Star. — London, England, 1808-11-16 00:00:00

1111 0 " -- • e .. 100 of whom were soldiers ; of this manta esca ped without being killed or wounded." ANOTHER LETTER, SAME DATE. a it is w ith great pleasure we have to report the dour of another very gallant naval action that beest fought by a brave o ffi cer, who had PreVi orc:ii l o st an arm in the service of his country, but lbei w e are happy to say, has, in this instance, esca sod unhurt. 1 0 This morning arrived off the Sound his Majesty's XstrrilysT, of 36 guns, commanded by that gal. lot officer Captain MICHAEL SeYstotre, with the loss i b er mizenmast, and otherwise damaged ; and there ti ow coming in, totally dismasted, the Thetis French frigate, of 50 guns, towing by the SHANNON, of 36 No s; but it is so very calm, that it will be late before ; bey can get into the Sound. “ a ppears that the Thetis left L'Orient (being tee o f three frigates that have been for some time pa g watching an opportunity to get out, as was sta ted in a former letter, hound to the West Indies), sa d t hat soon after, Captain SEYMOUR, who has been watching their movements, discovered (en the night one of them pursuing her voyage ; o f the 1 0 th in st. ) be imme di a t e ly gave chace, and soon brought her to action, which continued in the most desperate manner f or t h r ee hours and twenty minutes , t w o h o urs of ' l l ia, it is stated, the two ships were lashed together, the anchors of the AMETHYST having hooked the 'Thetis' s f o re-chains ; and that the French made seve ral attempts to carry their opponent by boarding, but that t hey were as repeatedly and successfully repulsed ' I by the marines and British tars. At the end of the s hore period, the Thetis struck her colours, being then a c omplete wreck, with her Captain killed and 280 1 of the crew killed and wounded. The AMFTIIYST'S j o ss, we are sorry to say, was very considerable, hay-' Mg 19 men killed and 51 wounded ; amongst whom i s Lieutenant KENDALL, an dicer of marines, killed, and Lieutenant PAINE, another officer of marines wounded badly. a The Thetis had on board for Martinique 1000 barrels of flour and a large battering train of artil. lery, for the use and relief of that island ; and she had a crew of 400 men, besides 100 soldiers for Marti niece, but it is said that not more than 28 of the lat• ter ate living. Soon after the action, the AmernYsr Aas joined 'by the Tait MPH, of 74 guns, and the SHANNON, of 36 guns, which ships were drawn to the spot by the bevy cannonading they heard during the night ; but we understand the glory of the action is exclusively Captain Srmont's and his gallant crew. Yesterday a Cabinet Council was held at the Foreign Office. The following Members assisted ; the Duke of PORTLAND, Mr. CANNIFG, Lords HAwEEsm. ay and CASTLEREAGH, the LORD CHANCELOR, the CHAN CUL°s of the EXCHEQUER, and Lord MICLGRAVE. Their deliberations fatted from two until it was almost six o'clock. 'Yesterday morning A. MERRY, Esq. Minister to the Court of Stockholm, embarked at Yarmouth on board the ALEXANDRIA frigate, under a salute of 13 guns, Thirty thousand tons of potatoes are shipping at tiverpool for Corunna and SL Andero. Above one hundred and forty thousand uniforms, er'materials for cloathing that number of men, have been already sent from this country for the use of the Patriots; but of shoes they are still in great want. This morning an immense train of Horse Artillery passed through the metropolis, on their route to the waterside, for embarkation. In Sir DAVID BAIAD'S general orders, it it Said, only one tent is allowed for all the officers of a coin pany, and only one tent for thirty inivates. As a mark of respect to the memory of their late Colonel, Lcrd DocuEsTEn, all the officers of the 4th Dragoons, in Canterbury, appeared in military mourn ing on Sunday last. Colonel BUNN, of the Chatham Division of Royal lriarinel, is appointed to command the division at Woolwich, vice Fletcher; Colonel LEwis is to suc; eecd Colonel Beres, at Chatham ; Major CAPIPBtLL is promoted to be Lieutenant-Colonel of the Portsmouth Division, viel,Etv t.: ; Captain FURZER is prothoted to he Major of the Division, vice Major Boss, removed to Chatham. The division of transports, part of which arrived at Falmouth on Thursday last, under the command of Lieutenant WILERAHAM, and of which some are at Scilly, sailed from the Tagus on the 25th September, I in all about fifty sail, and all arrived at Quiberon ex cept seven, which are still missing. They conveyed to France 7000 infantry and cavalry, and 700 horses. Of the second division, which consisted of forty-seven sail, very few had arrived when they left Quiberon, and apprehensions were entertained for the missing ships. The Masters of these transports agree in saying that the amount of plunder carried from Lisbon in these vessels was immense beyond conception. Not a soldier bat had a belt round his body containing Portugal gold coin ; while the bales of merchandizt of all descriptions exceed belief—indigo to the amount of fifty tons, plate, diamonds, furniture of all sorts; the whole estimated at above two millions sterling. The Master of one of the transports now at Scilly re ceived a present of SOO guineas from the French offi cers he carried home. The following anecdote has been furnished to us by 1 one of these shipmasters—A few days previous to the ev acuat i on of I,isbon, a party of French soldiers met a lady in Ile street who wore a diamond ring on her fi nger . Th ey surrounded her, and each e) eing the ring, commenced a scuffle for the prize, when one it the miscreants, more fero c i ous th an th e rest , d rew his sabre, and at one stroke cut off the wretched lady's hand, whicb, with the ring on it, lie put into his pocket, aa d coolly marched off in search of further plunder! Yesterday the LORD MAYOR ordered the price of bread to he continued at Is. 3d. the quattern loaf of vheatn, and the household at Is. 2d. .-I on the 1..... rio i 03 SPANISH PAPERS. The atincthiving got round to the Southward has brought in several vessels from Spain. Yesterday the SEMIRAMIS, with dispatches for Government, ar rived at Portsmouth from Corunna. The Nione, the JUPITER., and la LOIRE, from Spain, have also readied the same port. By these vessels we have received Spanish Papers to the 9th instant, (min whiCh we make the subjoined extracts : Letters of the 12th inst. from Santander have been received by these vessels, which state, that it appeared by the last accounts from General BLAKE'S army, that they were still in possession of Bilboa, beyond which place they had driven the French two leagues, with the loss of from two to three thousand men. The date of the accounts from BLAKE'S army is not mentioned in the above letters, but it is thought that it must be later than the aff tir of the 24th ult. and must refer to some new action. fiowever this may be, the accounts could hardly be so far back as to leave a probability that the French ac counts from Bayonne, of the 4th inst. stating the French to be again in possession of Bilboa, are well founded. Since writing the above we have learnt from a letter brought by the JCPITER, dated Corunna, the 11th instant, that LE FEMME attacked General BLAKE rather unexpectedly on the 31st ult. and gained some advantage over him. BLAKE retreated, thinking the French were about to attack his rear ; but he returned to the charge again on the 4th or sth, And defeated the enemy, making prisoners of several hundred men, and taking part of their artillery. Troops were coming up on all sides to strengthen BLAKE'S army—but the appointment of the Marquis de la ROMANA to the command of that army, has created some ill-will--The French, in their retreat, seized children, and obliged the parents to purchase them. CORUNNA, OCTOBER 29. The troops commenced their march yesterday morning. To-lay others follow, and to-morrow the remainder of the Guards and two othr regiments will proceed after them. Some take the route of Lugo, and others that of Santiago. There is a report that the French have entered Burgos, but it is not believed : they must previously have beaten Blake, of which we have no account. Novnoma B.—lt is confidently said here, that 60 or 70,000 men were on their march to reinforce Ney's army, which they were to reach by the 16th instant. SARAGOSSA, OCTOLER 15. The enemy having a ccnsiderable force at the dis tance of 30 leagues from this city, it was easy for him to put those troops in motion with the same cele_ rity he commenced t'.e siege, without leaving it in the power of our G. .foal effectually to defend all the points of attack, make the necessary preparations of deftsase, in th . time, tvhich intervened between the glorious deft .ce of this city, which compelled the enemy to raise the siege, and the regular enlistment of its inhabitants, which has proceeded with such praise-worthy activity and zeal. His Excellent} the General in Chief has, however; removed all the obsta cles t vhich seemed insurmountable, and put this city in a most respectable state of defence, the garrison being commanded by Don Antonio S. Genis, Colonel of Engineers, in whom consummate knowledge and long experience are united with that uncommon ac tivity and zeal, which he displayed during the memo rable siege of this city: A line of defence has been formed, which extends from the Convent of the bare-footed Trinitation to the bridge of Huersa, and consists in a brick wall, ten feet high and sixteen feet thick-, furnished with the necessary ditch and a famous curtain, which runs from the said Convent to the . Alpargatoros Office. This line is extremely well conceived, in order to keep the enemy ai a distance from the gate del Car men, which is one of the points most frequently attacked by the enemy, and during the siege most gallantly defended by Colonel D. Pedro Hernandez. The Bridge Head of Hueron is fortified by a kind of pentagon with embrasure for eight guns. From this point the line of defence stretched to Hueron ; all works formed in the same manner as the other part above mentioned—The weak points of this part, and especially the tower of Tino, by which the French really found their way into the town, but were after wards repulsed and put to flight by Colonel D. Mariano de Rcnovalez, who put himself at the head of inhabitants of the parishes of St. Michael and Magdalen, and attacked and completely routed the French who attempted to penetrate through the street of Casi to Sangate, on which occasion Manuel Ahrarez, a labourer, killed a General of division, and carried off his sword as a trophy. A Meeting of the Freemen and Inhabitants of the city of Rochester was held yesterday evening, for the pnrpose of petitioning his MAJESTY on the late Ccn vention at Cintra. It was most numerously attended : but we are prevented, this day, by the press of tem porary matter, from detailing the proceedings. Sul lice it to say, that the Address was almost unani mously adopted. The Freeholders of the Stewartry of Rircudbright, and the Magistrates and Town Council of the Burgh of Annan, have voted addresses to his Majesty, for an inquiry into the late Convention at Cintra. Last week died, at his house in Granby-row, Dub lin, in the 84th year of his age, the Rev. Dr. &tar ' DELL, Dean of Kildare. trrn* ti. Advice! fromßio tosettlieft c tieifiFlai;, according letters frOm Buenos Ayres of the 3d of Jtine— " The COunt de Linieriibrother of the present Vice- Roy of Buenos Ayres, escaped frorn Lisbdh as by a miracle, and, after having made his passage on board a merchant vessel, under the Portuguese name of Enrique Josef Govera, and in quality of the Clerk of the said vessel; arrived at Rio Janiero, and there continu!ng the same secrecy, even obtained 'tinder the same name a passfort to Buenos Ayres'.t. The retirement in Which lie lived-caused him to remain unknown till the it).hcf March lasi, when hai ing been seen by several Spaniards, the secret was divulged, and came to thd knowledge of his Royal Highness. The Prince spoke of it to Don Rodrigo de Sousa Cautin9, his Minister at War and for Foreign Affairs. This Ministet, who had known the Ccaint for ten years before, and had always manifested the greatest friendship for him while in Lisbon, assured his Sovereign that he might serve, him with effect in any political affairs relative to the Spanish colonies of the Rio de la Plata. He was, in consequence; sought for by the Criminal Judge, and conducted by that Magistrate to the house of the Minister, who gave him the politest reception possible, and treated him with the utmost attention. 4 , The conference was begun by general professions of a wish to live in peace with our nation, to which the Count added, that our desire was the same.— The Minister immediately replied, that he hoped to receive proofs of that, and that his Royal Highness had resolved to charge him with nogociations relative to that object. The Count then politely offered to take his orders, aad transmit them faithfully to his brother. But it was the wish of Don Rodrigo that he should remain in Brazil till the answer of the Vice- roy should be received, assuring him, at the same time, that he doubtednotbut his brother would do his utmost to preserve the best harmony in his power, without failing in his duty, or compromising the dignity and rights of his Sovereign, and the interests and honour of the Spanish nation. The Minister afterwards ob- served to him, that the Proclamation of his brother, of the 13th February, did not announce pacific in- tentions, and had caused disquietude in Brazil. In answer to this, the Count shewed him that this Pro. clamation had been misunderstood, and that nothing more could be inferred from it than a desire to quiet the minds of the people, and to prevent their making lany ag•sressions on the Portuguese. On this subject the Portuguese Minister broke out into vehement ex pressions, mixed with threats and insinuations, with a view, no doubt, of gaining over or intimidating the Count, giving him to understand that a war with the Portuguese and English united, could not but at last force our colonies to throw themseP7es into the arms of Portugal, hinting at the same time that the COunt had committed an offence against the laws of Portugal, in coming to Brazil without a passport, and under a fictitious name. The Count confessed his fault, and said his head was at the disposal of his Royal Highness, but that he would rather suffer on a scaffold than be wanting in his duty as a Spanish Officer, and much less transmit to his brother propositions of which he must be ashamed. Don Rodrigo then moderated his language, telling him that wad not the subject in hand ; that he bad to deal with men of honour, and that the only object was ' to obtain advantages for the two nations. The conference was here interrupted by the entrance of the First Ministers. Two days after, the Count thought it his duty to present to the Minister a me moir, which should embrace the principal points cf their conference, which he did on the 20th March, 1808.—It was as fellows : " MEMORIAL OF THE COUNT DE LINIERS TO ISIS EXCEL LENCY DON RODRIGO DE SOUSA CAUTINO. " Equally flattered and obliged by the confidence which his Royal Highness has been pleased to place in my limited talents for the negotiation with which he has thought proper to charge me, it appears to me that the only means to render myself worthy of the honour reposed in me, is to express, with the greatest sincerity, on all objects of which we have treated, a sincerity beeoming my rank and cha racter, and which I consider as the only means of unittrig the benevolence of the Sovereign and the esteem of his Minister. " I have been told that it is doubtful whether my brother entertains pacific dispositions with regard to Portugal, and whether he would give proofs of it. My brother really entertains the most pacific dispo sitions, the proof of which tie gave by protect ing the trade of the Portuguese in the Rio de la Plata, by having prohibited any insult to be of fered to Portuguese subjects, and not assembling any army on the frontiers, in order not to give any cause of uneasiness to Portugal ; if by the expression to give proofs is meant any cession or transfer of ter ritory, or an exchange of dominion, your Excellency must be sensible that this as much exceeds his power, as it is contrary to his principles. I have also been • told " that Spain does not exist." But your Excel lency must be aware that this is a mere political me taphor. Spain really exists, and honour imposes it on us as a sacred duty to maintain and defend her rights by all the means in our power. " Spain will be di vided, and this will change every thing in her ' i.colonies."—This can never happen ; but at any rate it is not for us to anticipate those ideas. " You )still ought to be attached to the remainder of the House of Bourbon." This &serration is Superiluoui; when addressed to a French emigrant ; and the King of Spain belongs to the House of Bourbon . ft' Should you compil us to declare war against you jointly with the English, what force can you (p i e to us !" 6 ' I have not calculated your strength, but I can state to your Excellency the opposition we can make. "The victorious and well organized army comman ded by my brother amounts to 20,000 effective men,. and this number can be doutteci 'n case of need. He has got an excelleut and numerous artillery, and a corps of cavalry formed in the year 1796, v.hich,in point of lumber, military skill and prowess, is truly excellent." Palece of Rio de Janeiro, June 11,180 P. 1, the Prince Regent, do hereby make known to all to whom. these present Letters Patent may concern, that wishing to pro mote and enhance the national wealth, and manufactures and in dustry being the princi; al sources which tend to lnultiply, melio rate, and render valuable the produce of the soil, and to increase population, by employing and furnishing the means of subsistence to many of my subjects, who, otherwise might be plunged into the vices of. idleness; and it being proper to remove all cbstaclee which may frustrate so many advamageous prospects, lam pleased to abolish and revoke all and every prohibition which may exist on this head in the Brazils, and in my transmarine dominions, and to order that huncef,rth it shall be lawful fur any of my sub jects, whatever. territory they may inhabit, to establish all and every branch of manufacture without exception, on a small or large scale, as they may deem most convenient, for which.purpose am pleased to revoke the Letters Patent of 178.5 i and any laws or orders to the contrary, in the same manner as If express and individual mention was made thereof, awl any law that may ap pear to be contrary to the present Letters Patent. :Wherefore order the President of the Treasury, the Governors, and Captains General, &c. &c. to act accordingly. It being expedient for the general welfare to remove all ob stacles that may tend to curtail the free exerci-e and circulation of commerce, and in consideration of the state of depression in which national commerce is now reduced in consequence of the present situation of Europe; and desirous to encourage and pro mote the advantages to the country, which may be derived from the augmentation of the wealth of the nation arising from a more extensive trade, by adding to the wealth of those f. ithful sehjnts who devote their attention to this branch of public prosperity, and whom I much wish to favour and indulge, as being one cf the must useful classes of the State : and being also desirous of encou raging navigation, that my mercantile navy may prover, and with it the navy of the State, necessary for the defence of my dominions, I am pleased to order, that all go :cis and merchandise, being the property of my subjects, and shipped for their account ,e 1 board of national ships, and which may enter the Custom homes in the Brazils, shall be subject to the duty of 16 per cent. only, and that the articles under the denomination of liquids shall pay one-third less than the present rates, hereby revoking the Letters Patent of the 28th of January last, so far as relates to this subject, the n' t,"•'t"rs Patent in other respects to remain in full vigour; and all iiiefeliandise imported by my subjects for the purpose of re-exporting to foreign countries, they nuking fist the necessary declarations at the Custom-houses, shall pay only 4 per cent. transit duty, and :nay be shipped tier, afterwards on board of either national or foreign bottoms, for my foreign port. These regulations to be carried into effect only at the Custom houses of this Court, Pontia, Pe rnarnbucio, Muranhad, and Para, the Officers of such Castom-houses taking the strict s precau tions. And where any seizure shall take place of goods, .ad such goods shall be confiscated, the informer, and persons assisting in the detection, shall be entitled to double the value, in conformity with the regulations cf the Letters Parent of the .sth of January, 1785. (Signed) Tim PaiNCE RSGENT. NAUTICAL INTELLIGENCE. PORTSMOUTI T i NOV EMEFR 15. Artived the SEMIRAM:s, 36 guns; with dispatches from Corunna ; NtoBE, JUPITER, and la LOIRE, from Spain ; HARDY and ALFRED cutters, from a cruize. Sailed his Majesty's ship Pturo, on a cruize.—Wind Southerly: DOVER, NOVEAIBER 15. Came in this morning the ship Joseph, Captain CossELLv, from London bound to Alicant in Ballast, having been run on board of and lost her mainmsst, an anchor and cable.—Arrived in the Roads from a cruize, his Majesty's ship PANDORA, and she has sent in a Hoy laden with gin, &c. from Holland.—Passed by here this morning a large fleet of vessels from the Western ports bound to the Eastward—Wind S. W. DEAL, NOVEMBER 15. Arrived the STATELY, 64 guns, and Funtons gun brig, from Portsmouth, with a Convoy Ct.snt•, Commodore OWEN, and BLAZER gun-brig, from off' the coast of France ; PANDORA sloop from Yarmouth. —Sailed the ARCHER gun-brig, for Sheerness ; ZE• NORIA sloop of war, and PINCHER gun-brig, off Flushing. _ _ YARMOUTH, NOVEMBER 15. Arrived the PRINCESS CAROLINE, UTILE ; CENSOR and GALLANT gun-brigs, with a convoy for Gotten burgh ; also the CYGNET sloop of war under jury mast, having carried away her mast in a gale : the CLAUDIA, which was in company with the CYGNET, was obliged to throw all her guns overboard. Sailed the CALYPSO sloop of war, on a cruize ; also the GAL LANT gun-brig, with a convoy for Gottenburgh. The ALEXANDRIA frigate will sail this afternoon.—Re. main in the Roads the ROEBUCK, BELLEROPHON, MI.. NOTAUR, MAJESTIC, ROSAMOND, and SAYEGUARD•,.. I Wind S. W. fresh breeze. Lord GORMANSTOWN and family have arrived in Dublin from England. In the evening of Thursday se'nnight, the pleasant cottage of Lady LARocHE, at Pyle, Glamorgan, was totally destroyed by fire, together with almost every article it contained- A fire also broke out last week, on the premises of 7. N. MEM, Esq. at Cadoxton, near Neath, but being confined to the out-houses, was extinguished before any very considerable damage was done. Monday night, about seven o'clock, an alarming fire broke out at a spirit-seller's, on Bull-hill, Ply mouth, which, in the space of one hour, was en tirely consumed, together with the three adjoining houses : providentially it was perfectly calm at the time of the fire, or the destruction would have been very great, as from the effect of the spirits, it burnt with incredible fury, fi cm seven o'clock P. M. until four next mcrning. The engines of the town at tended ith great alacii,y. CORN EXCHANGE, MARK -LANE, Nov. 16.—This day the arrivals of Wheat are few, and the supplies at hand but inconsiderable ; sales are very dull, and do not support our last-quoted prices—Barley and Malt are rather lower,excepting the prime samples-a-White Peas this week are cheaper—Rye and Rape Seed rather higher—Beans, of the two kinds, go off heavily —Oats are again in very short supply, and this trade I is quoted at further advance—Flour at our last cur rency. 1