Star. — London, England, 1807-03-13 00:00:00

• Re ezatnineit by Sir Hosts Pau am. 12_ Tret have &Id that Fir D. Baird and irwfaf were In poifef. of the Dutch private final. I fnnofe you nits,' the colo nial fignals, or the Beals from the final Rations ?—A. I certainly do mean tbe'coloalial fignals.• The fame man who was fignalman to the Dutch, is now fo to the Enghlb. He is an old Dutchman, has been there thefe twenty years Q ro you mean to fay that I 'bad any of the Dutch Ibip's fig oats r—A I do not; 1 matt the Ggnab made at the Cape. Q Could the merchants (hips have lain either in Simon's Bay or in Table Bay. completely protected from soy infult of the enemy. by bring properly moored in either of thofc bays ?—A. Certainly tbry could with mica Coley. QAs you have f d I it is generally calm in the day rime in Si mon s Bay, while there is a ftreing breeze in the offin g, do you thinkthat any of the enemy's cruizera , !landing in for Simon's Bay, would riot have clearly made out, from the rigging, &c. whether the Clips lying in that hay were Britilb men of war, and confequently have taken the advantage of the breeze they were in, to make their efcape, while the (hiss at anchor were becalmed? —A. I certainly sin. . . AS G.ltelte of Lord Nelfon's adion with the com bined fl-ets of France and Spain, publiihed at the Cape In the courfe "t three weeks or a month after it Was captured by us A. I perfedtly remetither its being publilhed there, but cannot .ipeak to the day. I know a filute was fired from thee-411e. Q Is it not in your recolledlion and knowledge, that Sir D. Baird had equipped and exercikd a very Strong corps of flying ar tillery, to fend to any part of the coaft where an enemy might ap pear, upon the fmalklt fufp!cion of his meaning to land?—A. Yes. I bare ken th:an exercised everyday, under the diredtions of Major Spicer. I don't knew their numbers, but the line stied to reach the whole. length of the ftreet. Q. If the enemy had been in poffeffion of fuch a corps of flying artiTray, would they rot have molt feverely anno)ecl us in land ing, in confequence of the very heavy furl there was in Gosfort's Bay, and in general on that part of the coaft, provided, I mean, the enemy had fent it, to be ufed againft the difembarkation Mott certainly they would. Q z. Do you remember having captured the Fortuna brig, under national colours, in Table Bay, by one of the boats of your de partment, and the perfon who boarded her brought en fhore the nephew of Schimmelpenninck, Prefident of the Batavian Go vernment, with all his difpatches ?-t-A. I do, perfectly well; they were (earned in the drawer of a trunk, and opened in the eaftle by Colonel Vafrall. and I heard them read at the Govern ment Houle, before Sir D. Baird, loose time after Sir Horne's They directed the command to be delivered up to any French Officer,even of inferior rank ; and I heard Siraliaird fay, he would fend the difpatches home to Government. By the PRObICUTOR. Q Do you know when the dilpatches bore date ?—A. I do not know the sl I.e ; they came from Anifterdam. • Was the Fortuna taken after Sir Home failed for South America ?—A. It might have bsen a month or two. Q Was the purport of there difpatches to inform Governor Janie n that a Frencll force might be canceled at the Cape ?—A. All that I can recoiled of it was, that if a French Officer, even of inferior rank, arrived, be was to give up the command; I do not recoiled,. the menden of any troops, only, to avoid any difpute, the men were direeted to go hand in band with the French, whom they were to confider as their brothers. Captain King [worn and examined. By Sir Home 1 1 011111 AM. Q How long have you been an Officer of the Royal Navy ? A Near twenty years, three of which I was Ading Lieutenant. Q Where did you chiefly terve ?—A In the [aft ladies, Cape of Gond Hope, and on the Home Service. Q Were you twice at the capture of the Cape of Good Hope? ....A. I was. Q . What time were you appointed to the command of the Dia denl7—A. In January. act). QDo you. remember the circumftanee of the boats of the fquadron capturing the Rclla brig, by which the letters front Ad miral I.ltois to (loverror Janfen were intercepted, hating his t%- creme dlftres for provifions, and esprefting adt fire that he world procure fome for him, againft his arrival, which he hoped would be by the ift of Mardi ?—A. Difpatehes were brought to me as Captain of the Flag Ship, and forwarded by me to Sir Home Popham. Q ` Do you remember my examining the Officer who command ed the Rolla, about the Rare of the Marengo's proviiions, and his exprt !nog a ttreng befit'', that the could not remain to longs the lit of March, without coming into port, unlufs the could procure force provillons ?—A. Certainly, as he made no fecret of being defined for the Cape, knowing that w had read the letters. Do you remember hailMg the Volontaire French frigate to firike her colours, when the paired the Diadem, coming into Table BaT?-7A. Yes._ Q z.. A report hting made to me, that the had fearcely any water on board, do you recoiled I &fired Come fupply fhould be Cent immediately for indent ufe, either from the Diomede or Leda ? A. I do. Ile Cigna' was immediately made, but from what Chip I cannot recoiled. • C Was not the Volontaire confidered as the forerunner of Ad miral Willeaumcz's fquadron ?--A. It was. Q_State to the Court. whether, from the converfation you had with the officcrs.of the Volontairc the Cape was the firft deftina tion of Admiral Willaurns z's fquadron ?—Prom all the converfa tions I had with the French officer , I had no doubt but they were defined to the Cape of Good Hope ; and in a converfation with Captain Britttl, who commanded la Volintaire, he ex. reffed much anxiety for the fate of the French Rating hi, fears, that they would arrive, t . .vu at a time, to water and rc.- f (h. Q. Pid yon not coiled that the French tquadron, all or 1 , 1,1, might he hourly eTpc.ted at the Cape of Good Hope ?—A. as la Volontaire had been long partesi from them, and had been 1(1;7 at fea ct %Vila- did you sinlerfland to he the ultimate ftination of the French Fleet. front any information yt.o have hated to have bad frotraconvertations with Captain Brittel and the other efficers of the Volontaire ?—A. I obtained information, which appeared to -me to he certain, that they were bound ultimately to the Bra• zits for rare thmew , and then to the Kett Indies : which infor mation I communicated to Sir H. Popham, having cbtaincd it from an officer of la. Vulontaire, whom 1 did not thick. in the French interett. \Vila rank did he hold?—A. A Lieutenantev. `Were you nut aware that I had been acquainted with the oill:cr in queftion before the preterit war Yes, I was. Do you not imagine, from th., circumftances which teen fpirLd, that the officer in cuellion was exceedingly inclined to give me every information in his p svi , r. with reiped to the Btu:atoll and final deftination of Admiral Willcaumees lquailron? - . —A. Yea. • Q. Did I not appear perf..a.ly fatiaCed, from the it.forma tint) which I bad from this effic.r, materially corroborated by Captain Brittel and the other officers, that Admiral Willeau- Fitz had failed for the Brazils, long before I expreffed any in. tension of procetAing to the Lail Cuaft of South America Certainly. Q Do you remember me receiving intelligence that Admi ral Willeauinez had really arrived at St Salyadore, in the Brazils, on the aft of April, and failed from thence to the Weft Indies on the aoth ? —A. Ycs. Q That information was, I believe, received by us en our ar rival in the R:o de la Plata, and I alit yt;tt, whether it did not completely confirm the _information I received trona the French oflici.rs, previous to my failing trona the Cape ?—.A . To the firft r.trt of that f anfwer it was, to the heft of my recolledlion ; that i-, from the information I received on our arrival at St. Salvador e. "I'n the latter part I anfwer that it did confirm the information re ceived from the officers of la Volontaire. Q. Do you remember my going on fhore at the requeft of Sir D. Baird, accompanied by the Cagrairs of the squadron, to make a regular infpedtion of the Rate and poll:ion of the batteries, and how far thole already erected and rreding, in coact:pence of my fuggeflion, would eemplettly command what is called the an chorage in Table Bay, and all tic landing places from Three An chor Bay to the Welt of the Green Point down to Craig's Tower, on the Ballet - union point ?—A. I do, as I attended you on that occafion. Q Do you recoiled Sir David Baird espreffing hinifelf molt perfedly fatis6ed with the liate of deter re in which the Cape 'was ?—A. I do ; I have freeticntly heard him exprefs hirafelf in a way which convinced me ' he apprehended no danger from any attack_of the etiony. Can ynu inform the Court, rbetkr you formed the fame °pluton yearfelf, from the ohiervations you made on the tlreneth pation of the batteries ?- f •-•;‘. hr as I t,a) j.idge of a mitt -ary potation, I fhauld confider ti , ,! Cape, "in the hand,' of Sir I)avid Baird, and the'roops he had there, as nearly impregnahle. Q. State to the Court silirZer, in -yotir hpigon, all-the yearly .)mmerce between Engl..titi and if it cud he cclied,;(l is would be perf.....7.4 fccare from any : , ttact,e of the eye .. 1 thin:: an; Lettile of war ; Itiat inigLt atuet them would be tiefttoyed by the &eel of the batteriel, proVided the merchant Clips were properly moored. Q r _ Do you remember the Gazette, with Lord Notion's viCi.ory over the Combined Fleets, being publifhed at the Cape of Good Hope ?—A. Yes. QWas that antecedent to, or after the capture of la Volontalre? A. I cannot recoiled ; but I think it muft Save been fubfequent ; bit! I cannot fpcak with certainty. Chuplirg the impreflions which you had on your mind by the &tailed tkitruetion of the Combined fleets, from the different aizettes which came to the Cape, with the intelligence which we recrivrd by la Volontaire, of the Rate of the French {hips at Breit, and other ports, would you imagine that any force could he colic& ed in Furope fufficient to make any attempt outhc Cape of Good Hope ?—A. I have no idea that they could. EL Is there any place within your knowledge that is fo difficult to make an impreffion upon by an invading army as the Cape of Good Hope ?—A. No, (peaking generally ; but I do not mean to include Gibraltar, Cadiz, and fuck forts as tbofe. QDo you know that Sir David Baird was equipping and prac ticing a very ftrong corps of flying artillery, and had railA a Hot tentot r‘giment before I left the Cape for South America ?—A. Yes; they were then railing rapidly ; the former he was equipping and conftantly priectifing. Q If the enemy had been in poffeffion of fuels a corps of fly ing artillery, and bad attempted to oppofe our landing w:th it, fhould we not have very materially fuffered from the heavy furl which role on that beach to the northward of Craig's Tower, if the expedition had nut been totally defeated ?—A. If the enemy had had fuch a corps, and it had been well ferved, and dove its duty, I think the landing would have been impothble, as a land ing at the Cape of Good Hope is, at tbc belt of times, very diffi cult. Q .. Do you apprehend that any naval power is fo expert in their hoa:s, and fo accuftomed to land under circumftances of extreme difficulty, whether from the fort or perfonal exertions, op- pofed to them, as the officers and feamen of the Britilh Navy • is it not almolt imputable ?--A. Ido not ; but I only ( peak of Table Bay. Q . _ Was it not generally underftond by Sir D. Baird, and the principal military officers at the Cape, that the belt poffinle de fence arrainft an invading army, was a ftrong corps of flying ar tillery ?—A Certainly. (Z_ When I failed from the Cape of Good Hope, with the whole of my fquadron, did you not know, and was it not generally un derltood, that I was going to attempt a out de-maht againit one of the enemy's poffeffions, in the Rio de la Plata ?—Yes. Q . Could I have poffibly left behind a frigate, or even a gun brig, without riding the fuceefs of whatever attempt I meant to mlke on either of thofe filaments No ; a. our force was altogether (mall, when combined. Q . ,. As you fay our force was (mall, I with to afk you, from all the information which we were in puffeffion of, relpening the de , fencelefs Rate of the enemy's fettlements in the Rto di. la Plata, was there the fmalleft doubt expreffi-d by any officer in the army or navy, employed on that expedition, or by General Baird, of oh taioirg quick pothrtonof the places above alluded to, provided we failed immediately, and meted whit promptnefs and vigour on our arrival in the Rio de la Plata ?—A. No ; not the leafl. (.I_, Did you ever, directly or indirealy, hear, that Sir David Baird offered the left objection or argument ag dnf nay taking the whole of my fquadroli from the Cape, of which lie was the Governor, or exprefs a with for any thing to remain, except the Charlotte fchooner, which was to be rea,ly to fofluw me with any difpatches that might be nereflary ?—A. Never. Q Was there any thing that ever came to your knowledge, which could induce you to believe or fufpedt, that my objeet for undertaking the attack of Buenos Ayres was not to advance the public interelt of the country, and to meet the wither of thole un der whom I thought I was riding, by endeavouring to eltablifh a permanent pofition in the Rio de la Plata !—A. From the various con vitiations I have had with, and the knowledge I have of you, I am confident you had no oiled in view hut the annoyance of the enemy, the honour of the fervice, and the public inrereft of the commerce of Great Britain. After the capture of Buenos Ayres, did f not do every thing by precept and example,to conciliate the minds of the inhabitants, and to prove to them that the great ()lied of the expedition was to ettablifh a commercial intercourfe between that country and Grcat Britain ?—A. You did Q Were not applications frequently offered to me, on the pro priety of immediately embarking the quickfilver and hark, and other valuable merchandize ; and did I not refute to do fo, until the fleet was completely provifioned; and by that attention to the public fervice, did I not make a very material private facrifice, and to what amount in your judgment ?—A I think it was pro poled to you to embark the propctty, which you constantly de clined, until the fleet was completely vidualled, and I think you thereby made a Friona( and private ficrifice of at leaf! ao,o;:aal. lL Da you remembcr my having fent from the Cape of Good Hope to England; to Admiral Cochrane. in the Weft Indies ; to Sir Edward Palm, in the Eaft Indies ; and to the Commanding Officer off the Mauritius, the intelligence received of Admiral Willaumez's fleet, and its probable ultimate deftination ?—A.Yes. q, Do you recolledt ever to have known an inflame of the in telligence I received, and which I generally communicated to you to have been incorrect ?—A. No Ido notret.oll2Cl any. Q_ Was there eva a doubt entertained by any Captain or Of. Peer of the fquadron, that tie Rio de la Plata was completely within the Cape Elation ?—A. Never; I have heard them fre quently convetfc on that fubjcd. Q Dorn not know, of your own knowledge, that Captain Rowley, who commanded the Raifocable, unecr my oreers, war. nt the Cape nation Taft war, in different Chips ?—A. He has -told me fu; and I think he told me be commanded the Imptrien'c. Q. Do you remember my being fuptifecled by Admiral Stirling at Mal lonodo ? This qaeftion was oh . frded to by the Court. Sir Home POPU AM only wifhed to thew, from the manner in which he was fent home, that he had nut the stecelTary withetles, becaufe h: had no idea of being called to a Court Martial. After a variety of obfervatioes the queftion vises ordtred" to be expunged, 23 being irrelevant to the charge. By the PROSECUTOR. Q . When did Sir Home Popham fait communicate to yon his intention to attack the enemy in the Rio de !a Plata?—To the belt of my recollection, in the latter end of March ; we having, gene rally (peaking, given up any expectation of Admiral Willaumer, after the 20th of March. Q. Do you recoiled the day when a Tonningen brig came in, and Rated, her having been boarded by a French lquadrou ? A No. Q Were the letters which were written by Sir Home Popham to tile Admiralty, communicated by hint to you I—A. No; I do not recoiled to have read any part or parts of letters from Sir Home Popham to the Admiralty, while we were at the Cape. Q._ I do not aile you, Sir, whether you ever read any 1411 s of thole letters; hat afk whether the fob:lance of thole lettel 4 'rum the Cape was ever communicated by Sir Home Popham to you ? A, I do not know to what letters you allude. F ROSECUTOR Turn to No 19. t tft March. rfloi." [Letter read by Witnefs, hating that a 'nitwit gut Lrig coming in was hoarded Ly a French fquadron.] QHaving looked at that letter, does it bring to your recoiled - lion the fart of a Totodugen brig having come in, and flaring that the had 'been boarded by a French fquadron ?—A. Yrs; but I do not recalled the time; I have no recolletflion except from that letter. State to the Cinat. whether the cooverfation you had with Sir Home Popham, on the fubjedt of his undertaking an Expedi tion to the Rio do la Plata, were or were not prior to the date of that letter?—A. I think I have already anfwered that queltion fully. I had no knowledge of Sir Home Popham sintention, prior to the date of that letter. Q Am I to underhand you. Sir, as fwearing pofitively that you had no converfation with Sir Home Popham. relative to taking any Expedition from the Cage, prior to that letter I—A. Cer tainly. Q Upon your arrival at the Cape. and taking poffeffron of it, did Sir Home Popham obtain the private fignals of the enc.ny, and what fignals were they ?—A We obtained of courfe the colonial fignals; theft., I mean, ufed at the fignal polls. Q Were thole Cigna!' known to the feveral Captains of the fquaa: osf —A They wire, to the brit of my recolledtion ; I bad a copy of them, as Captain of the Diadem. Q. Had their fignals been made to la Volontaire before the !truck ?—A. Not that I reculleEt. Q. Were any thips cruizit g without the Bay When laVolontaire flood in to it I—A. The Rearm able and Nateitfut were at rya, And chided la Volontaire into the Bay. Q Suppofing la Volontaire had not Bruck to the Diadem, would not tatofe thips have horn able to have captured her?—No, becaufe the Diadem would have funk her or blown lux up. Q raofiag no titip ltd been there, could not chore !Lips have captured her I—A. 114, 1 think they might. . Q I , it not therefore manifeftly of fervice to the Cape to have lonic of tits Maicity's [hips there, which could be Pa employed?— A. The Beard of Admiralty arc ash belt judge of that. ( i ttleition read again. • A it would be advantageous at all Arne, to bare figs eruizi us in every probable fituatiou that enemies' Mips may be found in ; but. w:th refpeet to the advantage of the Ci2e, I do not fee any Qucition repeated. A. If it is underflood that It refers to trade, I think fo. 0„ .. _ You have deferibed to the Court what you think of the Cart as a military pofition ; do you not think that fecurity would be materially added to, in the event of an attempt upon it, by its ha ving a naval force icr its protection?—A. As far as I can judge, the Cape is extremely ftrong, and capable of being well defended' without fhips—but mat undoubtedly, the addition of (hips. if the enemy were not fuperior in naval force, would be an aflittance, (")._ When did Sir Home fail from the Cape for the Rio de la Plata ? What naval force did he take with him, and v. hat el Ihe leave behind ? A. He failed in the middle of April, 18.-..6 I think the 13th or i4th ; took with him the Diadem, Raifonable, 1No• suede, Nareiffus, and Encounter gun brig. Ido not know of: auy man of war left behind. _ _ _ --- -- . -- ---- ------- -- Q D id you return home With Sir House Popham 2 A. I did. - By the Comm PRESIDENT—" Did any (hip or veffel arrive at the Cape, from which you received any intelligence on the day of your filing, re lative to Buenos Ayres ? "--A. Not that I recoiled. Q When the Volontaire was taken, the had ou hoard a number of Engliih prifoners; do you recollect how many ? A. To the belt of my recolledion, they might amount to nearly 200. Q . Do you know the number of her crew ? A. I think about three hundred. Q When the arrived, was the very (tort of water ?—A. Yes. Q: If (be bad not had the two hundred prifonera on board, might fhe not have continued much longer at fea without being very thort of water ?—A. Certainly, in as much proportion as the priforwrs had ufed. Q You have fpokcn of the intelligence you received from an officer on board the Volontaire, relative to Willaumez's fquadron, did you learn from bins bow h • himftlf was informed of that def tination ?—A. No; but 1 confidered him, and found him, a very intelligent man. and one who appeared to mt to be much in the confidence of his Captain. Q_ Did he tell you that he had feen the orders of Admiral Willaumez, or that his captain had intorneed him what thole or ders were ?—A. No. You have faid, that if the whole of the commerce between Great Britain and the all Indies was properly anchored in Table Bay, that it might be defended by the batteries on !bore ?—A. I mean to fay, that as many as the Bay will bold, if properly an chored, could be protected. Q Would thole *Blips be protected by the batteries, before they approached tear the ihore,going into Table Bay ?—A. They would. Q Weuld thole batteries proted the Mips Come leagues from • .. the More ?—A. Certainly not. - - - Q„ World then the Commander of the Cape, or (hips coming thither, be better proteeted by Chips of war cruizit.g off the Capc, than without ?—A. Yes, ceminiy. Q_ I think you have laid, from the information you received from the Volontaire, of the ate of the French (hips, at Ercil and other ports,that tho enemy could not coileuf, in Europe, any force to make art attempt on the Cape. Did you obtain, from the Vo lontaire, information of the naval force in Holland, of the naval force hi Toulon, of the Ration of Chips efcaped into Cadiz, or of thofe vaLkh were left by the Vulontaire, of the fquadron in kochefort ?—A. No; but in all the converfations I had with the French officers, which were numerous, I uncicrflood it to be, their opinion, that the naval forces of the Allies of France, as well as berfelf, were not in a (tate to attempt offenfivc operations, gene rally (peaking; upon which I had founded my opinion. Q, Do you mean that it was the opinion of thole Officers, that France and her Allies were not capable of fending any fquadron to fea ?—A. I do not know what might be their opinion of France or her Allies being capable of fending out a few cruizers, but I think it was the opinion of thofe Officers, that they were not able to fend to (ea a Naval Expedition. • Q. I think you have Paid Sir D. Baird thought flying artillery the molt efficacious to prevent a landing of an enemy at the Cape of Good Hope ? A I did. • Did you confider Lim to fay that they were fo efficacious as to render a naval force unneceifiry ?—A. No, I never heard him 1 - peak of the co.operation Of a naval force with his flying artillery ; but I have frequently heatd him ewers his opinion, that the Cape was in perfedt fecurity, and that the landing of troops, op part' to his army, amounted to almoft an impoffibUity ; and I con. ceive, that had the Dutch made proper refs flame with their flying artillery, at Lotfpur's Bay, it would have been very difficult, if not impoffible, to have made good our landing. Q Is the road between the Cape and Saldanah Bay of fuck a deferipti in as to admit of a flying artillery being rapidly tranfported there, if an enemy fhould attempt to land there?—A. I have never been there; it is about fixty miles diftant, and the road is bad. (t. Yen have (aid you do not know that Sir David Baird ever übjedted to the whole force going with Sir Home Popham with the troops ?—A. I have. Q Can you fay Sir David Mira never did ohjest to fending them ?--A. I cannot fay what might have paired between Sir Da vid Baird and Sir Home Popham, when I have not been prefent, but I think it likely, iT he had ohjeCted, I should have heard it. 4:l ` You have laid, there was no doubt in the mind of any Cap tain in the fquadron, that Bucuos Ayres was in the limits of the command of the Officer commanding at the Cape ; have you teen any order or inftrudions ' which can jollify the belief. that it was within fuch limits ?— A. No; but I Inlve ever underltood fo, and from knowing that the cruizers of the Cape Ration have gone frequently to cruizc at the mouth of Rio de la Plata,. and lonic as high as Monte Video, I could entertain no. doubt on the kbjed. Do you (peak of your own knowledge ?—A. I (peak upon general knowledge; I cannr.t fay I law them; but knew it Isom the men who were on board the Diomede. • Q Alter leaving the Cape, the fquadron went to St Helena; did you find there any of the Eaft India Company's fhips. or any other chips waiting for convoy for England?—A. Not:hat 1 recol- Q . , Yon ftated that under Sir David Baird you thought the Cape impregnable; do you memo to fay, that it was thought fo impregnable after the failing of Sir Home Popham and his Nita. drun, with the troops, for Bueaos Ayres ?—A. I mean to fay, the enemy muff have fent fo large a force to make any imprtffion, as would render it next to imp..lli!de to arrive there within any time of the feafon, as to Milne the fmalled prof - pat of fuccefs. Q„ Do you know when the winner is fuppolid to begin at the Cape ?—A. I flit.uld conceive at the latter end of April. Dn you know what force Sir D. Baird had there after the fquadron had failed ?—A I ftimild think about 6ocra num. by Sir Hots POPHAM. Q. On what day does it appear the Tonningen was boarded by the french fleet?—A. On the 2111 of February `ls not the Cape conlidered a very tempeftuous ftation to crutzt off in the winter ?—A. Yes. Q_Did we not leave the Railonablc and Narciffus in Table Bay a day or two previ,,us to their coming in with la Volontaire; and were they not then returning to Table hay ?—A. Yes, they were, to the belt of my recollection. Q . When you laid the Raifonable and Nareiffus would have tak en the Volontaire, if the Diadem had not been at anchor there. did you not aflame that the Cape was in polreffion of the Englilh ? —A. Ycs. Q From the potation in which you law the three Ships in the morning, eo you not think the Vnlomaire could have got under the protedlinn of the batteries, provided the Cape was in pt.fieflion of the enemy, before the Raifonabic and Narciffus could have got up to i•er ?—A. Yes. Q It grrater advantages can he manifeft. as likely to be derived by employment of the fquadron on other fervice than that of re maining in the vicinity of the Cape during the svinter, ouglq not that fquadron fo to be employed ?—A. As far as matter of opinion Foes, I lb.iuld reply yes. Q Di•l you hear of any capture made by the enemy within the the preondls of the Cape, durirg the abfence of the fquadron in the Rio as to I'l4ta ?—A. I do Dot recalled that any fuch thing happened. Do you remember having been told, on the right of our an choring, after weighing on the Loth of April, that there was a per fon in the fquaciron who wa% eight years at Buenos Ayres, and two of thote int( rower to the Cul& n houfe ?—A. tea Q_ Do you remember what information he gave relative to the flate of Buenos Ayres ?—A. He gave a good and clear account of the &union of Buenos Ayres, and its vncans of decnce and front his knowledge of the people, it would be vary cafy to obtain poi% feffion of it with a few troops. Q z. Do you recoiled my going to Sir D. Raird. on fhore, with that information; and that the troops he gmutcd tor •he expedi tion were entturked in 4 hours, and that we f.ilcd as fuon after as the weather would permit Yes. Q_ Do you reco!led !•.ow f. verely the Britifh troops, •m board la Volaniairc, had ft.fferetl from the fcurvy, for want of water ; and do y•u recoikdt h v:ral having died on their plifage to the more?—A. I do rceollea they were much afflided with the fent. vy, and it is probable more allvwabce of wawa! might have cantralTuel tit, or caufed it; buf as Ila raft atie: - .d then; to • ih o t d, I d o n o t know, except from hearfay, of many fuming died, By the COURT < 4. Waa Ekely that anys4 would have endure.; fo thort allowance of water, if the Briala prlfeters were not on board?_. A. Certainly not. By the PatallE)lT. CZ ... You have raid, you did not bear of any capture belag toady by the enemy, in the vicinity of the Cape, after the faiur of §i f Home Popham, andiiis Iquadron ?—A Yes. FIFTH DAY.-WIDNESOAT. _~ . The PRESIDENT as loon as the Court had o pened, having anted Sir Home Popham whether he had any other evidence to advance ? The Honourable Captain replied, that he had it. in his power to adduce feveral other witnefles, phi ciiiarly Captains Edwards and Patker, and I.ieut. Madden, who could corroborate the reilitnony of. Captain King ; but from the time which this tri a l had already occupied, and from an unwillingnefs to trefpals further on the attention of the Court, he would decline any farther evidence if the Court, flsould not think it necelfary. He would entirely abide by their will. , The Peastostyr and the other Members espreffed their readinefs to attend to any wituefs the Honoura . .. ble Captain might feel it advifable to bring fo• ward, but declared it as their unanimous opinion, that the evidence of Captain King requited no corroborating whatever, and that if the other witneffes wer e meant to apply to the conduct of Sir Home at Buenos Ayres' `. or to the motives which actuated his proceedings, it' was perfectly unnecelrary to relent I4VtIICIII i 84410 one , could afcribe any fiddler motile trstht blvare apta i n. , Sir Host a then prefented a life4ffilirpews whtet h e . willied to have read in his . riEfet%e r :Anif cote-edo* the minutes. Thole which • iftZlercled - 'WV aorrefpqa... t dente with the Admiralty, acid tlie - gl4ater parref which we haVa alreadY:detailed, ivele admitted by , the Court ; but others they were pleafed'to confider as inadi; ifilble evidence. Sir H' then addrdred tlie:Covirr in the follow. ing have doled my defedce, and I tlittiw myfelf upon the wifdom and intlif.FaS Honouf? able Cow t. My feelings aiad inpalaraAilave fuf fered feverely; but I truftto ratirsifdtmlifftro - feliev'e the one and ficure the other. if I bare, in the exer: c:fe cf my zeal, exceesferThe Ilriftell bounds of difcrction, I hope it Will te evident that I have been aelti ued fdely by a de are to advance the honour, the glory, and the intereti of my country. In the profe. cutinn thole great objects, aided by my gallant followers, and faltered by the fuperintending hand of PKOVIDPNCE i it has been my good fortune to be put in polfiffion cf the two capitals of two quarters of the globe ; and I troll it will he found, upon a dole ex amination of my defence, that " The head and front of my offen ding Hath this extent—tio more." The Court was then (about half pail ten o'clock) ordered to he cleared, and the Members temaintd in deliberation until three. Upon the re-admitlion of flrangers, the Judge Advocate read the Sentence, which, after the ufual Preamble, liming the time at which the Court Mar. tial commenced, the names of the Members, and the Charge againti the Prifoner, &c. concluded in the following terms : " The Court ;s of opinion, that the charges have been proved againft the Paid Captain Sir Hosts Porittass.—that the withdraw ing without orders fo to do, the whole of any naval force from the.place where it is diredled to be employed, and the employing it in diftant operations ag:tinft the enemy. more efpecially if the fuccefs of fuch operations fhonld be Hedy to prevent its fpecdp return, may he attended with the molt fetious inconvenienceto the public fervice, as the fuccefs of any plan formed by his hlajefty's Minifters for operations againft the enemy, in which Inch naval force might he included, may, by fuch removal, be entirely pre vented. And the Court is further of opinion, that the conduit of the fail Captain Sir Home Poruam in the withdrawing the whole of the moral force under his command froin the Cape of Good Hope, the proceeding tsith it to the Rio de la Plata, was highly cettfurable, but in confideration of eircumitances, dolt ad- judge him to be only feverely reprimanded% and Le is accordingly ftverely reprimanded." • The nature of the alteration made in tlt Houle of Commons on Monday night lath, is file Preamble of the Bill for abolishing the Slave Trade, has been greatly mil errefented in (erne of the Newt - papers. It si true the words of the Preamble , wete alter e d i n der to conciliate (fame Gentlemen who entertained fears of the effeCl which it might produce in the Welt Indies as it originally flood—fears in wt)ich Mini(lets and their friends did not at all participate. The fub- fiance of the Preamble, however, was fully retained ; and it contains, in particular, a dillipet and explicit recognition a the prii:c'p/e.! VP:PL.; hamaaityi and found policy, as thole which derlimiliediratliztnent to abolifh the Trade. This haslsteu tffeeled. by declaring that it is fit to aboliflb the hrakatpoyoi..#l and roe% ,o,Me grounds", mentioned f 4 Like ItefolUtioni Of ttie and Commons, on we eAtTaibd 2.lth 160; tati6:;— Now, thole refOlutioniiitere, thArthe ticiftes K Con. fidering African Slaw 7 rade to bkcedotraOy to . the prin. ciples cf JUSTICE, HUMANITY; iurt SOUND POLICY, would, will all praaicable expedition, tale ffelual saw- Ares for the Alo)i.fisn of the fame." An opulent Cit, who died not long trace, had the following onions item in his v.. 711 :—.4 I enjoin my fm Edward not to telinquith trade, which is fo produSice of flerling pounds; and whenever he embarks any property on an adventure, that he adopts the ose which makes the quickest return in pounds fleshing." It is fubmitted to his fon Edward, and the pu'slic at large, whether the now moll opulent State Lottery Scheme is not the belt calculated to make the qiiicLelt return to adventurers of/ler/ins pounds, and that too to an immenfe amount ? The return of eruptive complaints at this feafon, when the cold weather prevents the perfpiration front ailing as a correftive, is 'hewn in many habits by itching, and much irritation under the fkin. It know afcertained that the Aelion of SPILSBUKY'S Patent Antifcorbutic Drops gives inaant relief, by removing all obtiruilions in tha fecretory vefTels, evea whea under the anion of Scrophula. Its good effeCts as a medicine in giving appetite, pleafant to take, and rt• quiring An ceffation of h ifinefs nr recreation, and its ezillence as a remedy in various complaints ti r more than 3o years in repute, are faits that deny dereplion• Mr. SPILSBUKY to not acconnrable for any inix:nre fold, unlrfs the worm., By the King's P.cet.t," Ate inter ted at length on the bill of di:rttions, hnttle, and wrapper; the.: 'lamp alfu (the King's duty) isminted in b:Lcii in'tead of red ink. Sold at the Odra- Lary, Nu. 15, S ho Squat*, London, in bAlles of 5. 6J. los. and tl. 2s, duty included. Compound Effence Bs. LON /ON : awed antl publilhed by LINEA. KENT, (of Caro ternary PLce, Lambeth) at the Srwa•OFFlct, N. t, (,arty Rrcct• Pub:MO alio at the STAN -aFFICL, Temple-DO. n F