protect in a neutral flate thofe fubje&s that were claimed. That it could not be imputed to them as a crime to have delivered up men who inconteftibly belonged to another nation, and were foreigners in regard to the Republic. That Citizen Grenville, French Minifter at Copenhagen, had judged their fafety, while they continued at that place, fo precarious, and was in his wifdom fo convinced that the claims of the British Government, with regard to them, was fo well founded and legitimate, that in order to fecure them against the demands of the British Minifter, he thought it neceffary to afford them an afylum in his own house. That although they knew and faw the favourable reception given at Hamburgh to all perfons in the fervice of the French Republic, yet they entered that city by ftealth, and after the manner of malefactors, with falfe names and falle characters. Napper Tandy took the name of Jones, and faid he was a merchant who had just come from Philadelphia. Blackwell took that of Barthelemy Blackfirst, and deferibed himtelf also as an American merchant. That in Germany, it was well known that the demands of Foreign Minifters claiming perfons be longing to their nation, were not refused and that Citizen Rheinhard, Minister of the Republic, had met the fame facility at Hamburgh. That when the officer of police had asked the former of those perions his name, he said it was Jones. After having been arrefted, he did not declare who he was, but fubmitted without murmur, explanation, or proteft to the demand of the British Government. The other perfon alfo continued after his arreft to call himself Barthelemy Blackfirft; and it was not until after their arreft, that they wished to pass for French Officers. That when they were claimed as Brevet Officers belonging to the Republic, the French Minifter did not even think proper to entrust the Magiftrates with thofe Brevets, nor even furnish them with copies of them; but that the Britifh Minifter had officially declared them to be fubjects of the King of Great Britain. He was the firft who made the claim; and on Jones was found a fword with the British arms on it. That under fuch circumftances, the Magiftrates could not refuse their affent to the official declarations of the British Minifter; and that when he had heard of the demand of the Republic, he infifted with more vehemence than ever, and with the moft violent menaces, that they should be given up; and he gave the city reafon to dread the warmest refentment on the part of his Government. That the demand of the British Government was ftrongly fupported by examples from history. One of thefe examples was the arreft of the famous Trenck, who, though in the Ruffian fervice, had been taken up at Dantzic on the requifition of the Pruffian Minifter, and delivered up to him as a Pruffian fubject. That refifting, for fome time, all the menaces and argu ments that had been ufed, the Magiftrates referred the affair to the decifion of the King of Pruffia, as Chief Director of the Circle of Lower Saxony, and as the guarantee of the neutrality of the North of Germany; but his Majefty would |