The Sun. — London, England, 1807-03-11 00:00:00

t ,y ~ :~ : •..~. NUMBER 4.51 TRI4L OR UR HOME POPHAM. Portsmouth harbour, March Gth: FIRST DAY.. , ~ The usual formalities of swearingthe Members of the Court, and Judge Advocate, being gone through :—tbe Order from the Admiralty appointing 'Mr. Jarvis, to conduCi the , Prosecution ; also, that dire&- ing Mr. Bicknell, their Solicitor, to assist him, were read. Both were signed by Mr. Marsden. After the warrant for the original arrest of Sir Nome Popham was read—The following list of wit= 'nesses summoned upon the trial were called over : Lord Melville Capt. Parker Lord Whitworth - Capt.- Dundas Mr: puskisson Laughlan Maclean nr. S. Bourne Lieut. Madden ' Mr. .Marsden Mr: Thomas Browne Capt. King Thomas Wilson rAnvards Mr. Hollingsworth. .V 13.3 Charge, the substance of which has already appeared in this Paper, was. then read by the Judge Advocate:—Thil Charge recited Eighteen different Documents, each of which was read, and are as' fol : No- 1 •'" - Copy of Original I astrudions to Sir,H. Popham. . " No.. (Most Secret). Py the Commissioners , forexecutin the Office of Lord High Admiral of the United Kingdom of Great Britain acid Ire land. • The Lord Viscount Castlereagh, one of his' Ma .jesty's Principal Secretaries of State, having, with .his letter to 'us, of the 25th of July ; .transmitted a copy of the instruetions, which, by coumiand of his Ma jesty, he h a d f urn i s h e d to Major-General Sir David Baird, .commanding his. Majesty's Land Forces, on •art Expedition for attempting .the reduction of the Cape of Good Hope; on the subjeEt of which the Ala jor,Genetal has been direOed to communicate with you in the - most cOnfidential. manner, and to concert with you 3u6 measures as Iszy be best for his Majesty's service, 'w3 transmit to you lids..'!Nith a 'copy of the said insttu&ions for infmrnatioti, - gether with copies of the instmaibnl from _the Se- - . •\.pret Committee of the Court of Direaors oft-he East Wa Company to the Governor and Council OfSo. Rel4 2 n,a ; and -also to the Officers °commanding their -ships, ' vc •-,iich you wilt communicate to the said Go- Vernor and council, and to the said -Officers, as you shall think it e,xpedient ; and we do hereby require you, and dire& yo . 1, to communicate in the most eon- Edential manner with.Major-General Sir D. B a i r d ; to Atrnish him with all the-;zlformation in your p ower , and to co-operate with hit N in the execution of his Majesty's command concernin.t' such measures with the Major-General for 'proceeLi.' against the Cape in the manner which may be most to ensure success, On your arrival at . ..Madeira, you- will 0;;€ 4 under your command his Majesty's ships named Ir;._ the margin*, which you may expea• to find -there the Captains of which are direCted to follow your orders), together with the transports ; victuallers, and Indiamen ; and on leaving; this Island you will de liver to the s evera l C aptains and Commanders such, rendezvous, in case of separation; as May be judged most likely to enable you to arrive oft the...Cape,' with the whole of you? colleted 1 - orce. Upon dte surrender 4 t2f the Settlement •to His Ma ifilg's arms, you are to use your utmost diligence; as j ar as mey_ciependon you, to•have4;:e troops and re cruitsdestmed for India expeditiously 7-relittarke,a, in order thai they may proceed under the convoy of th e Belliqueu. to the ulterior destination, notifying by them, or,by the earliest opportunity whick you can find, the surrender of the Cape to the two Com manders in . Chief of - His Majesty's Naval Forces in the Indian Seas, in order, that the accustomed com munication with "the Colony tuaragaio be opened. And Yolc are, further directed, as soon as the oljectqf the Lx ?- pedition - shall be accomplished, to . send the Raisonable to St. Helena, with orders to take unddr her convoy such of the vessels of the East India Company and others, as may be 'colleaecl.at that Island, and proceed with them to Spithead. • In the event of circumstances - arising which may make it expedient to desist froM the enterprize, you Are nevertheless to detach the India Ships to their destination, under convoy of the Belliqueux; and to returo with the remainder of your force and trans posh to St. Helena ; and not finding there -any instruaions, after waiting fifteen -days, or longer, if it shall be found expedient, you will pro ceedour tonvno Cork unless with the ship;i and you shall- transports under y c y, receive a different destination at Port Praia; at St. Jago, where you are direaed to call for further orders, leaving at St. H e l ena th e R a i sona bl e to take und er her convoy any of the homeward-bound East India ships that may either have arrived there, or be expeCted to arrive within one month ; but in the event of none being there, nor any expeaed in the above -mentioned pe riod, you are to continue the Raisonable under your command, and proceed as before direaled. Immeiliately after the surrender of the Cape, or in the event of circumstances arising which -may oblige. ytbu to desist froth the enterprtze ; you are to dispatch one of, the small vessels whiCh will accom pany you, to England, transmitting to our Secretary for our information au account of your proceed ings. - Given, B.:c. July 29; 1805, BARHAM, J. GAMBIEH, PH. PATTEN. • ry Command of their Lordships, • JOHN BARROW.' In thiS Was an. inclosure, containing the Secret Instructions to Sir D. Baird to co-operate with Sir Popham. • - , . No. 0. ,o,ffice; August e,, 1 8 a 5. SIR, j am commanded by my Lords Commissioners of the, Admiralty, to signify their direaion to you to send a frigate to cruize on the East coast of South * Belliqueux, Raisonable, Diomede, Narcissys, Leda, oir sloop, and encounter gunolvsnl. + ;; v, r,* WEDNESDA Y, MARCH 11, 1807. America, between Rio de Yamira and Rio de la Plata, ak soon as you shall have accoffiplished the objeet of the Expedition on which you are about to proceed, for the purpose of procuring intelligence of the enenty's motions,•in order that you may be, prepared against atty attack they may. be diSposed to make on - the Settlement. Your's, To Captain' Sir Home Popham. JOHN BARROW. No. 3. Is dated Admiralty Office, Sept. 14, soe,:and'directs Sir Hprnt to retain all the trans ports at the Cape of Good Hope, after the reduEtion of the Settlement, until he received further orders. No. 4, dated Admiralty Office, Sept.. 24, di re&ed Sir Home 'to send transports to India, for the conveyance of the troops, which, according to an in closure addressed to Sir D. Baird, that Officer was instructed td send. to India, in case of a new war ap prehended with Scindee and the Rajah of Berar, in coniunation with Holkar. Iu this order Sir Home was direeted to proceed' to 'lndia with the whole of Sir D. Baird's force; if :necessary, with the eecep tion of the Royal artillery, engineers, and light dra goons, which. he .was ordered to send to Europe, with a frigate and the. Raison:lWe, provided she had not left the station. He was also ordered to send to Europe such of the prisoners of war as he might not find it expedient to enlist. The inclosure stated that Lord Cornwallis, or such person as should be Commander in Chief In India . at the time, was dire' ed,to send for reinforcements to the Cape of Good Hope, if required. •, After hav ing safely conveyed the troops to India, Sir Home was direCted to return to the Cape-of Good4:lope or to St. Helena, according. to circumstances, " at one of which places he might expeel to find orders for his further proceedings." • No. 5, dated Admiralty Office, Nev. 21, 1805; ordered Sir Home, on the event of the surrender of the Cape, to send home without delay, under a pro per convoy, all the transports which were not want ed for the conveyance of the troops ordered to pro ^eed to the East:lndies. (3 and 7, dated the 13th and 2,Bth of Janua ry, 1806, IrchitTable--taP Cape of Good Hope, contained Sir Hot-ie Pophatn's account.of the cap ture of the Cape, rete. Capitulation, A t &C. which appeared in the r.;t37 don GaZtte ' No. 8, from Sir Home to Mt yarsdea, states the capture of a French brig, which 1,7,7 brottgbt.. means heat posS of into the Cape, by which tleo letters from Admiral Linois to General Janneu - :: Commander of the Cape at the tiu;e of its capture, and to the Minister of Marine at Paris, whith fell into Siellome's hands. From these letters it appeared that Linois' never intended to go to the Isle of , ranceias 'prov;sions were not likely .to 'be ltad there, if he should have occasion for them'. This letter also states the arrival of .a Danish ship at Table Bay, front which Sir Home learned - that she had the evening before . been boarded by the Piedmont ese .rt;'vnch frigate, which was a large•ship bound for the France. Of this the wriretementioned, that lie wouQ. transmit intelligence to Sir Edward The folloWliz is a paragraph of this letter :—" The letters from Lids are rather too equivocal to say c:zaaly when he 1, - ;,-;41 arrive, but he may be expected from the beginning t.' be end of March, and as the Northumberland and Euphrates Indiamen are ex peeled thebeginning of - th e ensuing month, I shall proceed immediately off the Ca t ,;.„`= . with - nay whole squadron, to prevent, if possible:,‘ iu with such valuable ships as' they would lR', to him, as well in point of the intelligence they coeldg:ve him, - as the great supply of pro - isioos and stores which ,hey-contain, and of which they so essentially stazld in need." No. g, dated Table Bay, March 4, was a letter from Sir Home to the Admiralty, communicating intelligence of the capture of a French ship, called La Votontaire, which he describes as " the fore runner of Admiral Willeaumez's•squadron." No. 10; dated March 4, 'informs the Admiralty of the propriety which Sir Home felt of desisting, from his endeavours to raise the Atalanta Flench frigate, because, as he states, - 4i the possibility of the enemy coming suddenly upon us, when a num ter of our men were-absent, madt me abandon the idea of again attempting to raise,lier." No. 11, dated Table Bay, March 12, states Sir pliance with the ugliest of Sir Home Popham's. com David Baird, to send two transperts, with the whole of the French priswrs, to France. • The writer urges as a reason for tlimplying with this request, in addition to the motives which operated- upon his own condu6l on a similar occasion (the sending to FranCe the officers and illen taken on board the La Volootaire), " the disadvantage . , if not the extreme danger that would-attend the detention, of so many French prisoners, at a time when an attackk-on Me co lany'is a posiible case, and likely to be so for some days longer."—He added, that be would adopt the - satne expedient with 'respea to any prisoners whom he might capture, in case, said he, i" any part of the squadrons of which we have had intelligence ....hould come in here by small proportions to water an vi&ual." • the Leda, " get off, or you'll be, taken, by the French," From the Cite at. this Grig had Met Willeaurnez, the writer conetuded, that if bound . for the 1 Cape, he must have.reaChed it some days before_ this letter was written‘; and from the provi sions and water which the fleet originally took ont, as stated to him by the Captain of the Volontairedie was of opinion that it would touch at Rio de Janeiro., He immediately dispatched intelligence by the Rolla brig to Admiral CoChrane, in the West indieS l to St. Helena, and to Sir E. Pellew. This letter referring to one of.the goth, Sir Home Popham said, that lie should, in his de fence; take the liberty of producing the letter of the 20th. Admiral Rowley thought it 'night as well be pro duced now, as it was coin with the other. - Sir Home observed, that he had not the copy of it on board. NO, 14.—His Majesty's Skip Diadem, Table Bay, April 9, 1806 . - SIR-As the season is very far advanced for lying_ in this Bay, and the weather particularly unsettled. for the time of the year, I propos( , quitting it with . the squadron immediately ;,more especially as, from. the length of time that has elapsed since we heard: of Admiral Willeatirtez's fleet, it was very improba ble, consistent with the situation he was then in, that he should corne . bere at present. -To determine his poSition at the moment would, be impossible, and it is almost equally diiiicult to decide on. the best Mode of,applying the exertions. of the squadron- the ensuing two months -to the greatest advantage. , • The intelligence we received-by the Volontairer and Camel has already been transmitted to you:for their Lordships' information. It appears materially to incline to the supposition, that the West Indies is the destination of Admiral Willeaumez's fleet, but General Auker, the late Governor of • Tranquebar, who is just arrived here on his passage:to Europe, informed me in the course of conversation, : that a. French squadron .was expeeted at Mauritius,. :but that it was impossible for that island;to supply any. flour to it, without looking to Rio dela Plata, on . the Coast of Brazil, fOr a supply ; On which consi= aeration, I think employing:the : squadron in cruiz ing a short time off that coast ; instead of remaining. idle, will be a disposition fraught with some ads an tages, and which I hope will appear so evident to their Lordships as to induce - them to approve of the t-ae.asUre. . . , As this letter is; to be conveyed by a foreign ,ship, - - •11 no :titer into any minute 'detail, but say . it I Sh' ‘ritirir:. -to proceed of Rio de la Plata in the is myints... i • to send the Raisonable to herdesti-• first instance )., nation by the -.. t1y,.. -- ' 3iee,d , rt i t i ll e c c p c t i rn ._,y : o e ssf f : : : i i co Pi ui t: :: : i Janeiro, to procure rice-i..., return - • --„ti,,, t 1 . , imme,.,....!' v i is in the greatest want, anct-t..... . to False Bay.• with the other ships; •,.._ ..., • hear that Admiral Linois ' is at St,.Cathent'...' s, 'Pr 4- ' paring to cruize for the outward-l/c?nnd Easts.-,Zl • ja trade, in which case I shall endeavour to intercept • him, if it does not infringe Qp the time of my re*. turn to the Cape, to receive -their'Lordslilps' coin—. mantis, in Consequence of Ow dispatches conveyed by the Espoir. • • . 1 When I have the opportunity of safe Conveyance ! to write more fully to their: Lordships, I hope the additional reasons I shall give will b(). sufficient to satisfy their Lordships of the- e4pedjency of theme;- - sufe which-I'am now about to adopt, i - I haVe the honour to be, &c. &c. Win. Marsden,. Esq. &c. &c. HomE Porn. m. NO. 15.=-- , Piuniale, Tale Buy, April 13, 180 G. the ,honour to addreSs you on the Oth instimt, for the inforination of the Lords;COramis siGners of the Admiralty, and as stated in that let ter, .&1 Weighed on the I oth with a ligst breeze; but it soon •2;;ter tell calm, and I was obliged to anchor in the outer,part of the Bay. In the evening I received some intelligence re speding the weak state ofAelence' which Monte Video an(l Buenos Ayres were in, and I returned - to the shore the following morning, to communicate into General Sir David Baird. • • • No. 12, is dated Table Bay, March this, Sir HOrne Mentions the arrival' of a Whaler at Sal-- danha Bay, the officer of which stated, that he had, on the 25th of Feb. in lat. 33. - 50. S. and long. 50. E. of Greenwich,. fallen . in with eight sail of ships, steering about E.S.E. and thought them English East Indiatnen, but. he was not long in sight. The writer adds, " Admiral Willeaumez's 'squadron consiSted onlyof seven sail ; but they gay have taken a prize, or this may be a small convoy of Indiamen." No. 13, dated Table Bay, 21st March, is a Letter frOn't Sir Home, in which he States, that a brig fror. - : Totiningen had fallen in with the Leia, which %Wig at the time cruizing off St. Helens, and intOrmed her, that she had been _bOarded by Willeaunmy's squadron, in lat. 33. 23. and long. 'to. E. master of the brig therefore said to the Captain of This intelligence so fully Corrobbrated what I had already received from various quarters,, that. I sug gested the expediency ofsparing a few troops tor, a short time to enable us tb - bring a question of such importance to immediate issue. I hesitate not to confess that I urged it with every argument in my power, from a convidion of the great and splendid benefit which the country would derive by a con quest of such a nature- at this moment, embracing considerations of various advantages, not only to toe mother country, but to thiS colony, which has been threatened for many years Widi famine;owinglo the failure of its crops. The result-of my inquiries for many years respe.6t ing South America in general, and Buenos Ayres in . - particular, - have been presented to his Majesty's Go vernment, and as it was once settled that I shot.ild - be sent there, I took every pains to form a detailed project for a combined operation, and which I had the ho nour of giving to the late, and sending to the present First Lord of - the - Admiralty. After Sir D. Baird had seriously considered this subjeti, and consulted with Gen. - Beresford on the occasion, he determined to accede to my, .proposition, and the 71st regiment was ordered for embarkation under Brigadier Gen. Beres ford ; and the whole of that regiment, with its ar tillery, horses, and other departments arc all em barked, and only wait a breeze to sail, and the con current testimony of various people whom we have examined gives us the greatest prosped of success. Hour expedations are realized, I shall lose no time hi bearing myself the dispatches for England : Sir David Baird will notice this to Lord Castlereagh, and assign the reasons on I.vhich such a decision was founded ; one of the princirml ones, however, is, that of conveying to their Lordships the true situa tion of the cbuniry, its commerca, 1 • Qi0131 - 0:tS, diSpo- Zition of the.inhabitants, and- the extent to w . :!ich its ~. ipb\--- . i :., 5 1 14 i i .. ftt'fief fo'il:ftel.;:i. ... .., . _..... '; . ~ . ~ _ _ /-. . . I ,v 1 lb ;'; '' '1 .-'•4l - 1 _1 = -, 1 4 ' l' 4 : 1 0 , „,- r, :, , ~ ---- <-:, 4 , -=- - ) .4z- f4t .7 4,. / . - 4Z - iA ''-'i -;-4, 0:‘, .. :•-• . -...''.: e . .. eat EPRIC.k 'BIXPiNC exportations tray be carried, With .a,Scale also of the. cOnsumptiOn for the nianalaanres Of Great Although there are points on. I;vlileh f cannot: doubt but their LOrdships have Colle4ed' a glieat deal of information, yet I coosicier what tnay be person.: ally conveyed by an °dicer whose sole ambition is to 'Obtain their' T...,ordAltips: -confidence and good opi nion, will -be more general, more corred, and more specificthan any Which can 'be obtained by other channels ; and as. Capt. Rowley.is the next.Otlicer on the list to myself, I considered that the .service would be deprived of little dignity.with reset to rank, and certainly none in - point of zeal, judgment, and ability. - I have only presumed to say a few words on the advantage which we may derive by the exports frOm this country, by .the channel of importation which it opens up - a navigable river for many hundred leagnei, to supply several millions of inhabitants with the martufadures of the United Kingdom. There is, however, another; not of less consequence on any consideration, which is that of depriving the enmity . ' of this most valuable trade, 'which- is carried on en tirely tinder neutral flags. These pro3l3eds not only apply to Great Britain, but the Communication with this colony will remove all idea of famine in future, and • be attended with reciprocal advantages far be yond any calculation of risk in the present under. taking. This letter will go by a neutral-ship, but hope under, such a precaution as vi,: ill ensure its safe delivery.. Twill not enter . into any farther particu-: lars, but state, for the information of their Lordships / that the moment the place is titken I ;Rio de Itueiro,. because it may enable his IVrajesty. •ta give dis;:retionary poWeis to any 'troops hound to India, toziciiingat,Janeiro, to . proceedto La Plata ifs the Commanding 011iCer hears that it is in, cur pos- , session. ,T Will also send notice to St. Helena, as .the Go vernor may be induced .to spare us s few troopsfrom.: that Island, and I have already advised hitt) .of the. enterptize, , hoping, that he may he able to detach -160 artillerymen iq the Georgiana packet, and 4 the: same time acquaint roc if Lehas information of a naaft . of war from England, from his Jane convoy, which wail prevent the necessity of . my, ,sending thejtatson able or another - ship there from La Plata. I ihelose to their 'Lordships one of the, letters Which I haVerdceived front the ,mister and owner : ,of an AII*II.II, ship, who is now on bo;ird theaka-..- dent,, and the resuit of many examinations is, that there. are: not. aboVe 500 regUlar troops, at the two 14ade, some provisional caval k ry and militia ; that-, the Walls of Monte Video are in a very ruinous. state s . and ,the inhabitants diSaffeat-d • - owl any caicula - - . • • - J. ,, rustr.77. or • I 116pe the view- I have c-iver.) .expediencyduce.i,so strongly to I)rss on Sir David'.Baird the -of unde . rtA.inga project of zeal,- enter- prize. any ,i4ort!J prowising so_ much hpnoured; pros Pea of to the Empire, will. beconsi dered - by. Illeir . Lords!:.T:' Os fa:: pref , t;a:)le to the al ive ig h - 1):.:e t.he honour to coolniand to inOulder a'..vay its natlo - :..i ePorgx .; by ‘Vitite:ffing iti FUT , O4Iy, el.entually beoine• pa... so lung, as 1.4:1'4 done, in.., . a state . of cold deli::11 , : ! ve wact:ity. I 11.;:ve the houpar to &e. (Signed) it .PorAm., •- • ILI this LPtier the TOI:ovellIZ inci , osures.„ The first is 1;;,m the :Captain alluded to ifr the ftirnier Letteril ) • ciiPe of Good Zlope, MarelL,2B, beg leave' to represent to you, .t - liat.l have:, been three nines at .Buenos A,yres and Monte Video, r, that both places hare the greatest abUndance of wheat, flour, and indeed, every sort of provisions. = From my knowledge of the minds and disposition of the itiliabitantS,. I.canassure you that Hi s ' M a -. , jesty's squadron under.Yonr command, witha small, military force; would with ease take possession of either of those places, and if 'permanent possession . ; could be effeded, there is not the . srnalleSt doubt 'of " Procuring any quantity of flour ; and to prove to lon that it is not ziri idle suggestion to mislead the Bri tish, I could have no •objcilion to be one of five liundred.men, to attack • the , place. tin mire the inhabitants are so ridded by their Oovernment, that to prevent a shot being fired at Monte,Video, if they h'ad any ihreacfrom the Men of War, they would :send out any quantity of flour or biscuit to prevent mischief; but the places may be taken as I describe ; and if the trade is thrown open, all the habitants would willingly acquire and keep the place for the British nation without troops, I%hich would be a mine of wealth. I hope you will not make use of . my name improperly,.as it may injure ine greatly. I - myself, with my ship are at your-service, to do what you please to get possession of Buenos Ayres. I am, &c. (Signed) The Judge Advocate repeated thewriter's express wish that his name should not be published. Another Inclosurein Sir Home's Letter to Go vernor Patten, St. Helena, in which the Honour able Captain inclosed hiS Letter to the Adininity, and requested some military assistance,. particularly a - .comphny of artillery, or such force as he could spare. This Letter is dated Table. Bay, 13th of April: No. 16, 'dated St. Helena, 3otli April, is as fol lows Siii---Conformably to the Eetter I had the ho nour of addressing to you the 13th instant, I sailed from the Cape .wits the ships named in - the mar gin*, Eating on board the 71st regiment, 'with a small detachment of artillery, and a fe IV dismounted dragoons. On'the ntht Of the 20th, in very squally unsettled weather, ikttended with a nigh sea, the Ocyan parted company, and as I thought -it possible stir might have rolied - kvay the main -mast, and bore ap,for St. * I%iaLip, Ralso6able, Dilmede, Narcissus, Enccuhier. mr ,, F9 - - s —Waliccr, Trawl, Nelantho, Ocean, i y;::% r .~ 4 ...P ~ b -,1 fn