The Statesman. — London, England, 1809-08-01 00:00:00

I I CtkitT ' A ?ON , slr. • . L 0 Irfil J 6 0 . 47 Sit If PE R. . , 'Vele • • . 49409r*A411.1; The (lAA allasitibuteiniotwd : stunue o'clock., the Pr dent c Med spotilenedamnsgs.s i to proceed in .is dePore.„ t • ~ The PII4IIOIIIPVIIIOIII obsarted, that It there wer e any witnessed firl..,ent, It Wig the pleasure of the Court that they lioul4. witlitlritsr•, Loa Cot: RA :es immediately earns tror r suartl, and su'lmitt it to the C..tirt, alit, according . to the I•Nta. bl shed elision of Courts Alartial t it te as out 6 - suitl to de' ode vritnessoi during the risibly', the de. fear... The PaseitorgT.--$‘ My Lord Cochrane, it is th • wish of the . Qonrt, in the present inutattec s th the witnesses sboold be deluded." I, rd Cocne A"I e. --" [,beg to observe, that in the CM of Admiral Iflr4y, which exactly In point, the witnesses %ere allowint to remain in Court during the reading of• the defence. I sob. eit therefore Chit, without any irregularity, the winsome, nay ronsuin-in Corr.." The easslnssyr --" My Lord CoehrAne, the Co irt have deilberated open the subject, and have resolved that the witstaisershall not be present ; your Lordship will thereftire bate the goodness to withdraw, Lord Corirane then retired, and the President intimated to Lord Gambier, that his Lordship was at li7mrty either to read his defence fanatic ele ap. }Mot any person he phased for that purpose. I.•iril GA 31 111 I.itm exceedingly obliged to t (:uurt fur their indulgence. Mr. Grecthain h as i:eeo sa kind as to say he would read it for we." T• a PalalaltaT..—" Certainly ; ur any one 70.1 Lirdship pleases." toilows the Defence of Lord Gillum', irh . ti, from its extreme length, ri e are c pelled to postpone till to.murrow :—lt was read by the JUDGE A DVOCATF, and was replete with argu. went and sound sense.) Alr. EDWARD Pla I kFax.totss called end sworn. Q. Were you employed sounding or surveying, in liasqiie Roads and to Ark Aix Itriads„ prasious to the 12th of April ?—A. Yea s and . reconnuitering the position of the enemy. Q. state the general service on which you were employed.—A.l war mostly employed on the Long Sand, and found that it extended foil three varters of a mile to the eastward and northward limn where laid down. I nill state to the Court all its bearings (described to the Court), and much, sh 'Hower water than that laid down in the Charts and Neptune Press:cots. Q. 'Was the space fyr anchorage for large ships inutli confined its Aix kriads ? A. The space is mach confined ; have noi sounded myself ; I will state to the Court hp.:' ascertained the space is mach confined, and likewise the position ; the whole space they occupyin length of line is three quarters of a mile ; this report was given by Sir U. Seale to Lord Gambier ;'the enemy's fitvt, the last time reconnoitred, were about South and by Wee, by compass, }rue - the eitadtit lit Aix Ii e id. Q. Is the navigation of Aix roads difficult for large ships, as far u you know ?—A. Very much , so. Q. What is the rise and fall of the tide ? A. I ▪ sup; se from eighteen to twenty ftxtt ; the lug of the Caledonia %ill prove this act. Q. Do you know of Lord Cochrane's making any report to mu of the poNitton of the enemy's fleet, previous to the 11th of Aura, in conse_ quenre of his having reconnoitred them ?—A. Most certainly I do, th .y were placed nearly earth east, and nest no. th west, by corn' ass, i 0 th.• best of my recollection, the dal before the attack. Q. Dill you know, previous to the 12th of •pril, of any anchorage about the Buoyart Shoal, near the Pallas Shoal, for line of battle ships, without the range of the• enemy's shot !—A. did not, nor have I acquired knowledge of it since. Q. What distance was the British fleet from that of the enemy, when at its first anchorage at Basque Roads ? —A. The Caledonia, from the citadel of Isle d'Aix, was distant 11,900 yards, near six nautical dales, by ailmeasarement of angles, which I took for the purpose. Q. Where were you on. the morning of the 11th of April ? A. On board the Lyra. Q. Where were was the Lyra at that time? A. They were working out from Isle d'Am towa, ds the Bret. Q. Were the enemy's ships that were aground lying so close together, that the yards of two of them were locked together ? A. I think not. Q. Had any ships gone in on the morning of the 12th of April ) to attack the enemy's shi,is, at what time was it possible for them to return ? A. They could mot have shifted their situation before the water would have shoalod so much, that they would have grounded. Q. Had you an opportunity of observing the strength of the current of the title in the harbour of the Isle d'Aix ? A. No. Q. Was it such, as far as you did obterre it, as would admit of a fast sailing ship working user it, and beating out against the flood, as the wind was on the 12th of April ?...A. By report, I should imagine that no ship or cutter could, by what I hare heard from Pilots, and the narrow. mess of the Channel. _ _ Q. If then a part of the fleet had gone into the road of Aix, when the Imperiense made the first signal in the nsorning,must it not have remained within three-quarters of a mile of those batteries, till the cbb made in the afternoon ?-..-A. They might have shifted by the flood, but then they would have got in a worse situation. Q. Were you in the Road of Aix, after the Bri tish ships were placed fur the purpose of attacking the ent•tny ?--A. 1 was not. Q. You have said that three of the enemy's ship, were in a line ; were you afterwards bi any atuatian tiiat enabled you to tell they were nut Tuyi.„l .. _.... near each other ' A. No ; It Wa prior that I diringuished them separate. Q. Can you at an determine how far they were &filmier? A. 1 slioal.l think not a ship's length frpm each other, those throe. IQ. Were you on hoard the Caledonia when the fleet was at single author ? A. I was on board the Lyra. Q. Were you on board the Caledonia when they weighed ? A. I was. Q. At what hour di I the fleet weigh to ap. roach the Lie of Aix? A. About nine or ten o'clock ; and came again to anchor about half an 1104 r afterwards. Q. After anchoring again, what was the distance of the Caledonia from the fort on the Isle d'Ai: ? A. Cross bearings gave it about three miles and a half, from thence to three miles. Mr. SrorEs called. . Q. Where *ere you in the forenoon of the 12th of April last ? A. I was on board the Ca ledonia. Q. State how the wind was on that day, and the time of high water? A. From day-light in the 'naming, till 10 o'clock, N.N.W. ; from 10 to N.N.W. and N.N. ; fron►'l2 to three in the afternoon, from N.N.E. to N.N.W. the wind valint!. Q. Could any of the enemy's ships on the 12th of April, before they ran up the Charente, have annoyed, and ri ached any of the ships that might have been sent in to attack them ?—A. Tint Foe druyant and Castend both lay afloat; the Cassard about a third of a mile distant from the Isle of Aix, and close on the edge of the b.►nk that ex tends from the Isle d'Aix, to the N. W. point of the Pallas Shoal, the Foudroyant also lay close to that bank, and, I suppose, about three cables distant from the Cassard ; the three.deekers lay With their broadsides Nanking the passage, and could have Grew with complete effect on a►►y ships that might approach. Q. After the enemy's ships had run up the Charente, could they have been approached by any of the British ships ? —A. Nu. Q. is the navigation of Aix itnads difficult for iar;;.c ships, and much limited in space ?—A. Very difficult fur large ships ; deep water very much suited. Q. Then the space for anchorage must be very much confined, and stater around its shoal?—A. Yrs. Q. Were you employed sounding and surveying within the Isle of Aix ?—A. I was, from the 17th to the 24th of April. Q. Did the general knowledge you obtained while so cinpl led by my orders, agree iv'th the chart, or Neptune Francois, of that part?—A. In some parts it agreed, in other party I have found a wide difference; the Neptune Ffancois gave more water than I found in many places. Q. Did you soutul between the Bunyan Shoal and the l'allas Shoal ?—A. I passed between them three or four times ; I took soundings at those times, _ Q. Is the account that you gave of 16 and 12 feet Water, at low water, between these two shoats, derived from the information Of your own sound. ings?—A. Not entirely from my own soundings, but from the soundings taken by the maste/..df the Dotterel!, whom I sent for that perpose, Who rc ported, in writing, to me these soundings. . Q. Had you any opportunity of ascertaining what is the rise of the tide iu Aix Roads, or the vicinity of Aix Roads, at spring tides ? A. The Iced was hove, and the depth of water carefully ascertained, every half-hour, ou board the Cale donia, until her departure from Basque Roads, whereby we ascertained, beyond all manoer of doubt, that the actual rise of water in Basque Roads was 19 feet in spring tides, and eight feet in dead neaps. Q. If the rise of the tide is 19 feet in Racque Roads, must the rise be greater Of less in Aix Roads ? A. The riseof the tide found in Aix R03 , 1s is 21 feet at high spring tides, which is more than we ever found it rise in 133sque Roads. Q. Could the three French ships which were aground on the sand, and afterwards warped off, and run up the Charente, ever have been attack. ed by line of battle ships ? A. No ; they never could have come ocar ettofigh fur the shut to r,nch. Q. Could any more of the enemy's ships have been destroyed, had any of the King's ships been sent to attack them ut clay-light on the 12th of April ? A. If we had attacked the enemy's ships on the morning of the 12th, in the position of the Fondroyant, and the three-Jecked ships, I think tee should have sacrificed our own ships, without making any impression on the enmity ; the only time that they could hare been attacked, with any prospect of success, was at the time the attack was made. The tide had then ebbed, and the ships were fast on the ground, with their sterns to the westward, and they Could not bring any guns to bear on the attacking ships ; and under that circumstance, in my opinion, we owed our who). tliccess; fur had the French ships grounded with their broadside, iu flank isle the passage, they eroti!il have been able to have dcf.•nded theatseltes, and could nut have been attacked. Q. A. you were employed some tin* in the In ner itootl of Air, you had an opportunity of as rerritioiog the streugth of the current of thu Road of Aix ? A. I had. - - Q. Was it so strung as to prevent fast-sailing ships from working over it and beating ont against the flood ? A. The flood tide and the springs run at least three knots an hour, so that it is isle. possible that any ship can wurk against the tide. Q. Then, ships going in at the end of the ebb, must necessarily remain during the whole of thu flood 2.--A. They oast. Q. You base said, that if soy ships of the lute bad gone into Aix Roads on the morning of the 14Th April, they could nut possibly have got out again that day ?—A. They could not. Q. Is that an opinion you him formed since you left Basque Roads, or was it your noinion on the 12th of April 2—A. It was nay opinion on the t a ut ening of the ltth, and I have never Sad any reason w Weser to alter it. Q. Were you consulted on the practicAllity of going in and out of the Road of ua the 1201 of April ?—A. I *at not parttcularlreonsuitetfi but Sir Ilarry Neale, on the morning of the ttth, swing the enemy's slaps on shore, asked me what I thought (or words to•that effect) coutd be done in taking the line.of-battle ships in to attack the enemy ? I told him, perhaps we might destroy some of their ships, but that we should sacrifice• our own, having no idea whatever of any of the ships being able to return. Q. Are you quite clear that you gave that opi. don to Sir If. Neale, on the morning of the lffth or April ? A. Yes. Q. I think you have said that you had no knowledge whatever of the anchorage within the Isle of Air, where ships of the line may ride in five fathoms water, till after the 12th of April ? A. 1 had no knowledge of that anchorage until after the Itth. Q. If you had known of that anchorage before the I2th of April, would the tide have admitted ships of the line to have gone to it on the morning of that day ? A. The tide would not have ad mitted the ships of the lino to have gone to that anchorage, wail twelve or one o'clock on that day. Q. Were you on board the Crledonia on the afternoon of the 11th April? A. Yes. Q. Du yon know the cause of the fleet being moored that afternoon ? A. I mentioned to Cap- Wit Bedford, about seven in the evening, the ne cessity of mooring the fleet, that they might not swing on board of each other d•tring the weather.. tile ; he mentioned it to Lord Gambier, and the fleet was moored. To unmoor wassolwly the bo. sitten of half an hour. Q. Had three or four line.of.battle ships been advauced towa:.ds the Isle of Alt, and laid during the night at single anchor, could they, by weigh ing when Lord Cochrane made the tignal, about five in the morning, at that time of tide, have gone into the road of Ai:, without the greatest danger, to have attacked any part of the ene. my ?—A. Had four sail of the line gone into Aix Roads, when Lord Cochrane made the signal, th..y would there have met a force equal to theinsdves ; they would have made an attack nosier every disadvantage ; the fire of Isle d'Aix, as well as the fire of the Foudrey. ant, th.. Cassini, and Ocean. would have been directed on them, they hid no place to retreat to, and their t,nh safety remained in the destruction of the l'aem)'s ships, and in silencing the batteries from th • Isle d'Aix, which I a u sure it would have been impossible fur them to accomplish. Q. Dui you know any thing of the Calcutta striking? A. Yes; she had not struck when I eas on board the Imperieuse; and the Aigle, Uni corn, .end :itteral , l, had anchored and fired on her; one of her shot struck a boat astern of the Ins. pericuse after they had anchored and fired ; the In. clefatigable had not anchored when I left the Im. perieulle. Q. Were the ships and vessels sent in to attack the enemy as soon as it could have been done with propriety, considering the state of the wind and tide ? A. They were, in my opinion. Q. From the first attack Made uo the enemy's ships, to the final cessation of hostilities against them, was every thing done that could be done to effect their destruction ? A. Every thing was done that could be done to cifect the destruction of the enemy's ships. Captain Btram called in and sworn. Q. Do you recollect the situation of the ene my's fleet, on the morning of the 12th of April, at daylight I A. I de; I think it was .repre sented in the chart of Mr. Stokes, now before the Court. Q. Do you recollect the telegraph signal being m:tde fro:a the Impericuse, on the morning of that day t A. I do. Q. What was that signal ? A.. 1114 k that half thc tleet could destroy the enemy's saps., Q. At what distance was Wa Imperiense from the elieley, and from the Caledonia, when they made that signal ? A. The Caledonia was about six miles from Isle d'Ais, and the Imperieuse about half way, about three miles. Q. Had I sent in line-of.battle ships that day to Aix Roads, early in the morning, or soon after, were any of the enemy's ships in a situation to have enabled them to rake or annoy our ship: as trey advanced? A. Two of them were lying with their broadFides towards the entrance, and wool I havc considerably annoyed any ships sent against them. Q. Were any of the enemy's ships that were aground capab:e of annoying our ships ?—A. ICarly in the morning they lay with their broad. sides towards the entrance, and I think they were capable of annoying On: ships. Q. What nureh,r of gusts were there on the batteries of Ait Island ? A. When at anchor in Aix Reads, I counted 50; there might hate been more; but I am certain there were not less. Q. Did the enemy throw shelis from the Island A. They (lid. Q. Can you speak it o'f the number of mor. tars they had ? A. No, t cannot. Q. II any of our line-of-bitile ships, advancing under the Circumstances jest liated, hail become crippled, could they have Mut* that day before night ; or *hat would have Keen the consequences? A. I do nut think, under all the circumstances, that if the line-of-battle ships had been sent in, they ever would have returned ; I thiok it would have been sending them to irretrievable &tette. . - bun. Q. When I sent you into Aix Roads, whit we're the orders, in the afternoon of the ltth, I gave you ? were they discretionary or not A. To use ley utmost endeavours to destroy the enemy', Wise ; I considered them discretionary, in the same Inca. sure, as the sole responsibility rested on the Ca t ). 'rain, the Pilot having refused to take the ship in. Q. D o you recollect what time I gave you the orders The Brat under I received from the Commander in Chief, was at eight o'clotk in the morning, to an -bar near the Buoyart Shoal, and within the range of shell of the Me d'Ais. The second order I ree.rivial et* at two o'clock in the afternhon, to proceed Ai. Q. Relate to the Court y orr proceeding in Aia 11,031, until your return/ to lii.que A. About holf.past twul. weighed anchor I went ye t Wiltitiljitly444 4 lll4lll,l4ge, to tit* &A EA df the enem i ti *kips owili:tes were tyytg in Adio neti,ii AC- P . ''rapier a cortelF l elf thif isnitherird of there, deeill 911111fetigablet; acid a little ' aner thtee 4fitrittienUalidir leektili die Cileuttt o •'' when silbrtly lett tßobOreitilitti tleesVehentioning' her, leaving her dotoets Ilyink. We the,* 'C' oar fire to the'Aqtilitts, frillPe de 'Varsovie, 'mew! Tanner:, es we could get bile broalltflie to bear oil them. The VillddeVirtbeSe's crew partly left her, and I think she *we taken p6sodssion of by 410 - Unicorn's boat. Thd'giquilatellfas the only ollOts.• that attack her Moire, led the Tunnel*, at Ifs I oclock, was left by. her erew l . *4 het her riak A fire. As the tide fell, the'Retenegeounded ;ft S I by the ekertions of Capt. Kee" the was soon got.) off, and went between the &myelitis! Pallas; the -frigates all followed her, except' the Impettease t which ship grounded ; at six that evening, is mooring the Valiant, she grounded on a shoal, and remained until eleven o'clock - that night; the title rose and she got off. At low water, there . were 17 feet water alongside her. There were four fire-ships prepared by order of the Com. mander.in-Chief, and sent IS afterwards; two St have gone against the Fondroyent, under the or. ders of Captain Seymour, and twO against the Ocean, a three-decked ship ; it *as half past 11 o'clock before they were completely ready, when the wind being baffling, and at times blowing dl. reedy out, I applied to Admiral Stopford, for new gun-brigs to cover the retreat of our hosts, She .enemy's boats being moored in two lines across the stern of the Ocean, with boats in advance. As the wind continued to blow directly out until four o'clock in the morning, I judged the attempt to be impracticable, and therefore ordered the fire. ships to move to where the Imperials' eras lying. and follow the direction of Lord Cochran. •tlid • half past three o'clock, the prisoners heist sevisinf from the Aguilon and Ville de Vanovie, and the water at that time up to their orlop decks, I Oft dered them to be set on fire, and at day.light weighed, in obedience to a signal from Admires Stopford, and proceeded to Basque Roads. Q. Wits not the Valiant, and were not some of the other ships that were aground, in a very perilous situation ? A. The Vanua was in a very perilous situation ; and nothing bat the wind shifting, and blowing directly out, saved her from being wrecked. Q. State the enemy's ships that were destroyed, as well as those rendered unfit for service. A. There were four of the French ships destroyed. I think the others must have been considerably da. maged, excepting two, from being on shore. Q. What is your opinion of the position bikini by Captain Kerr, of the Revenge? A. It Is ins. possible that a ship could be better placed thee the Revenge, and indeed the general condect of the Revenge on that day reflects the highest credit on the zeal and bravery of her Captain. Q. Did the Revenge go within the Imperials, and other frigates, and relieve them from the tire of the batteries, as well as from the enemy's ships ? A. She anchored the northernmost .and easternmost ship, about three cables' length *llll.. in the Imperieuse, and appeared to me to draw the fire of the batteries of the Isle &Aix frogs the frigates to her ; thellee from the elsomy'weitips • IS throughout, from their helpless situation, was very slack, and I never thought it was an object to be protected from it. Q. You have stated that the Revenge was very judiciously placed, and you have described the conduct of that ship as having been highly meri. torieus on the occasion ; were not the other ships and vessels engaged with the enemy placed as ad. yantageonsly is they could haye been, according as peculiar circumstances existed ; and did it not appear to you, that the Captains and Commanders of them conducted themselves with equal teal foe the public service ? A. The utmost teal was ma nifested by every ship engaged ; I think it impos. 'lisle they could be better placed fur the destreet. don of the enemy's ships than they were. Th..: Court here adjourned till to.morrow morn. ing at nine o'clock. BRITISH FLorT..—The billowing is the amount of the liritish Mani Force up to this day :—At 64 ships of the line, 13 from 50 to 44 guns, 106 frigates, 83 sloops and yachts, 5 bombs and iiri..ships, 67 brigs, 10 cotters, U achosmart, .no.eessels, loggers, &v. Total 433.—1 n Port and Fi'ting 49 .)r the line, 5 from 60 to 44 gabs, 54 frigates, 86 sloops and yachts, 5 bombs and fire.ihips, 95 brigs, 29 cotters, 16 schooners, gun-vessels, loggers, &c. Total 389.—Guard— ships, Iluspitabships, &c. 40 of the line, .5 from 50 to 41 guns, 18 frigates, 6 sloops and yachts, 2 brigs, 3 cutters, 5 schooners, &c. Total 80.— In Ordinary anti Repairing, 62 of the line, 14 from 60 to 44 gnns, 57 frigates, 36 sloops and yachts, 10 bombs and fire-ships, 15 brigs, 6 schooners, &c. Total , 200. --Building, 47 of the line, 25 frigates, 10 sloops and yachts,lll6 bombs and 6re.shipt, 12 brigs, 6 schoouers, &c. Total 116...-G rand Total 1,218. The fashionable circles of Cheltenham have been much enlivened by the following drew». stance :...At a magnificent ball and supper given by Lord I/LANEY last Wednesday, a lady made her appearance, 'dressed in to most grotesque stile. into fanciful brown bonnet she wore a long green feather; she had a gown with white sleeves, and green body, and morph:petticoat, and . red stock. oigs aeit,h_yd her costume. She was totally un known to fill' the company, passed herself fur a Fortune Telice, and displayed much refined wit, and A thorough knowledge of the Most secret oc. currences in high life, which happened durlog the last fashionable season in London. Her man. n rs, although odd, were so engaging as to excite 'the greatest possible deirree of interest. sh e re _ lir.yl, as she entered, without gratifying the es. tee ,e curiosity she had excited ; her dancing wu inimitably graceful. Th e es..st !wrest has already commenced in Sussex, and in many parts its the neighbourhood of the Metropolis, aid will be goneral in most of th e geutlirrn counties in the course of the turning sack. in Camh id . eshii-e and Hertfordshire the crops are rather ligh•, is coeseguenee et the want of ram. f 4' Iq I , fs wq I r' I.