The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — London, England, 1807-03-12 00:00:00

Ineetion irnmed:atcly before the Ceutt, you will not impute it to any improper intention ; as 1 inn oduced pert of the evidence, apparently irrele vent, when seperatcly comidered, but which, when joined together, bears imee; candy upon my case. 1 shall not. in the course of my future examination, intentionally incur the displeasure of the Court ag tin, in the same way, but confine myself to such pats of the proofs, as appear to tue indispensable. tin; 1 should rather forego any evidence that may seem important, than merit the imputation of tres passiog on the time of the Court with any thing even apparently irrelevant." William &Linden, E.q. esvoin and examined. By Sir HOSSLPOPHAM. Q. How %mg have you held any official situa tion ender the Board of Admiralty ?—A. Upwards of twatve yeers. Q. In the long official experience you have had, as Chief and under Secretary in the concerns of that Board, I ask you whether you can state to toe Court, whether, in the Trials of Admiral Byng, Lord Keppel, Sir H. Palliser, or the moat recent ones of Sir J. Duckworth and Sir Robert Calder, the charge against these officers was worded in the saint manner as the one which has given rise to the present Court Martial ? I mean, if those orders for holding the Court Martial in question, inculpated the Prisoner; and, by implication, sailed upon those Cuurts to punish the persnu to be tried, by inserting in the order, words to the following effe&, vie. 6 . Whereas a due regerd for the good of his Ma jesty's serv i ce requires that se flagrant a breach of public duty should nor pas, (cc." Admire' Row e tir --" I cannot nee how this can bear upon the subjed ; we are r.ot to arraign the Admiralty fur :.omens a charge as they may please." After a few observations by the PRFIIIDENT. Sir Home Purlieu observed, ti.at he oniy asked the reae.tion for the purpose uf shcanag that the whole et his case lied been marked with a severity and harshness, nor usual to other dicers i s si:nilar situ atioas. The question was then enteral to be ex punged from the praceedings. Q Do you recoiled whetaer any force, as a sta tioeary force, for the Cape, was sent there After the receipt of my letter of April 9, ISthi, stating the rangement 1 had made for goiag to the East coast of South America, with the squadron under my command ?—A. To the best of my recolleetion, the Sampson, I think, was sent as a ship intended for the Cape of Good Hope station ; and I think about that time Sir T. Trowbridge was ordered thither horn India. Q. When did the Santirtsn leave England?—A. 1 do not recoils& the precise date. Q. Was she ordered to call at the Rio de la Plata A. I think she was. Q. Then you could net consider her as a ship or dered dire& for the immediate protedion of the Cape A. Not direly ler the Cape. Q. Do you welled when I was employed in Resia, that I had several Commaialers in the Navy under my orders ?—A. 1 de not r. coiled the dad. aithcugb I have no reason to doubt it. Q. Have you brought with you the Trial of Caps tam iholopson ?-4. I have brought the sentence. mere the Coe a r interposed, and said, that the sen tence of another Court could not be a allied for its Sir Home POPHAM I only wished to shew that I etitiel holm precedei.t ; I du nut mean to dic tate to the Ceurt." By the COLItT. Q. Sir I..asc Coffin. do vett know the nature of the service on which Sir Home lerphain was then employed ; was it of a military neture, and subjed to military discipline?—A. My recollection is so feint, that I cannot speak with certainty. By Sir Home POP /1414. . Q. Do you know whether the Sallipsolll was tom. itig house with a convoy ?—A. I do not. Mr. Thomas Wilson sworn and examined. By Sir Hume Porn sit. Q. I believe you are a Merchant in London, and have had considerable intercourse with the Rio de la Plata ?—A. Yes. I had. Q. Do you recoiled several conversations I had with you in the summer of lee e ?—A. Yes, l do; about the month of June ; they were respeding the produce of that country, and its strength, from what I could coiled through the persons I had em ployed there. The result was, that all the informa tion I could tolled was from three pc: sons, and 1 made an appointment with one of them to go up to Mr. Pitt, with Sir Home Popham, on his return from Portsmouth. Q. Did you endeavour to persuade me to impress wee Mr. Pit's mind the necessity of having a toot ing in Spanish South America ?—A. Yes, on Mr. Rose's mind. Mr. Pitt I never saw princely, as the appointment did not take place; and in conse quence of an intimation from Sir Hems Popham, that the matter was waved for the present, and an assurance that I should hear from him hereafter. Since 1795, 1 had been in the habit of trading to that country, by license, in neutral vessels; and see veral times 1 have seen Sir S. Cottrell and Mr. Feltner, and have suggested to them what benefit a trace to that ccuntry would be to Great Britain, and how easily it might be effeded by British ves sels, the place being so weak. Q. Did you ever mention this to the Board of Trude Yes, I did, several times. Witness withdrawn. Mr. Thomas Browne sworn and examined. By Sir BrIMUNPIII.IIII. Q. %% - ere you not Master Attendant of the Csee of Good Hope, slier its capture in January, ISJti? R. I was. Q. Did you consider the Cape in a perfect st rte of security, after I had sailed from it with my squadron. for the Rio de la Plata ?—A. I did. Q. Did Sir David Baird so consider it, from .my conversation you had with hire on the sailed ? A. H- did. Q. St rte to the Court the substance of these con versattoes on the state of defence its which the Cape wee t The JUDGE AD,OC•TZ olijeted to Cie question. Admiral ST error r.—" Sir Home Popharn has a :I s la to ask this gentian, as it is a part or the Cearge that the Cape was in a defenceless state wool he left it." Q. Did Sir D. Baird ever corsult you about }dazing any &she, its ; and what dal :*e ely to you .r.. on the su b ject of the defence of the Cape !—A. Si* D. Baird never consulted me about placing bat teries; but be told ma he ereed addition 11 bat teries for the protedioas both of Table BAY and Siinott's Bay, and L went and saw them. 1 have often heard him repeat, that he wished Bonaparte, with 10,000 of the flower of his army, would come and attack the Cape. and he would g , ve him such a ditthbing, he would wish himself back in his own country again. I have gone to the batteries a dozen times, and I have heard Sir D. Baird Fay, that all the round towers and batteries were in complete good repair, and, it was impossible to make the Cape much stronger than it really was then. Q. Were you at the Cape when the Caao,.naire Freocit frigate anchored there ?-.- A. Yes. Q. Where did she anchor in False Bay?—A. Out. side the Roman Bozic, and Noah's Ark, a long way ; she never came into Simon's Bay. (Ps e duces the Chart, and pints out the spot.) Q. If I had been lying in Table Bay, with the whole of my squadron, should I have been able to have taken that frigate ? A. Ido not know. Q. It I had been lying in Simon's Bay, tinier the circumstances of wind and weather, alio she came in from the eastward, or under the general circumstances of wind and weather, at that time 4 the year, and with the commorxst look-out on the part of the enemy, do you think it possible that I could have taken her ?—A. Ido not. - _ Q. State your reasons ? A. When the Commo dore was lying at anchor in Table Bay, with most of his squadron, there was a signal made from the tower, on the Lion's Rump, that there was an ene• my's cruiser bringing-to a ship in the offing. A signal was made for the Leda and Nan-inns, to pre pare to slip and chase the said ship, but it continued calm all that night, anJ the next day, in Table Bay, and the enemy had a breeze in the offing. One of these ships slipped her cable that night, I think it was the Narcissus. and went to seat and the vessel she had boarded I went on board the next day, and found the enemy's cruiser had fired a shot right through her mainmast ; and she told the officers who had boarded her, and who said, that she was a French cruiser, the Piedmeutese, that the Cape was in possession of the English, which prevented her coming in, and our capturing her must inevitably have followed, as she would shortly be in the calm, and the current would have brought her in. Q. What time of the year was this?—A. The latter end of March or the beginning of April. The log-book of the Lela, now in the pz)sses sion of the Admiralty, will show all the parti culars. _ _ _ _ Q. When you say the French frigate had gr.t into the calm, And been captured, I suppose y u mean she would then be completely under the the of the batteries?—A. I do ; both under the fire of the batteries, and under the fire of the ships. Every ship coming into the bay must keep close to the eastward. _ _ Q. If the Pier/immerse had not received the in formation of the English being there, and had tempted to come in, could she not, if the br:cae had con sued with her until she discovered our ships in cable Bay, have made her escape ; unless we had had some cruisers on the outside of her ? A. I am certain she could. Q. State to the Ciurt the reasons that occurred to you, why, in all probability. I should not have captured the Cisme/more, if 1 bad been lying its Simon's Bay with all my squadron?—A. The ships coming into False Bay, round the Cape of Good Hope, had a considerable distance, on account of two rocks, called the Bellows and Anvil, and stand over towards Cape Hanglet, North of the Bay, for the purpose of getting into a true breeze, and avoiding the current which generally sets out in th e South part of the Bay, and keep to the Northward of the Whittle Rock, and by that means Simon's Bay is exposed to any ships lying there at anchor. On that account I believe that cruisers would make private signals, and I am certain that the Canonnairt was in possession of the private signals used by the Dutch at the Cape; she had dispatches ; as the Officer, who was made prisoner with the boats crew, said, he had dispatches for the Dutch Governor Jansen; and also the winds, on that day, on the South side of Simon's Bay, were light and variable; and she kept working up to the Northward of the Bay, till she came to anchor The ships lying in Simon's Bay at that time, were, the RoEa, a transport, and two or three neutral vessels ; the Rollo was an armed brig, bad no rig ging up, and her guns on shore. Q. As you say you know the Cont:moire had the private signals of the Dutch, I suppose you imagine she would have used them if any man of war had been lying in Simon's Bay I—A. I think she would. Q.- At what distance can ships, lying in Simon's Bay, be fairly made out by cruisers coming from the Eastward I—A. At least at four leagues they can be made out pei fetily plain. Q. Is it not in general a calm in the day in Simon's Bay, while there is a breeze both in the Eastern and Southern parts of the Bay I—A. Yes. sometimes five days in the week. Q. When did you leave the Cape ?—A. About the .2.2.1 of August. By the Peosectrroa. . . . Q. On what slay did the Canwomire come to an. chit, as you describe ?—A. 1 Am sure I don't re member ; but I believe on the 3oth of May. Q. %Vas it after Sir Home had left the Cape ? A. Yes it was. By the PltslllllllT. Q. If the French frigate, supposed to be the Ptedmealtv, had not been prevented from going into the Cape by speaking the vessel, and had got into the calm, could she have anchored out of the reach of the batteries ?—A. She could. Q. If a squadron of ships had been at anchor in Table Bay, could she have anchored out of the reach of their guns ?—A. Most certainly she could, out of the reach of all tha guns in the world. Q. If she had got under weigh at any time. Is it not probable that some ships of the squadron might have, at the same time, got under weigh also to chase her ?—A. They might or might not ; because sometimes, in Table Hay. over half the Bay it blows a fresh breeze abou: eleven o'clock from the South ward. I have seen ships in the South part of the Bay in such a gale as no boat could ply. and on the opposite side a light breeze ; and at four o'clock in the afternoon the breeze its the S. F.. in the offing sets an, while there is a light breeze to the West- ward; sometimes, and generally about kit ' in the afternoon, the bre,te is 411 wit: the Bay, from South East ; while, in the offing, I mean outside Green Point, there is a light hr..eze from W. S. W. Q. Were you at the Cape wilco the Volencarre came in ?—A. I was. Q. If there had not been any ships of war at anchor in the Bay, or cruising without, might she, by cutting her cable, have got to sea and e•caped ? —A. She could not, when .he anchored, as there was We or no whirl wren she let go her audio,, sad she was within musket-shut, between the Am sterdam tilttery and the Clieveaux. and all the bat teries ware moused, and red-hot shot in the fur naces ; and I think she would have been either sunk or blown up, before she coi.li get nut of the reach of the guns. The wind was then from this westward, a light air. By the COURT. Q. Did she strike before anchoring, or after she had anclu'red ?—A. I cann't say ; but believe it was about that time the men were furling the sails ; I believe the anchor was just in the at of letting down when she struck her colours. Q. Did she mike any private signals, before she anchored at the Cape?—A. I c.n i't say whether she did or not. Q. Did you see the Officer of the Canonnaire. who was taken ?—A. Yes, 1 hare seen him many times. _ _ Q. Did he know or suspeel that the Cape was in the possession of the Loglish ?—A. I believe he did not. _ _ . Q. Do you know whether the General or the Commodore had the priv.ite signals of the Cape ? A. I am certain they both had them. Q. Then. if a ship going into Simon's Bay had made a private signal to any of His Majesty's ships lying there, that signal would have been answered ? —A. Certainly. Q. You have said that a ship lying in Simon's Bay might be clearly perceived at tour leagues dis tance; is the land under which they lie in that Bay high or low ?—A. High. Q. And do you mean to say, that ships lying nr.d.r high lard caa be distinguished by 4 ship tour le igues of ?—A. I do. Q. Do they lie near the land ?—A. Yes, they lie near the land ; and on the North-west side of the Bay, where there are great high white sand-hills, any ships lying there must be discovered by ships coming in, keeping North side of False Bay. Q. If the Canaan/sire bad gone into Simon's Bay as incautiously as the Vacatarre did into Table Bay, could she have anchored out of the reach of the guns p—A. She could not; there is no ship can enter into Simon's Bar, nut of Q. If she had anchored within reach of the batteries, could she, by cutting her cables, have gone to sea and escaped I—A. She could not that day, as it fell calm in Stutou's Bay almost immedi ately after she anchored in False Bay. Q. I mean now generally to ask, whether achy ship anchoring in Sinion's Bay, trs.der reach of the batteries, as you say they must be, could, by cut ting her cables, escape, if it was not calm I—A. I do not think they could escape; she must either be sunk or blown up, as the batteries are so strong, and they always keep the shot in the furnaces, whenever any vessel is seen standing in. Q. How wear to the battery is it necessary to an chor 1 A. You may anchor within haft gun-shat. to have a pod birth, to avoid the South-east; you cannot go too close in, it is so fine a bay. Q. It at the time the Canctswii , e anchored, ships had been ci uising without Simon'. Bay, and other King's ships had been at anchor within, is it proba ble that she would have escaped I—A. I do not think she would have come in then at all, hecalse she would have seen them beture, and made a pri vate sign al. Q. You have already said that the private signal might have been answered.---A. Yes. Q. Were there any ships under sail off the Care when the Voloiteire went into Table Bay 1---A. There were two. Q. Why then do you suppose the Caeoneeire would not have gone into Simon's Bay, if ships were cruising off, as the Velontaire did go into Table Bay, although ships were cruising off ?--A. Because, 1 suppose, she had the private signal. I don't well know how to answer that question. I would suppose the one would take more precaution than the other ; because the one came from the Isle of France with dispatches to Governor Jansen ; and the other came from Europe, and might nut have had the signals. I know she came from Europe, because she was boarded three degrees N. of the Line. Q. Did you see the Captain or Officers of the Ywoataire ?—A. I did, the whole of them; I dined oith them frequently. Q. Did you know then that they were bound to the Cape ?—A. I spoke bu: to one, he uncl.;ntood English; all the others spoke nothing but French. I never heard him mention particularly that they were coming to the Cape ; but understood that the French Admiral was cruising off the Bank of Laguilla, and they came in there for the put nose of getting rid of their prisoners, as they were very sickly ; and she also came in to get water. Q. Were any additional bat:erica raited On that part of the coast where Sir D. Baird and the Eng lish army landed ?—A. I do not know. V. If an enemy had attempted to land in the same place, would not the presence of chips of war have rendered their landing more d fEcult ?—A. should think so. Q. When Sir H. Popham sailed from the Cape with his squadron, what vessels of war were left ? A. I was not at the Cape when Sir Home sailed ; I was away with dispatches, but arrived the next day. Q Alter your return to the Cape, how long was it left without any ships of war ?—A. Only a brig which I had the command of, the Rolla, of 1 a guns, was there for a foitnight or three weeks. Captain Bligh, with the Porpa • &e. came on her way to Botany Bay, with the Woolwich store ship, and the Siwtlarr lndiaman ; after that came in the Adamant and the Liss, of 64, about a fortnight be fore I left the Cape, is July. The Adamant arrived two or three days alter Captain Bligh ; also the Me dina, with a convoy. The Lis, and Medusa were bound for India. Captain Bligh staid a tew days at the Cape. ' V. State the period of your.return to the Cape? —A. I believe it was the 15th of Apt il, the day after the Commodore saih d. Q. time long oil you amain there altettrarli2-- A. 'DI August, Ido6. Q. lietween the time of pm return tn the Care and your 'wing it, did any reinforcemfnts at trout, arrive?—A. Yes. Q How pan,. P—A. One regiment, and about 2uo Imo, prisoners on board besides a Hottetitnt regiment. of 3 or boo R i ca , raped un:ter the c'onmind M Colonel Gre,!ii. Q. Where did die regiment c.rare troth ?-.A. Ei, k ;lend, I believe. - - - - Within the same perind, did any nernher of merchant newts donee !—A. Two or three Enz. lish may, besides neutrals and the convoy.. Q. Did the Cenewsuire rnlke any privates;,,enat when she entered the Iliy !—A. I do rest recuiret that she did. Q. Did you hear when the tO3 soldiers we , a made ptisoners?—N. I under,oad in r transpo rt , Ushaot, going to England. Re-e::am:ned by Sir Home Porn", a. Q. You have said that Sir D. Baird and nsyseif of the Much private r were in possession suppose you mean the L•olo.iial signals. or the signais Irons the signal stations ? —A. I certainly da titan the colon-sal - signals. Tile same man who I,l4lliiga.k man to the Dutch, is new so to the English. fl, an old Dutchman, has beta there these torte'', years. Q. Da ysu mean to .ay that I had any of If t . Dutch ship's signals e—A. I do not ; I mesa tilt signals made at the Cape. Q. Could the merchants' ships have lava either in Simon's bay or in Table bay. completely pruo.a.4 from any insult of the enemy, by berg propetle moc red in either of those bays ?—A. Certaiuly they could, with perfect safety. Q. As you have said it is generally calm is tyt day time in Simon's Bay, while there is a strew breeze in the of do you think that any eft: enemy's cruisers, standing in fur Simon's Bity,w. i not have dearly made out, from the rigging, whether the ships lying in that bay were 1.u6,f. men of war, and consequently have takes the adve.. tage of the breeze they were in, to make their mar, while the ships at anchor were becaim.d?—A. I cettaiely do. Q. Was TA, Gazette of Lord Nelson's anise a :th the combined fleets of France and Spin, pcb. lished at the Cape in the course of three weeks nr a month after it was captured by use—A. I per. fedly runember its being published there, hut cannot speak to the day. 1 know a salute was filed from the Castle. Q. Is it not in your recolleaion and knowledge, that Sir D. Baird had equipped and exercised Avery strong corns of flying artillery, to send to any part :of the Coast where as enemy might appear, urn el e smallest suspicion of his meaning to land !—A. Yes, I have seen them exercised every day, under he direCtions of Major Spicer. I don't know their number s, but the line used to reach the whole length of the street. Q. If the enemy had been in rogsession of such a corps of flying artillery, would they not have most severely annoyed us in landing, in consequence 1 the very heavy surf there was in Gosfort's Bay, and in general on that part of the coast, provided, I mean, the enemy had sent it, to be used against the dismbaskation.—A. Most certainly they would. Q Do you remember having captured the Foment brig, under national c.,lonrs, in Table Bay. by ore of the boats of your department, and the person who boarded her brought on shore the nephew it Schimmeipenninek, PresideiA of the Batavian Go vernment, with all his dispatches ?—A. I do, per fee ly well ; they were secreted in the drawer of a ,trunk, and opened in the Castle by Colonel Yana% and 1 heard them read at the Government House, before Sir D. Baird, some time after Sir Home's sailing. The!' direeted the command to be deliver. ed up to any rench Officer, even of inferior rank; and I heard Sir D. Baird say, he would send the dispatches home to Government. By the Ps OSECU T 0 It. Q. Do you know when the dispatches bore date? —A. I do net know the date; they came from A msterdam. Q. Was t►re FOIIMOIII taken after Sir Home sailed for South America It might have been a nienth or two. Q. Was the purport of these dispatches to inform Governor Jansen that a French force might be et paled at the Cape?—A. All that I can recoiled of it was, that if a French Officer. even of inferior rank, arrived, he was to give up the command; I do not recolled the mention of any trooops, only, to avoid any dipute, the men were directed to go hand in hand with the French, whom they were to consider as their brothers. Captain K;iig sworn and examined. By Sir HOMII Porn•w. Q. How long have you been an Officer of the Royal Navy?—A. Near twenty years, three et which I was Ading Lieutenant. Q. Where did you chiefly serve?—A. In the East Indies, Cape of Good Hope, and on the Home Service. Q. Were you twice at the capture of the Caps of Good Hope?—A. I was. Q. What time were you appointed to the coal mend of the 'lidding P—A. In January, 1806. Q. Do you remember the circumstance of the bores of the squashs n capturing the Rolla brio, Lg which the letters from Admiral Linois to Gavemor Jansen were inte-cepted, stating his extreme di - tress for provisions, and expressing a desire that e would procure some for him. against his arrival, which be hoped would be by the Ist of March ? A. Dispatches ware brought to me as Captain of the Hag Ship . , and forwarded by me to Sir Home Popham. Q. Do you remember my examining the Officer who commanded the Rolla, about the state of the Mai-errga's provisions, and his expressing a strong belief, that she could not remain so long as the la of March, withour coming into port, unless she could procure some provisions!--A. Certainly, as he male no secret of being destined for the Cape, knowing that we had read the letters. Q. Do you remember hailing the FeJealaire French frigate to strike her colours, when she passed the Marlon, coming into Table Bay ?—A. Yes. R. A report hying maJe to me, that she had !cutely any water on board, do you recollea desired some supply should he sant immediately lot pretest ave. either from the DrJrnede or Leda firm Q ?Milne WO- satioa tte I Willa • tions but d and ii coma smite fcars and a ell of Goof Tree Ks. Q. "f 1240 rs tarrs tame cSat dos, were meat mats( obtai did a Q. . quail • press vhic • teed his desti i Y ani elf o Qrs oilici BT al 4 pros A. that et &iv • Bade e, as o ion fork' vim first reco On lan ceiv reqc tau of tl fart quei awl tad sod To, tend Q Aim. deft fro(' pill fror for r tior, of pea Ful 14 thi thi an