The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — London, England, 1804-09-29 00:00:00

•"' / 4-7 --'----, -—-- - -_----,., I should express snrprise at Rear-Admiral Linois. when, on the following day, he presented himself with the officers of his squadron to pay the r respeas to me. At Jay-break of the 14th of January, the men at the mast-head discovered four, eight, and suc cessively twenty-seven sail to the N. N. E. The numbet of these vessels left no doubt that it was the China fleet. The Admiral had with hiarat this mo ment only Le Berctau and L'il...enturier ; the frigates La Belie Pouffe and La Sentillaate, having kept under sail, had been carried two leagues to lee ward of the ship by the force of the currents and stress of weather on the preceding day. At a quarter paq eleven, a detachment of five of the enemy's ships came to reconnoitre the squadron, while the others lay to. The Admiral, taking advantage of a squall, which prevented the enemy from seeing our movements, speedily called in his frigates, and kept I the wind in line of battle. The squall being over, the five hostile ships formed in a line and likewise I kept the wind. At half past five p. se. the Admiral nude a signal, that it being his intention to avoid an engagement in the night. he would wait for day. light to attack the enemy. He, however, endea voured to get to windward of them. If the position of the enemy, during the day, had been bat an artifice to impose on us to conceal their weakness. they would have availed themselves ef the darkness of the night to endeavour to conceal their retreat from the squadron, and upon that oc casion the Admial might take 'advantage of their movements. But he was presently convinced that this security was not pretended. :Throe of their vessels had constantly their lights and the hest lay by the whole night, and kept themselves in order. This position enabled the Admire:Cr gain the wind, and observe them more nearly. The 26th, at six in the morning, the enemy were within a cannon shot and a half. The calm did not permit • the Admiral to undertake any thing against them; ' but he profited of it to call the Captains of the squa dron on board his ship : he informed them, that his intention was to advance against the enemy with the first fair breeze, to menace the centre of their line, and to cut off the vessels in the rear. All the Captains were anxious to second the projeds of the Admiral, and informed him of the ardour which pre vailed amongst their crews, and it was not without admiration that we saw in reality some ofthesick,then so numerous in our division, quit their hammocks, to drag themselves to the post of battle. At half-past seven, the enemy hoisted their colours ; our squadron also hoi,ted theirs. Although near enough to distin guis4 ila .erseta of the fleet, the Admiral could not discover its real force. Twenty of their ships 1 had the appearance of two-decked vessels. We lhougli .e discovered a frigate ; a sloop of war had F a blue flag, so had three other vessels. These made part of eight vessels which seemed more par tieularly charged with the protedion of the convoy. by the information which the Admiral had ob , tained from neutrals coming from China, he had learnt that there were seventeen of the Company's vessels, six country ships, and the brig, in all twenty ' four vessels, ready to sail. The three extra vessels which we saw might be the intended convoy. At it eight o'clock, the wind having freshened a little, i the fleet stood to the south, drawn up in a line. i From eight to ten vessels formed a double line to windward of the first. The squadron bore down on the bead tithe line, carrying all its sails ; but thi• wind having shifted (torn E.N.E. and at the same eime having died away. no longer permitted the Ad i miral to stand to windward At length, at noon, ' taking advantage of a little breeze, he ma le el. ready to cut off the two vessels in the rear of di: enemy's line. Scarcely was his mancravre perceived, when five ships of the double line attempted to get leeward, and fell upon the division. It then ii.- came necessary to change the plan of attack. ..ii ' to avoid being placed between two fires: L p.it to windward to meet the two first ships of the line who had put about, and to attack there. At hall past twelve, the 111:re-go fired the first shot, and the engagement commenced imme diately after. The nearest of the enemy's ships sus tained some damage; but being supported by those which followed, she put herself alongside a-new, and kept up, as well as the rest, a very brisk fire.— The ships which had stood off joined those which engaged the division, and three of them which had • been among the first engaged in the adion, manoeu vred to get round to leeward of us, while the rest of the fleet, corning up with all their sails spread, sheaved that their plan was to surround us. The enemy, by this manoeuvre, had rendered the position of the Admiral very dangerous. The su periority of their force was evident. and there was no longer time to deliberate upon the part to be taken to avoid the disastrous consequences of an un equal engagement. The Admiral, availing himself . et the smoke which enveloped him, sheered off, and running to E. N. E. got to a distance from the enemy, who continued to pursue him fur three hours, firing several broadsides, but out of cannon shot. The Admiral was able to remark, daring the &lion. that from six to eight ships of the line fired from the it two decks. There is no doubt but that they wished to be attacked, as it was not until the moment of the engagement that they aliened their upper tier of guns. This engagement lasted forty minutes. The enemy's shot generally pointed at our rigging, but did us slight damage. No: one issa was wounded. As this cruise afforded no farther prnipen of ad vantage for wis monsoon, the Admiral resolved on the Inch February to steer for Batavia. After pass ing through Gaspard's straights, the frigate diradeate ' stood in ou the :2 tst of fehreary towards toe squa dron. On the n':ith it came to an anchor at. flatnvia. Vice Admiral Hai ...ink, commanding two men of war and a frigate, recently arrived from Europe, was likewise at anchor in the road. The limited instrudinns of that officer would not permit him to undertake any expedition against the enemy, by ' combining his forces with those of the Admiral. In tire days the squadron had taken in water and six months provision t it had likewise taken on . beard refreshments for the sick, the numbec ct whom on board the .I.teen.je alone amounted to .'•s„ The Admiral wishing to accelerate the sale or ere prizes, the Ar'sfir ,, i Re,,, , er and the 11l *ran a, as:cr consulting the captains of the squadron, accept a ' • - hin by the Shabendar, to pin ata cargo ter the sum in. 133,000 piastres, exempt from all decluttions. The Council of the Government, cut of respeEt to its Al- lies, permitted the mousy to be exported by the squadron. On the 4th of March the squadron weighed from Batavia, and found that of Admiral Ilattsinck at anchor under North Island : it had set off four days before. In standing into the Streight of Sunda the French sqiiadron was bee:;lmed ; and being carried away by the excessive s i.ilence of the currents, it was for same time in considerable danger. A small an chor belonging to the Belle P. ,le, was fortunately the only hiss it sustained. On the I;th, having cleared the Streight of Sunda, the Admiral dispatched the frigates Belle aid At •Id d. on a cruise, and of keeping with him the S,mithode and Le /green'', he steered for the Isle cf France, where he arrived on the Ist of April. Extract eta Latter from thsimmin Gmeral Deeaen, to the inOte:. of the art,' C“tooie-,. licad•Quarter4, 14a.f Fra %lay 20, 111104. I had the honour, Citizen Minister, to inform you in my preceding letter of the return of two frigate!, Ls Bale Pomle, and L'Alalinle. They anchored at the lde of France on theAh of May with their prize, the Althea, valued at about fire millions of fraacs. SCPT. 17. LETTERS. FOUND ON BOARD TIIF. ENGLISH PRIZE THE ADMIRAL APLIN. NO. I. LETTIM FROM LORI) ORENVILLZ TO MARQUIS uLLLE.LEr. My &!IrWa:lcaley, July 12, 1410$. Two days ago I. received ynur letter of the 14th of February, and I answer it this moment, althe I am entirely ignorant when I shall have an oppor. tunity of conveying my answer to you With re spit/ to your residence in 'lndia. that question has been long since decided; and such i. the distance that separates Ilf, that brig before this reaches you, the time fixed for your departure will have arrived. I am entirely innorant. wheeler the even , of the war, which our wise Ministers have at length declared, will induce them to request the continuance of your residence some time longer in India. There is no one more capable than they are of appreciete hig the certainty of that event, so th it we must suppose they have taken all the measures such an exigency required; but however every thing sheers they have been •taken unawares, as it this event had been the least expefted, consequently it is not impossible that when they saw the war was inevitable, that is to say, on the very day it was declared, they may have flispatched an order fee you to remain in India. But as this is a felt of which I am entirely ignorant, I cannot, of coulee, reason on it. If it does not take place. I hope nothing will prevent me having the p;easure of see ing you nest year, provided you have, at that pe riod, still. a ca4.4itu to re suit When I make use. of this last expression. do not suspose that my dis satisfaaion at the conduit Gove -merit has, in any thing, chained my . opinien as to the means and resouicee of this country. I have never been of the number of ',oleic., on the subjeet It is now less a matter of opinion, than of a peseta keowledge equi valent to a certainty, when I say that the country possesses not only abundant and ample means of de fence, but even those of masing the enemy seris.usly repent of his hostile conduce. of forcing him to tear, and consequently to manta us. But hitherto there has been so much indecialoe, timidity, and tardi ness in all the measures taken to obtain resources, tad our f rage at this moment bears so much tlie irr: r. , , ,, in of fear, that I cannot have the • oa of btinc founded in doing justice is • r to the talents that are employs d, and the dispositions which have been t ikeit.— My plan of pol.itscal coadua, as you most have seen, ditfers more and mare from that of Govere ment. As to the opinions which I had given on the peace, I have at this moment the statisliaion see they do me perfea justice througanut tla whole country. Not only silbsenuent events have proved, that the little body with which I adel in concert on that occasion, was composed of t -- only persons who could then appreciate this ree sure and its consequences, but we have had a ge neral acknowledgment that we had a just view t thins. All the infamous calumnies of Govern ment on this ssibjea have recoiled with double force upon themselves. In all that I have since done, and its all that I have a! - tained from doing, you will discover, I hope, those principles and those sentiments, from which no °Olden, however un. favourable it may be to the personal condut'l est . any individual, shall ever make me devi ite.— If I had been sure of an opportunity, I would have written you a detail of all that passed lan April with regard to the intended change of Go vernment, and I would have explained to you (as far as I have been able to comprehend it), the principles of .he condua which Pitt has since pursued. I feel great pleasure in seeing that while my quarrel with Mr. Addington brumes every der .I , llOVi ifli4lll4 all the motives which cause) a difference of opinion and cosidua between l'itt and me daily diminish. We have not yrt been able completely to assimilate out plans of political coadua. Our situation, in truth, is in au essential point of view entirely thffseent. Although he has not eaually recommended Addington tor his employment ;and in reality, who, r:towing him, could recommend him?). yet he has aderded Inns a more aaive portion of influence than my opinion would have permitted him to give him in the frnrnation of the new administration. He has advised his measures lout! after he had ceased to share in them ; and he has approved of them, in the differeat points which appear to me the most ci ionised, aad which were so in reality, as the event has proved. He is, of course, more restrained in his condua than I am; and he does not now enjoy the inestimable advantage of having never con cealed on compromised my opinion upon suhjeas of such political importance—but I believe lass ideas of their public condua are not very different frosts mine, I and to all this we most add, a -.ly-nseri•ed re. seeencrt, by season of Addir.g,tet,'s personal con s! a towarde him. He tkerctore no longer come de s•_.:,:irtler;:s, If he has wtitten to sou (s hich c...-rsinty he w old h eve .1 . 171 e. it he hal not. ae leered :he bad lial..t ..t not writing to any person) : I say, he has written to yo::, he has ex ertssed, I Fr....tadc..l o it, an his sratimenee w.:::J, L :g. serve, and it is in this persuasion, I say so much 0 von f his opinions. ln truth, the measure witch be last adopted (I mean to speak of his m • of adjournment. or of his vote of censure), ill j ' ia itself, as I think it has been, and unfortunate t its result, since it has diminished his public influence, has at least the merit of expressing, in the most un equivocal manner, his disapprobation of the cooduet of Government. I do not hesitate to guess what new events will take place, before- your arrival ; and the only advice winch I wish to give you, is that which I have already more than once sitggested, not to pledge yourself to any thing bol'oie you do arrive : but to preserve the liberty of taing ac cording to the motives you think ought to direa your condui3 when you shall be on the spot ; and according as the different connections of the persons who are at the head of affairs in the various subdi visions of parties, shall give you room to judge what is best suited to you. With resped to the idea thrown out in the extract which you have sent me of your letter to Addington, you ought, I think. only to look to it as an event of the remotest pos sibility. As to eternal enmities, I detest the idea t and if I have an eternal enmity, it is against the: partisans of a principle so detestable ; but we owe much to public opinion as well as to the petsonal situation and charadter of individuals, which it is necessary to respell long after they have ceased to feel resentment, or to take pleasure in :tieing proofs of it. And nothing appears less pro bable than that you will see Pitt and meat any near period, I think I may say at any period of our lives, disposed to establish connections of friend ship and conk ence with Mr. Addington.— The papers, if you have got them, will inform you that all our conversations turn, at present, upon the invasion, and that, at length, we begin to take measures to put us in a state to face the enemy, should they effect a landing, which, though very improbable, is certainly not at all impossible. To talk of conquering or subjugating 10 or 13 millions of men, if they are prepared for battle, and direfted by a Government, desirous and capable of animating their efforts, would be completely ridi culous. - tint experience has :hewn us, that the number olone of inhabitants, and even the advan tages of local situation, are nothing, if the direction of the defence remains in the hands of men, who are not distinguished, except by their weakness and incapacity. In Holland itself, and even in Germany, Italy, and Switzerland, the Governments, and not the in habitants, lost their country ; and, in the same manner. if, in this island, or in Ireland, we expe rience any cnnsi lerable check, we shall owe it. not to the timidity and ignorance of the nation, hut of the Government. You must have yourself judged to what extent then qualities exist in the present Government, if (as I presume) you have, before the receipt of du, letter, read the correspondence of Lord Hawkesbury wit h Otto and Lord Whitworth, and compared VIII dates of the several counter-or ders, upon the siibjeet of the Cape, during the course of our communications with France. It would be superfluous to add to the length of this leuer, by dw:liong upon do ploasure I have felt on finding in yours those expret.si.ms of friendship, which retrace our old and cnnstant conneetion. I have never done for you more than you would have d me for me upon a similar occa sion and if the ion ipe planned against you is to tally without effcal, I cannot flatter myself with having contributed to this result by my ,x:rtions, although you may, nevertheless, I think, regard the bustn:ss as terminated. It does not am ear to me that a word will be spoken upon the siibj:cl un til Easter, and I really think that you hav'e nothing to apprehend. The only thing to fear upon the subjed, is the pain and disagreeableness of a pricata dispute of this na:ure. Ever Your's, (Signed) CU:MILLE. NU U. iitslllT WELLISLET TO Tilt MAt4tIS Or WrtLEi- LEY, HIS gigot-1i My Jcar 11.1.,ningtoil, Lure Jun, July I learned from Lady Wal!esley, that a dispatch hy land was to be sent off the le , th, and I hype the this letter will reach you in time to put you in a state to make preparations for leaving India in Ja nuary mat. I shall give you an account, as soon as possible, of every thing that has passed relative to India since my arrival, and then you will be able to jado what degree of sipport you may expeoft from the present Ministers; and whether the Board of Contmul has not been really trans trued from the Board, to the Court of Di rectors. I arrived in London in June, and I im mediately waited upon Lord Castlereagh, who re ceived me with tt.e greatest politeness. He spoke to me of you in the most favourable tern:t.— He approved of all your measures, but :tt the same time it is perfealy clear that he is nut able to obtain what the Court of Directors have resolved not to grant. tle spoke to me al, ut the College, and appeared to me convincea ut the importance, as well as of the ne.:c,.:zy that Institution. He hoped, he said, to be .tile to prevail upon the Dire tors to eorrinue it upon your plan, with some modifications which you might not think important. Ile tc.ld roe that the Dire/love had writtili hint upon this and other subj..% several very ;urinal letters, and tat: nothing could be ma:,: ais.grerAltic than the si:aa• Bonin which he nai placed. I told Lord Castlereagh, that in this business the Court of Diredors bad completely broken th it ad to you, as one of the principal condaions up which you were to remain a year lover, was, t..at they sisutild nut interfere in any of your norniaa lions ; that they had removed a man wt:o had patsed through all the subordinate ranks in the se; vice the Company. I then told him that your hcaith vrai very good, and that there was no s.ici.tice ssoien you were not ready to make tor the pubic service; but that I thought it impossible y..ti e.,..11 remain in kola longer than the month of Januiry next. excepting you were wairoly solicited uit t..tt Mad by H is Majesty's Ministers, and the Court of D.rec tors ; that as ;n His Majesty's Mitiiiteti, I they were of opinion that your stay i.t In :i tisras desirable citcumstance, for many tea...a; ; and ith regard to the Court of Direetors, lie 0n,{..: to know, ..toetlier tiii:y . wishi:d it or not. li e gave me do an ,wer on the 'mg point; but was yen explicit on the second; lot he told me , that th t C.- or t o f Di x,ao„w,,,, . 0 tw4i3tiAnt whiJi you II Lave manifested in some of your dispatches ;elicit proves that they have not the leastrbidtehhaigituiiyitelicco,etici Inte e in s g ts Ind m of ore th a a t n and oh st:ilin th naedm a ita t e wtfoozodulthelsdn)i,s,shuibtjehk: erea pet suaded they were desirous you should iresign,m itth;oLoakrl:. n it ua w n a c s e oi impossible ro s u s r i b s i t e ay 6r in I c i to anotherln the public conversation interest. Castlereagh, he spoke a Hier': o il Mahratta nitociations, and I con sire 9 ft propriety of your meesnres at Pooa a . th e - , advantages which may result f rom them, 4•. could establish our interest at that Court. H e main asked me, whether you h a d come a„ filed determination relgtive to the period of vont return to England? I repeated what I had said te him on a former occasion ; to which he 112:1!..! nn re y. ptansl asked dh i H mw e ht s ei p ltah o te k yr e olu o f t eh n t o h t eu e l tah t o i n m yedo i n u nation ilw ebli a Lloiep : pt a r r oo l o? a cf Barlow, but that you thought no servant of :be Com pany ought to succeed to the general governmeie • I likewise said that the new nomination w a s because Barlow had before been designed to osee se d oli ,p 1 interim, and that it was piefe34llltt to ts your return before any person should be oresentof for this new nomination. I think there is a cereal.; secret intrigue concerning Barlow's nomiaatice, and I think this is the explanation of it. Whea M. nisters proposed Lord W. Bentinck for Madras, th e . Court of Dires2ors mad e the most formal oblations to the nomination, but were at length obliged to yi e ld ; consoling themselves with the idea that one o f i ts ow , servants would be appointed Governor General. I have seen Mr. Addington' at dinner, at Lord Castlereagh's. He spoke to me of yosu iq the most pompous and affationate terms: He likewise men tioned Barlow's nomination as a measure a nick must be very agreeable to you. .The Mutt of me conversations with Lord Castlereagh has convinced me that It linisters are sensible of the import:tete of the, continuance of your stay in India, and are erriemely desirous you should remain there, but that they are . not strong enough to dispute the point with the Coen:. of Dirators, who are fully determined to oblige yam • to return, I think that new attempts might be made with success, to induce the Court of Peatets to solicit the prolongation of your stay. But:trier havingeecently seen them violate the engagement which they made, not to interfere with any of your nominations, it would neither be prudent nor dipti fied to take any step ehich would give them eccse sion to suspes that you are desirous of remaining in India, or that any other motive than a thorough persuasion that it is only for the public. good, could induce you to remain a single hour longer than the period which you have filed for your return. I received a civil but a very cold reception of the Chairman: he spoke ernerzning improvements in common, but said not a word concerti:le my ior. serial services. lie aopearei disposed to find some faith with all we had done at Poonah, and we Forted after a c 'nversation of ten minutes; he tell ing me that he was so busy he had not had time to read the dispatches (though they had been five days at the India House), but that he hoped to hare frequent occasion to converse with me on the affair of India. I have not seen him since, though I staid a fortnight at London waiting for the oppirtunith: and the Court had not the civility to melte me to one of the dinners which are given every Wednes. day. I have since been &alio-est to return to Chester (' house for the sake of my f.e.dth, which still conti nues very bad. Anether motive, which causes me to wish fur your return, is the situation of the diiferent parties in England. I suppose you have received a letter from Lord Grenville on that sublet, ; however, I will tell you all I know, and which I had from an ir.timate friend of Pitt. It appears, that some weeks since, Addington proposed to Pitt to come again into administration, on certain conditions. Oa this overture of Addington, Pitt began a negocia ti in sr itli him ; stated the conditions on which he was desirous of composing a part .of the adalint ,- trAtion ; declaring that he would not insista bringing in any person against whom the king might have any oblation ; but he desired that the business might be kept a profound secret, till it was completely arranged, and, at the same time, he re served the liberty of receding from this negosiaton , if he was of opinion that his services could net he useful to the public welfare. On these conditions he gave Addington a sketch of his plan, men:iced several persons whom he intended to propose, and among whom was Lord Grenville—still, however, continuing to declare, that he wished to introduse no person in opposition to the King ; but that here served to himself the liberty of receding. Addirgtoa submitted this plan so his colleaeueo by whom it war related. and the ileercietion was broken off. At preseia all Adding•on', friends declare that Pin t. s refitted to return into administration, be•auie wished to be allowed to Ling ils Grenville, &c. Pitt, as yeu will have ken, rtes since opposed .IJ si ngton in the House, and they no longer to each other. Lord Grenville rwlnis th • • tr. • Canning) has told me that Pitt colter: • • contempt for Adeline con, that he .would With him, on 4.1 y cozation the Len: time Pitt cr: Oz. ev:ry dAy in Ag.tinst t!: • 1.),1e.1ce !s .t ; 1 1.1, t•.O !rue • fl, ha, trn'rrc . i it carat,.. :Ai. %.• . ..; c l l (01cl-wise wc-'ll.l cr • ease. Oa one vcc.tivn !: • H - • tn o:e . a.toni:.!irttent of every one, the n. only .'U. Nevertheless I, many that it is irnrossible t:i:ni;< o f7 ,-, present looting, art I think. 1 ) .t: e..ti :- office in the course (fa makes th.tt you should be on tile . I,p.•t t,) tor;.l t • new .141m:v.istrwtiota, which . wotild then b c if l';•t were At the head. WhAt do y L:• •••• this? Yru w,u31,1 be able to obt.i,o relative ra anJ, if you LLiaii pr. p.r, t,.. as C.Jve: nor-Genet-AL Au. I begin this krt.: at I.ondnn, but havi vr;:h I. r.l C.tszt:re.o;:t. to:1 me t:,- would no: ••••!. if ttn l'ely h.t. been a: .kddin e ttoo's, to s l ut tk :o' • ir.e; hai promisesime to.: tzh (.1 the Ituw . .; of c enpe:i t • reftors to rzw.trJ me for my ,trvice, I: CM, I exp:a fto:n :::ern. I (-zn• .f) 11. \Vv.: the proposal Oatle him I chase the two prices anal