The National Register. — London, England, 1808-05-01 00:00:00

MAY 1. UTE to be left at the post-office in Wakefield, a charge of having com mitted an unnatural crime would immediately be sworn against him. They both consulted the same professional gentleman, bs whose advice a letter was sent addressed as ordered, and the post master of that town was directed to watch and apprehend the •o•rson who should call for it. The lady in question came, a unt was dogged to a shop in the town, but before iu•r apprehension she had by some means got quit of the letter she had just receiv ed. Bail has, however, been given for her appearance at the ensuing Sessions, and the parties are bound to prosecute. On Saturday week Mary Chandler, convicted of setting fire to her master's house io Liverpool, was executed at Lancaster. She was 19 years of age, and so ignorant of religious duties as to be unable to repeat the Lord's Prayer. As the executioner eras putting the cap over her face, she exclaimed, " 0 man, never will forgive you!" and her shrieks were very piercing. TUESDAY'S LONDON GAZETTE. APRIL 26, 1503. admiraky-Ojfice, April 26. [Transmitted by Lord Collingwood.) Stn, Grasshopper, off Carthagena, Der. 12. I have to acquaintyou,' that yesterday, when looking out off Cape Palos, agreeably to your directions, discovered a number of the enemy's vessels at anchor under the Cape : his Ca tholic Majesty's brig of war St. Joseph. of 12 2-1-pounders, manned with 99 men, and commanded by Don Antonio de Tor res Teniento de Naviro, got under weigh, and came out to at tack his Majesty's sloop Grasshopper, under my command, ac companied by the two vessels of war, belonging to hi Catholic Majesty, named in the margin*. The St. Joseph I brought to close action, when, after fifteen minutes resistance, site struck hOr colours, and ran on shore ; upon which I anchored, and with the greatest exertions of the officers and ships company, suc ceeded in getting her oil. The other two vessels bore up, and made all sail from us the moment the brig struck, or I have no doubt we should have captured the whole of them. I beg leave to observe, that I received every assistance from Lieutenant Cornelius Wellis, whose good conduct on this and every other occasion, merits my warmest thanks; the coutlact of all the officers and men gave me great satisfaction. In this affair we had two men_severely wounded. The loss of the enemy I could not ascertain, as a number of them jumped overboard, and I fear a great number of them were drowned. The St. Joseph is only six years old, is copper-fastened, and well found in every respect, sails remarkably fast, is pierced for 16 guns, is 115 tons hurthen, and in my opinion well calcu lated fur his Majesty's service. I have the honour to he, Itze. (Signed) T. SEARLE. Captain. * St. Medusa Mestrio, ten 24-pounders, and 77 men; St. Argle Mestrio, eight Y4-pounders, and 50 men. [Transmitted by Admiral Purvis.] gra, I ((este, in shore, oil (wiz, April 4. I have the honour to inform you. that when at anchor to -day with his Majesty's ships Mercury, and Grasshopper brig, St. Se bastian's lighthouse S. L. distance 9 miles. n hid W .S. W. a large convoy of the enemy was discovered coining. close along shore from the northward, uoder the protection of about twenty gun boats, and a numerous train of flying artillery on the beach. At three P.ll. I made the signal to weigh and attack the convoy. 'end stood directly in for the body of them, then oft' the town of Rosa ; at four, th e s h o t an d s h e ll s f rom the gun-boats and hatte ri', going hr over us, his Majesty's ships opened their tire, sv !deli was kept with great vivacity until half-past six, when we had taken seven of the convoy, and drove a great many more no shore on the surf; compelled the gun-boats to retreat, which they did very reluctantly, and not until two of them were de stroyed; and actually silenced the batteries at Rota, which bit ter service wits performed by the extraordivary gallantry and good conduct of Captain Searle, of the Grasshopper, who kept in upon the shoal to the southward of the town, so near as to drive the enemy front their guns with grape from his 3`3-pound carronades, and at the same time kept in check a division of gun-boats that had come out from Cadiz to assist the others en gaged by the Aleeste and Mercury. It was a general cry in both ships, " Only look how 'toll. the brig behaves!" The situation of our little squadron was rather a critical one, tacking escey fifteen minutes close on the edge of the shoal, with the wand in, and frequently engaged both sides; in the heat '1 0 4 -the action, the First Lieutenant, Allen Stewart, volunteered to board the convoy, if 1 would gibe him the boats. I was so 7 P W' ISTER. • wpr...77 . r struck with the gallantry of the offer, that I could not refrain from granting them, although attended with great ri,k. Ile event, accompanied with !..ieutenant Pipon and Lir utenatt Ilan ky of the Royal Marines, n Ito Most handsomely volun teered I o go, as their party were chiefly employed in working th e ship. Mr. Arscott and M r . Day , Masters Mates, Messrs. Par ker, Adair, Croaker, M•Caul, and 111`Lean. Midshiptuen ; they were soon followed by the Mercury's [mats. under the catinvand of the rirst Lieutenant, W. 0. Pell, accompanied by Lieutenant Gordon, and I.44llmi:it Why lock, Mr. Ducain and 111.. R. Cummings, Master' Mates. The boats, led by Lieute nant Stewart, pushed on in the most gallant ma n ner, hoarded and brought out seven tartans from under the very muzzles of the enemy's guns, and from under the protection of the harzes and pinnaces of the Combined fleet, which had by that time joined the gun-boats. I was greatly indebted to 'Lieutenants ickman and dervois (w ho both wished to go in the boats), for the spirited and well directed tire they kept up from the maio deck ; also to Mr. Westlake, the Master, for his great attention in steering and working the ship ; and I have much pleasure in adding, that the other officers, seamen, and marines, beliawd with the utmost bra % ery and coolness.. Caws. Gordon and Searle (whose gallantry and excellent conduct it might bepresusnptionio an officer of my standing in the service to cornmeal upon) also re port upon the great bravery and coolness of their respeciive offi cers, seamen, and marines. It is w jilt pleasure I. base to add, that the frigates have received no material damage; the Mereurv, an anchor shot away, her sails and rigging - cut, though not mucb ; our sails and rigging in the same way ; but the Grasshopper, I am sorry to say, is a great deal damaked in the hull, the main top-mast shut through, shrouds, sails, and running-riggiag cat almost to pieces: she had one wan mortally %sounded, the gun ner a tid two others wounded, hut not severely. The captured vessels are all loaded .n Government account for the arsenal at Cadiz; and, lam happy to sa,% , cis a very considerable quantity of Valuable ship timber. The zest of this little service was greatly :wt:lt:cited by being perfortned in the mouth of Cadiz harbour, and in tree teeth of ales en sail of the line. I am, &c. (Signed) m. Mixtrau. (The following were transmitted by Vire-Admiral Darre , ). D.-couverte, Si. Domingo, Feb. S. I beg leave to acquaint you, that at one P. M. yesterday the 7th instant, when running down between Altavella and the Main. I discovered three sail in this hay, which I• soon found to be Iwo schooners, (enemy's eruizers,) anti an English ship, their prize - ; one of the former made her escape to w ind ward ; after a run ning fire for a considerable lime, I drove the other and the chip tia shore ; the hopes of recovering the ship indnee.l me to an chor all night, and soand the bay, for the purpose ofgetting near her in the morning, which I accomplished %%kith, inusket-slant, when I found her in possession of the enemy, covered by small arm Well from the shore ; after considerable firing front the De couverte, we drove the enemy out of the chip, and 1)N a !lag of truce I demanded her And whatever prisonet 4 might he on board the schooner, but was refused. Finding, from eiretan•titnees, it impossible to get her ow, I directed Nit-. WI Aire, master of the Decouverte, with a detachment of small-arm 'ilea, to set her, if possible, on fire, a service width he performed in a most hand some manner, under a very heavy fire from the ehenty ; the pri vateer should have shared the same fate had we water to get near her, but she is perfectly . lost, having bilged OH the reeks; the ship was the 111atilda, of Halifax, bound to .lamaic.t. Sin, I base i 1 honour to be, &e. (Signeil) CtitlY ei.wrßrrn. Diteouverle, off St. Denthago, 1. !,. R. I have the honour to inform You, that I this morning. at tit, v ight discovered a schooner in Bottomless Cove, and, after a chase, came up with- her at three P. M. when I loomd her to ho an enemy's cruiser : at half past three we commenced act i..n• .v it h her, which continued at half pistol-;!tot from her, for forty-. live minutes, when she totruck to his Niajesty's .4-homier under my command. 1 tiud her to be La Dorado from St. Domingo, commanded by Monsieur Netly, mounting a louweighteeti pound-. er, two nines, and beVellh -two men. Tilt! Clielel . ) ' s loss has been considerable; •they left us the distressing duty of commit ting seven of them to the deep after the action, nod about t;ic same number, I find, were thrown over during it : their loss ap-, pears to have been about fourteen killed, and three wounded. am sorry to be under the necessity of anne .jog a list of wound.. ed belonging to the Decouverte, most of them, I fear, dauAer ous ; hut when I consider the obstinate resi,Voler of the enem., I think we are, on the whole, fortunate. Three of our guns • 'f lllb Nif 0 1 14 .~ . . 7' . :'f wwm