The National Register. — London, England, 1811-09-22 00:00:00

NATIONAL REGISTER• French frigates which had appeared off Rio de Ja neiro, sprung her main-mast, and was, in conse quence, obliged to go into Bahia to repair her da mage. The activity of the Boulogne flotilla has, we un derstand, attracted a good deal of the attention of Government. Report says, that Colonel Congreve is shortly to pay a visit to that station, with some of his Majesty's cruizers, and to try the experiment of sending a few of his rockets among these small craft. A letter from an Officer in one of our line-of battle ships, off Flushing, states, that three of the enemy's ships in the Scheldt, came out on Wednes day se'nnight to reconnoitre our advanced line, but were compelled by our ships to return to their an chorage. It was the opinion in the fleet, that the enemy would endeavour to elude us during the pre sent easterly winds ; and in consequence of their late movements, the whole of our fleet has. gone closer in ; so that we may, perhaps, look for im portaAt news from this station. some accounts have been received from Ham burg]) by a Gentleman who is atrived from Sweden. He contii ms the former account, of a disturbance 'having taken place, and the rescue of a Gentleman who had been ordered to be shot for holding a cor respondence with Fngland. He also states'that any person without zespect to age or circumstances, having any knowledge of, or having ever been em ployed at sea, was sent to man the Scheldt fleet. Several old Captains and Masters of vessels who had retired from the service on a scanty pittance were not excluded. Extract of a letter from Gottenburgh, dated Sep tember 7 :--" The Sound is now completely block aded by two French privateers, who have late"y captured many Americans and Swedes. Five of the latter were. the other day retaken from the . Frenchmen by their own (the Swedes) gun-boats, and Ile prize-masters and all hands made prisoners of war, and sent to Malmo Gaol. Twenty French gun-boats have lately come through the Holstein Canal to watch the stragglers that may be coming from the Russian ports, &c. after the British fleet leave the Baltic.—Forty more are expected at Ro stock," A Cadiz Mail arrived on Tuesday, brought by the Chichester packet, with papers and letters, the latter to the date of the tld inst. The intelligence brought is in some respects very important. Soult, with a considerable body of troops from Seville and the neighbourhood, on hearing of the expedi tion under Blake, marched rapidly to the western frontiers of Grenada, but did not arrive in time to prevent the junction of the Spanish Commander vith General, Friere. Not far from Lerea an action took place, and*the conflict was continued during three how s, between the forces under Soult and the combined army under Blake and General Friere. by some mismanagement, from the want of co-• opei at ion of some of the Spanish regiments, almost the whole of the contest was sustained by the Wal loon and Spanish guards,. which were nearly cut off; and the total loss sustained by the Patriots is computed .at about 3000 men. Much applause is given to the Guards for their courage and discipline. It is asserted that on both sides victory was claimed ; but the pretension of the Spaniards is rendered more questionable, by the retreat, which was continued for about 37 league., in the direction of Valencia ; and we are informed that General Blake has actu ally entered that city. Several of the letters by the Cadiz Mail assert, that the Cortes have decreed a new levy of 30,000 Spanish troops, to be taken into the pay of this country. One-third of the Officers are to be British. A good deal of discuision took place some time ago in the Cortes, with regard to the exclusive right of admission to military and naval schools enjoyed by the sons of the Nobility. This exclusive privi lege, our readers will recollect, was reprobated by many of the enlightened Members of that body, as invidious at any time, but particularly impolitic iil the present condition of Spain, which called for the united efforts of all Spaniards without distinction.- - Their arguments prevailed ; and the Cortes have issued a Decree, by which Spaniards possessing the requisite qualifications are to be admitted into mi litary and naval schools, and as Cadets in the army, without producing proofs of Nobility. General Abadia has written to the junta of Gali cia, giving some particulars of the battle of Molina Seca. The intention of the enemy in their advance from Benavente, was, he observes, to march ra pidly upon Lugo, which they meant to fortify, and then proceed upon Corunna, which was to be taken by a coup-de-main. In the above action, it is stated, that the French lost General Corsin, and the Colo nel of the 723 ; the Colonels of the 2,7 th, 31th, and of the regiment of the Vistula, being wounded. — General Abadia speaks highly of the bravery of his troops, but laments their deficiency in equipments, particularly shoes. It seems certain that the French have again retired beyond Astorga, either in conse quence of the threatened advance of Lord Welling ton, or the menacing position which General Aba dia took on their left, and the numbers of Galician peasantry who were in arms. Mails from Malta and Gibraltar arrived on Wed nesday. The accounts by the latter represent the defeat of the Spanish army at Baza as having been attended with much smaller loss to the Patriots than was in the first instance represented. The enemy themselves are stated to enumerate the loss of the Spaniards at no more than 300 men killed, and 500 prisoners, with one piece of cannon. — Truly happy shall we be to find this statement cor rect. The private advices state, that General Blake was on his way from Baza to Valencia, with his Staff, in order to concert measures with General Charles O'Donnell, as to the future operations to be undertaken, when Marshal Soult made the at; tack. Blake, of course, had no share . in the en gagement : he reached Valencia on the . 17th ult. By these letters we are happy to learn, that the cause of the Patriots vas considered by no means desperate; on the contrary, thousands were flock ing to the Royal Standard, and the greatest enthu siasm prevailed among all classes. 'Whilst - the Patriots in Catalonia remain unde pressed by their late disasters, the Patriots in Ar ragon have acquired fresh force, and over-run the ..whole province. The French troops destined for