The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — London, England, 1810-10-12 00:00:00

son to &esti that the virulence *Adis fever will in , crease. Murat has abandoned fur the present his enter prize against this island ; but his troops remain posted, to the number of forty thousand men, on the opposite coast. They are supplied by convoys from Napes, which are frequently interrupted by our navy; but the enemy hes obtained considerable ..dexterity in keeping them close in shore. By an arrival the day before yesterday, we learn, 914` that on the 18th, seventeen vessels belonging to Ring Joachim's navy were destroyed ; but they are worth nothing. A -We likewise took two gun-boats, with 80meo. 1 FRENCH I‘FANT MARINE. As Bonaparte has at last begun to think seriously of beating us at sea, the subject, on our part, is surely not unworthy of serious consideration. The following Decree, contained in the last French papers, must excite alarm in British breasts, and cause our fearful politicians to dart an anxious glance into the terrible futurity that shall see so promising a plan fully matured. It reads thus : " Frustaiti6leet, Sept. 27. We, Napoleon. Emperor of the French. King of Italy, Protector of the Confederation of the Rhine, Mediator of the Swiss Confederation, &c. Ste. &e. &e. &c. hare decreed, and do decree as follows : " Art. T. Them shall be formed, in each of our Ports of Brest mad Tousles, aapecial School of Marine. • " Art. II These schools shall be under the orders of the Maritime Prefects. " Art. 111. No oor shalt he admitted to these schoolsinit II a decree; he must not be und,r the age of in, nor above 15, of a good constitution, and withfiut,balily deformity. "Art. IV. The aoraber of jar& at each port is fixed at SOO, sad eac► s►all pay sa annual pension of Soo francs." These who are inclined to superstition. will re- mark that there is something prophetic u well as remarkable in the name of the place whence is issued this awful Decree—"Fontainbleau," or Blue Water, is very curiously adapted to the pro- inulgstion of Marine Edicts, and seems to pre. destinate, either that the water shall really be blue, or that these new naval heroes will be made to look blue on the water by our brave Blue Jackets!—Proceeding to analyze this Deciee, the ssme Bigots will please to observe, that Napoleon does not presume to style himself Emperor, &c. " by tie grace of God;" and this, though a modest abstinence, truly 'hewing that he can have no such pretensions, must be a further consolation to the devout and holy.—ln the further wording of it, another anticipation of its nature and description is implied by the IstArticle, when it is said, " There• shall be formed, at each of our ports of Brest and . Toulon, a special School of Marine." Lord kuoma they will indeed, as we shall endeavour to sot*, he special Sehoefs! fur in this way must the poor lads be taught—First, on entering, their masters will explain to them, thatthey come tlie►e to instruct ed io the heat and newest muds of drubbing the English nt sea,which spectre of knowledge is of course the most syatematically and readily to be acquired its port, or on skore. , ---Health being necessary for the pursuit of all learning, It is nut to be supposed that sending boys to sea to make them sick, is at all a fit way of preparing them for the actsuisition of the very iltfficult science of navigation; and neither • can it be imagined that to debilitate them by disease is a process calculated to brine them to thrash the hardy Tars of Old England.—lt is not clearly stated in the Deciee who are to be appointed in structors of the youths; only that the Maritime Prefects are to he the supreme pedagogues. In addit' to these, we iie,t suppose that a few of the best Admirals and Captains of the French Navy, as they have now nothing else to do, will lie select ed as ushers end assistants. Their experience, united to the tteury of the landsmen, will consi.- quently complete the eilinireble system of educa tion, far superior to Lancaster's, though in disci pline end regularity formed upon that model. In teaching victoriousness, then• are two moth a of ha liting tn•tnu•.:an to the , uholar—rither by alien nig him how be ru,y conquer his oppmelit; or, how he may avoid being tuininereti hr his oppo nent. About Ibc hir•t of these modes, it cannot be expected that the ushers, &c. of the Yew School eau give their pupils any infnrinn•ioo ; for how can a person impart a knowledge which he lies never iu his life barn able to acquire. In the• scrond, how ever, they may more successfully exert themselves ne the Delloll6ll to mar flee tenure flu - might, " Ana tea, h thr ”Azitg FRENCH SAILOR '••rio They may tell how well they vs. aped on the Ist of June—rim the Battle of Camperdown—in the Battle of the Nile--iu the Battle of Trafalgar—off cape St. Vincent, and a dozen or to other ace. itiorattk o^easious, when they (the haply few !) baf fled the British thunder, anti got into I'E•rt. They may prove lh•ir superiority in the art of tailing, by the frequent sallfrs made from Brest and Toulon, and their safe return. King Murat's Neapolitan !Bulletins, being the latest and most approved pro ductions for Ihr use of schools, will afford a fine source of study, and examples of heroic achieve went, in deft...sting the British! Should any acute boy he teigip!rd to ask, wherefore, since vic•ory over these islanders iv so easy, such a number of vessels as he daily sees should rwuaiu in the har bour ? lie must be flogged fur prating of timings far above his comprehension. even should he have reached the first form ; for an understanding of his part or the systttkia only to be acqUired prac tically, and after he leaves school he will be taught it fast enough. As the Romans, during the first Panic War, learnt navigation by erecting benches on the shore, so these young Gauls, in this puny war, improving upon the hint of the Romanis, to whom they are so vain of comparing themselves, will, double's, not only erect benches on the shore, but launch tubs, buckets, deals, and rafts, on the smooth surface of the inner-harbour, reciting or singing, with all the gaiety and couvige in the world— llli robur et ire triplex Circa pedal eras, qui Pagano truci Comrui►it pelagu rateas Prituny nec tiinuit! Rot after tel these exploits. like the Roman Reuther*. they cannot expect to be at first very cesalul on a larger scale. It was a long time before Duibus obtained the first triumph ever receit ed by Roman after a naval victory ; and the Historians of Rome themselves confess that tt the successes they wet by sea were trivial, and little adcantage could be gained over an enemy that were sailors by actual practice, and lung experience." It may be observed by tha way, that this period of Ancient History hears a very striking resemblance in many points to the present era. We are not without our modern Moment , tini, in Sicily ; and we trust, that the fate of Regu. lus' descent un Africa awaits (very threatened ex. ',edition of our enemy, who endeavours to ape the Romans of that age in sixty days cutting down timber, building, manning, and provisioning a fleet of 120 gallies--about us complete') as Boney him self can accomplish But to return to oor juvenile heroes of Marine, and their accomplished preceptors. The Brest and Toulon Fleets, which they will have continually before their eyes. and indeed near enough the shore to admit of their sometimes going on board to make experiments, will furnish numerous topics for information. The Infatigable being laid up in dock, and rotten for want of action, will, by con trast, elucidate the favourite theme of the ruinous waste anti expellee of the blockading system to which the excellent manosavres and policy of the grand Napoleon has reduced his enemy. The Bel liqueur clismasted, and warlike no longer, will serve as a hulk for the salt-water school-room ; and though education on board the hulks is a system not much admired on this side of the Herring pond. who knows but it may answer better on the other side. The Raisunable may he their logic d its-rotorn, in Which they will acquire the salience of writing bulletins which may give all the features of victory to a defeat. The Invincible, the Adaptable, 'the 'Redoubtable, and other vessels of equally formidable nature, will inspire them with ardour and valour to realize their heretofore ima ginary baptismal sites, and render theta, worthy of their appellations'. The ci-devant Commanders of these ships will explain the causes why, up to the present inoinetit, the Invincible hats been beaten, the Indomitable compelled to seek safety iii flight, or the Redoubtable to remain in port under the pro tection of batteries; and from these lessors. will de &ice theories how the same may hereafter be avoid ed. Being fully instructed in every thing pertain ing to the sea service; to the sailing of vessels, to their trim, to breaking the line, to manoeuvring. to tacking, &c. &c. which may most easily and con veniently be done in a harbour, our young ■lde seamen will then be handed over to other pre ceptors, to be taught the higher elements of their profession. Ties* whose rising genius leas been remarkably displayed in the earlier part of their ondious course, will be accomplished as Marine roltigeurs. Others, who have ,hewn a profundity of acquirement, will become equally firinJus Pion gears, and have the direction of Iwferna/s to blow the Bri:ish navy out of their own element. and try to beat them in the air since they cannot heat them ill the water. Leap-frog will he the chief study of the former of these cla.ses—Pope's Dereciad of the latter, nod from him their motto— " Here snip my ' lit ie at once leap in ! And piove selin b• at tin da.l, thrnagb thick and thin." After these " cold lung-winded natives of the deep," others of more aerial mental powers will he consigned to teachers of Gaveony, horn whom they will be completed in the logic of which the first ru diiiierits were taught in the Ilaisonable. From these, in future wars, g.sconading accounts of their aelliterineirtN and poetical details of imaginary vie torirs, may be expected. As they will surpass the present race iu naval skill, so will they be eminently titted to surpass them in description■ Of tenet dinattreatq deafen, Of naming neridtato by Am/ and Geld; Of heit•breedte 'teepee. Of &nag taken by the Weird fee... and such like adventurer to which they will be ex posed in their sea-faring career. Those of a more mechanical turn will be int.tructed in the art of notehia; ballets, that they may meet on equal terms those 'Manaus English. of whom this notable dis covery has been lately made—this they practise this murderous art !! Thus variously and wonderfully accomplished, there 600 pupil, of the Schools of Brest and Tou lon (who shall he. sccording to Article 3. "of a good constitution, owl trithcait bodily deformity") way be expected to put to mcs, like another Argo nautic Epedition against Colcbis and the Golden fleece, or rather against Britain and her staple wool. Yet, with all their learning, we do not feel dis- THE BRITISH PRESS. LON DON, FRIDAY. Ocrossa 12. Four Gottenbargh Moils arrived yesterday. One of the articles brought by them aff or d s a sufficient commentary uoon the blessings of BONAPARTE'S Government, and the boasted happiness of those who live under it ! The einigration of whole fami lies from France into Germany, for the purpope of trying to 'get to the sea coast, and escaping from the Continent, are so frequent, that the Grand Duke of FIANNFORT has been obliged to revive severe Decree upon the subject. The intelligence from Orebro, the present seat of the Swedish Government, is of so late a date as the 29th lust. Count Rosen, one of the Members of the deputation sent to Paris to announce the elec tion of Bees ADOTTI as Crown Prince of Sweden, had returned to Orebro. 11e are gravely told, %el. the beputies were Feet iced in the Enlist guished manner !ty both those illustrious BoonPatirs art 4 BERN A DOTTE ; and that former not only expres.ed his awent that !. Duren should 'ilecept the dignity offered hits, has also written a letter to llis Swedish wishing him an y upon the happy event.-.Bt norm;, tmr, not to he outdone in COREtray I Master, had also crinden..en led to address a to the silly old Klan upon the same - hich, no doubt, for thegoml news the., he wishes his Majesty long life, healthond h., The latter, w h o we must presume was sfr illustriuus BERN ADOTTE would decline', hotiour, was so much I with the answers dissipated all his fears, that, to nick hit - awl joy, he convened au extraordinary meat' Chapter of the Seraphine Ord-r, at which DOTTE was created a Knight of the same, rested with the right to wear tl'e Grand 1 the Order of the Sword and North Star. BERN A DOTTE was to set out fens& PROS for den in a fortnight after the departure of the! lion. Soon alter his arrival we shall hear creasing years and iafir tidies of the old King, the Illustrious Crown Prince will kindly fr: from all his Royal cares ! ! The long•expected advices from Pork not arrived at a late hour last uight.-.. expectation is iu consequence v,reatly but, putting that consideration aside, we strange that some extraordinary means of municatiots have not been adopted,for tnent possess every pos4ihle facility. Th. so arrangement of this kind. went,' *mina. we possess no ill I l neihate means at home to I success, or relied) , disa.ter. The tunst serer vices from Portugal are those brought br ti tertat, winch left the Tagus on the 46th Lot. Our Port letters received lag morning, announce a single arrival from al). pan •' Portugal. • By a vessel which arrived OR Wednesday from coast of Portugal. a letter has been received • Viiins. dated the qatteult. in which it • the esti' there was a sm trt skirmish 'between glint, of Lord WELLIsCrom and the ran 01 firSl We have also received. through Porto;al, count of sorne military operatious in Spain, winch the Fre ich abandoned Daroca and tayud. The French who were in Castorin and its hourhood assembled at Zarea Major, when Anti.) , and cavalry tiled off for Forterd, artillery by the rite of Peiales--all the army under NIASSENA. The French troops which occupied Llerens, venida, bc. have withdrawn by the road canal and Constaintilo. Letters from Madr.d state, that btu% hatl from thence to Saragossa. Near Mimics, 11 Spanish themselves in some eon), unit from ttb it . attacked to French, out of olio:a they ku and took u eauiil number of prisflflr.TM. We have some lot • letters from :llalagi, of Gibraltar, of the 16th September, which diet the statement that SCOASTIANI had on any past of the gsrrison of that place, for I pose of reinforcing hinuelf to meet Bi.tai Patriots, on the ground that the people of were virtually Frenchmen, had plundered villages in the neighbourhood, and moor! Velez Ilnliga, about live league• from whence the letters are dated. No new tions had been raised since the date of the last nitinications, %Melt were of the Bth alt. The Swe.lith Pooers contain the folio count of the cAptme of the Allmos cutter : " His Najest)'s r.bir Sound, septrobra **The Alban cutter, of I. grins, wits owl the Nth jai.' air the 4C.11V, by six Mini boats, carrying 10, .2.1, and 18, arid 8 61 after an victim' of fists. hours, in w:iich ti tensnt ana one m.tu were kilitd, and three ed. Onilig to its brio;; a dead calm, tin could riot chose with the enemy." Last morning, the Committee slipo;nted vestigate the affairs or Mama. Chmossitrr gave notice on the Stock Exchange. 01 41 bargains of the house for time would be te day, which is settling day. Our Plymouth letter contains en semi gallant achievement, near Rochelle, by f oar equedron cruizing off Ba•gae Rooth British Officers were wounded in-this affair them, Lieutenant LITT La s is recovering. His SICILIAN MAMTV has instituted a Thai Class of the Onler of Ferdinand and Merit, and has caused it to be intimated to Sir Jou.; Sly Aar, wait • request that he will particularize all the indire duals of the British nrmy who may distinguish thew selves arinst the enemy. A similar comma:ora tion was made to the Admiral cronialanthog the, British Naval forces upon the station. A letter from Koninusberg, of the eed states, that on the arrival of GUSTAVUS Amu riivi in that city, the Swedish Consul paid his rei rrip him. and was informed by his Ex.Majesiv that he was proceeding to St. PeterAurgh, by invite Item the Empievr ALEX A• he Moat dit 0115 person, s of th a t H eel, rodish &Lire, rent.-. Beta courtesy las • address a len t b ee I : h e t u ' cic el s ' a n ts ' o h ol':11 I day ) I " , her to was efrnd t ine the pro& . xr .he answers t: ed k his gratin: ell meetmeof. -$l6; which Dias . 1 10 game, 'D A • Grand Croa t Star. a Paris for re of the de. II hear of the' ag e old King, ON tiu fr...e is , n Portn,tal ht.—rite p LI ly ilisappoinN Ole, we thi 11113 of rapid .• ar which Go Tii omos. , ,st. .1 itusinu.e r tit ly bonne to I° most r, itt ad d ight by ti m 6111 last. p • rto s o t P part of Spat leo DC Inesday from r • c' en received Dr F.l it is said tl.:t between tile lai he ran of 3a' Potto4:11, art - io in Spain, d C. • It rota and Cs - St • ▪ and its n• ir, wheo tho.' • 15 rind, and , all destined '• a d Llerena, fr.t road of 6u: alai lulu% had ,„ lien entice tl r the it anifnas.:4 Ct they killtd ner4. Mi by ti sa r, which enktri Ir t had withdrart. rr MI Ice, for the Iter rah t fhtar. eople of NI - Ir tendered all I d m d oth 7 .b • from the p new contr.. a, • of the last e• f salt. a lie following • I f : . cutter :IU s wive wi limber 4. was captured . is Dauish 1,1 8 6-pou ••• sv:,ich the nd three wo 'Alin, the dt ippo:nted to ills !li t t.osuln 004 Co. e iiin tt i, l e ,..il ia b leceb t f . : . ' :.d ' t.. l it tu t all e k s..7e c t n t belo his affair; oae mayed it the pupae or eneounterii.g these irtsli: water sailors, who, when they get out of the pro ;ection of their batteries, may e'en, like their pre decessors, exclaim with Horace— NalliP, referent in sash to Nevi rluctu'—tt quid rtgit _ • _ _ . Then, as my.r, our gallant tars will know how to lespise all their safe theoretical tactics, and to chastise their presumptuous ambition, in attempt ing to rival the sins of 13ritain On the ocean ! Our Commanders, alter a long career of naval glory, skilful from practice, accustomed to conquer, tir e d by the recof cotioa of their owu past victories, and emulous of a Nelson's fame, will scarcely acquire a laurel by whipping these puny Calitaitis from the face of the d,ep. Our sailors a ill lough at their new-fangled stintagi in.. of war, which, like their old ones, will be found insufficient to oppose the intrepidity inspired by former glory and the love of their country in the breasts of freeborn Britons. The French of the new, like the French of old schools, mast bow to Brttish valour, and con fess their inferiority amid defeat and destruction. Their new Navy must follow the fashion of their old Navy ; and then any speculating Ruler who may chance to be at the head of the Grassi Nation, will have another opportunity of founding other Schools, and funning other Captains. There is somewhat of teliiin and f Hy in this Marine schnolery, that ill agrees with the acknow- Ittlged talents of Bonaparte. But he expects no thing from it, and it is only one of these bagatellts which serve to ainiste the Parisians. \Ve, indeed, have treated it setiouply, as if intended to be the source of future greatness to the infant Naty of France. We hate not considered, that the hest way to inspire French boys with contempt for the enemies they are destined as men to cope with, is to educate them in a situation where they must witnesf these very enemies cooping up, driving in, beating, and destroying every vessel belonging to France. We have not ascribed to the cciistant view of the British blockading squadron in the offing any such wonderful effects. %'e have not endeavoured to comprehend how a home education of 2,3, or 4 years, can better qualify a young mm of from I'S to 20 years of age fur the naval service, than the .vs_ tern by which the British navy is replenished with youthful heroes, gallant Officers, ent - erprizing Cap tains, and glorious veterans. When we sec our young midshipmen old (fur we may use the ex pression) in service—our boys who have visited the Eastern, and 11'esterit, and Northern seas, and have fought the battles of their country in various situa tions—when we ice the fruits of ibis education after see!, are intrusted with command, it is with inef fable contempt we deign to notice that which Gallic vanity would attempt Lt compare with it ! The comparison is, indeed, a splendid one fur Old Eng land and her Old Naval School, against France and her New Naval School, and all her new principles in morality, in religion, and in polities! It is scarcely possible that persons embarking in the profession of the Navy at the age of 20, or any period nearly arkanced to that, can ever reach the sante degree of skill and excellence acquired liy a snore early entrance into a sailor's life. Our habits are formed while yet we are very young,aud the total difference between the Situation of seamen and landamen, renders it almost intolerable to endure the hardships of the former, if not initiated at an age, when, like wax, the body as well as the mind is capable of taking any impression. It is, therefore, in this lisle, that, unlike to any other, it is better to begin with practice, and odd theory to it. The very habit of seamanship (if we may say sit), being the most difficult part of the profession, must be ear liest begun with ; ■nd while our boys are at sea, they imbibe with wonderful facility • thorough knowledge of those matters which they have every day experimentally proved, as well as theoretically inculcated. Above aII thinge , they acquire by emu. !mien, as it were from their ermine, a heroic firm ness, a cool iterepidity in action, a contempt for datNers the most appalling, au aillent thirst for glory, a delight in their profession, and a skill and precision in every branch pertaining to it, which cannot be equalled, furless excelli it, by all the in. ecotone of Gallic ingenuity. Such are Britain's Defend. rs, and such are to be lies French Insailers. May Britain never have more to fear than the result of their meeting half seas overt